This caused Kim Shin-young's exit as 'National Singing Contest' host
Kim Shin-young, the host of KBS1's National Singing Contest is set to leave the show after a year and five months. Her final appearance as MC will be on the recording scheduled for Friday, March 9. The decision to replace her was reportedly made by KBS management without consulting the production team, raising concerns about the decision-making process.
Abrupt decision-making process by KBS management
Sources indicate that during discussions about the MC change, Kim's team heard from KBS insiders that "a young female MC does not fit (the program's characteristics)." This aligns with rumors of Nam Hee-seok being considered as the next MC. However, the unusual manner in which the MC change was conducted has raised many eyebrows within the entertainment industry.
Probable reasons for change
One possible reason for Kim's departure could be the differing internal and external evaluations of viewership ratings by KBS. As per TenAsia, during her tenure, National Singing Contest initially had around 5% viewership, which later increased to 6-7%, with the latest episode on March 3 reaching 6.4%. Another factor could be the core audience's unfamiliarity with Kim, who gained popularity as a comedian but remains relatively unknown to older viewers.
KBS's active pursuit of changes
KBS has been actively making changes to several programs, such as ending Problem Child in the House and Beat Coin, and concluding the season for History Journal That Day. Reportedly, KBS is running at a loss, hence the management aims to secure competitiveness for long-standing programs. However, industry insiders pointed out that if the viewership ratings do not increase with Nam's joining, questions about KBS's judgment will inevitably arise.
