The operator of MBC, the nation’s second largest terrestrial broadcaster, on Wednesday refused to fire the MBC president, despite a long-standing union strike against management calling for political neutrality.

The decision is expected to take the 60-day general strike to a new level.

Personnel decisions related to the MBC president are taken up by board members of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, consisting of six figures nominated by the ruling party and three named by the opposition.

The foundation said Wednesday that the suggestion to sack MBC president Kim Jae-chul had been denied by the six government-friendly members. The three appointed on the recommendation of the opposition said they will not attend future meetings in protest of the rejection.

The FBC decision is likely to fuel controversy over the sit-in by the broadcaster’s unionists. The strike initiated by a journalists’ walkout against the management’s meddling in news coverage has expanded to a nationwide issue since revelations, including Kim’s misappropriation of company money and his “fishy liaison with the administration,” were revealed.

The union has already said the strike will continue until Kim steps down.

Meanwhile, Kim has once against come under fire for manipulating the broadcasting schedule of the April 11 general elections to “prevent young and liberal-minded voters from casting their ballots.”

Park Yong-jin, spokesman of the Democratic United Party, revealed Thursday that Kim ordered the election-related programs to start airing from 6 p.m. when the voting wraps up. Conventionally, broadcasters including MBC have started broadcasting the election sketches and others no later than 4 p.m. to encourage people to participate in the election until the last minute.

However, Park said that Cha Ki-hwan, one of the board members of the FBC and pro-government figure, visited MBC on Wednesday and told reporters: “We all know that young people vote a lot from 4 p.m. through 6 p.m. Airing election-related programs during the timeline and encouraging people to vote could be misleading demeanor.”

Park reproached MBC.

“The media should be the ones inducing people to vote, which is one of the most important responsibilities and rights of citizens,” Park said. “Discouraging voting is a denial of democracy. Cha’s remarks show that the conservative administration, which has been detested by mostly liberal-minded young demographics, dreads high voter-turnout and losing its power.”

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)