"Produce 48" Faces Dilemma Over Timing Of Live Finale Due To Underage Contestants

Will Mnet’s “Produce 48” be able to air a live finale in a late-night time slot? This is the question that has arisen due to a law that prohibits teenagers under the age of 15 from participating in night-time broadcasts.

Put into effect in 2014, Section 22 of the Development of Popular Culture and Arts Industry Act prohibits teenagers under the age of 15 from participating in broadcasts after 10 p.m. in order to guarantee their right to sleep and rest.

Contestants under 15 years of age currently competing on “Produce 48” include Jang Won Young, Lee Yu Jeong, and Lee Ha Eun.

According to the law, the broadcast time can be extended with consent from a parent or guardian. However, even if this was the case, filming would only be permitted until midnight.

The final live episodes of the two seasons of “Produce 101” began at 11 p.m. and lasted until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Even if contestants were to receive consent to film until midnight, it would be impossible for them to take part during the full time slot that the “Produce” series previously used for its live finales.

This is not the first time that idol appearances have become a hot topic due to this law. During MBC’s “Idol Star Athletics Championships” in 2016, the youngest participant at the time was APRIL’s 14-year-old member Jinsol. On the day of filming, Jinsol left the set as soon as it became 9:50 p.m.

In 2017, it also became an issue when Baek Ji Heon appeared on the live broadcast of Mnet’s “Idol School” after 10 p.m. The Korea Communications Standards Commission found the show to be in violation of Article 33, Section 1 and Article 45, Section 1, and recommended administrative guidance.

It has been said that there is a need for discussion about the “Produce 48” live finale since there are some fan-favorite contestants under the age of 15 who seem likely to make it to the final episode. Jang Won Young, for example, was named as one of the two possible first place contestants in the July 20 episode when the show revealed partial realtime rankings.

A source from Mnet said, “The staff of ‘Produce 48’ is aware of the provisions of this law and is in the process of considering various alternatives based on the situation. Currently, the schedule for the live finale hasn’t been released yet. A change in the time slot is one of the alternatives.”

“Produce 48” airs every Friday at 11 p.m. KST on Mnet. You can vote for your favorite contestants in our prediction poll for international fans here!

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