2nd LD) Rival parties fail to narrow differences on media bills

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(ATTN: UPDATES with both parties' revised proposals in paras 5-8)
SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- The nation's rival parties failed to narrow their
differences on a set of disputed media industry reform bills on Monday, even
though their floor leaders held last-minute negotiations.
Ahn Sang-soo, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), met with his
counterpart of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Lee Kang-rae, at an
undisclosed location for about seven hours, but they failed to find a compromise
on the media reform bills centered on lifting a ban on cross-ownership of print
media and television stations, according to officials of both sides.
Ahn and Lee are expected to meet again Tuesday morning, said the officials.
The conservative ruling party claims the reform bills would promote competition
in the media industry, whereas the DP argues the reform drive reflects a
conservative push to control the media and will only benefit the country's major
conservative newspapers.
Despite the failure to reach a compromise, the two parties have made slight
headway in some details, according to lawmakers close to the talks.
In its revised proposal, the GNP promised to more strictly restrict the
participation of large conglomerates and major newspapers in the management of
domestic broadcasting stations by introducing a limit on consolidated market
shares and forcing transparent disclosure of management data, said the lawmakers.
The ruling party has also offered to revise its initial plan to allow
conglomerates and newspapers to own up to 20 percent of terrestrial TV stations,
30 percent of general programming and content providers and 49 percent of
all-news TV channels, they said.
But the DP allegedly stuck to its position to maintain the current ban
prohibiting large conglomerates and newspapers from owning terrestrial TV
stations, though the opposition party slightly eased its stance on rules on entry
into the general programming and all-news channel sectors.
Ahn was quoted as saying earlier Monday that he was determined to conclude
negotiations by Tuesday morning.
"I'm determined to finish all negotiations today. Depending on the circumstances,
everything will be determined by tomorrow morning," Ahn was quoted by his
spokesman as saying.
Ahn's remarks were disclosed by his spokesman, Shin Sung-bum. Shin explained that
Ahn may have indicated his intention to ask Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o, a
former GNP lawmaker, to invoke his authority and call a vote on the bills unless
a compromise is reached by Tuesday morning.
The rival parties have been at odds over the media reform bills for over eight
months.
The GNP is pressed for time, as the ongoing extraordinary parliamentary session
will end Saturday. The next regular session will open in September.
The GNP controls 169 seats in the 299-member unicameral house, enough to pass the
bills through voting. The DP, which holds 84 seats, has vowed to mobilize all
possible means to block the GNP from attempting to unilaterally put the bills to
a vote.
ycm@yna.co.kr