The Next Music Awards
The Next Music Award was the name of the ceremony Next Music had prepared to wrap up the year. Though the name was simple, the scale of the event being prepared was anything but. It wasn't merely tallying up the Korean music market; it was a ceremony that would summarize the global music market. Therefore, the criteria for awards included not only Korea but also artists from the United States and Europe. In other words, world-renowned singers who had shone in 2003 were on the award list, and efforts were underway to bring them to Korea. In fact, many artists contacted after being selected for the Next Music Award had responded that it would be an honor and that they would come to Korea to accept their awards. Eminem, Jennifer Lopez, 50 Cent, Beyoncé, and others had sent positive replies. It made sense—Next Music wasn't a local streaming service but a global platform capable of covering worldwide markets. Until a few years ago, Next Music had been on par with the Billboard charts. Then, after ID Group launched the Android smartphone and Apple released the iPhone, global smartphone sales surpassed hundreds of millions, and Next Music surged ahead of Billboard. Listening to music on a smartphone now meant simply opening the Next Music app and tapping a button. While some still transferred MP3 files from their computers to their phones as they had in the 1990s, the majority simply streamed through Next Music. Naturally, global artists showed great interest when they heard Next Music was hosting an awards ceremony.
That didn't mean Korean artists and idols would be sidelined. The plan was to hold both global category awards and Korean chart awards simultaneously. A truly global awards show, something unimaginable in Korea until now, was taking shape, and the industry was casting sharp glances its way.
"Well, being hated by the industry isn't exactly new."
Yoo Jae-won reacted immediately after reading the report sent by Watson, president of ID Media Group. Annoyance came as an added bonus. ID Media Group, which had launched with great ambition, was sailing smoothly. Its three cable channels were delivering results in their respective domains, becoming must-carry stations for anyone subscribing to cable. As it grew rapidly, ID Media Group had quickly become the industry's public enemy. Yet the real reason the industry despised ID Media Group was different: it refused to follow broadcasting conventions. A prime example was the decision to have tvM broadcast the Next Music Award. While contacting award-winning singers to build set lists, the news inevitably leaked. Entertainers and artists were always under media scrutiny, and even trivial gossip about them guaranteed clicks. Word that the Next Music Award would be held at the ID Digital Media Center in Heukseok-dong, Seoul, at the end of the year spread as breaking news. But what netizens found even more fascinating were the performers' appearance fees. The figures were staggering. Overseas artists commanded base fees in the hundreds of millions of won. Beyoncé, the massive newcomer, was set at 300 million won, Eminem at 500 million, and the highest was 50 Cent, whose "In da Club" had dominated the Billboard charts that year, at 800 million won just for the appearance. Korean artists received top-tier treatment as well. The rookie idol group TVXQ was offered 60 million won. These fees were separate from the awards themselves—they were appearance fees paid simply for performing on the Next Music Award stage. It wasn't a case of Dream Entertainment, ID Group's subsidiary, throwing money around. Other agencies' mid-tier artists who had swept the 2003 Korean music scene, such as Big Mama, Wheesung, and Lee Hyori, commanded even higher fees. Thanks to this, executives at rival networks were grumbling.
"A new network trying to buy tradition and prestige with money!"
It was a familiar refrain. One of broadcasting's worst habits was unrealistic appearance fees. Appearing on a music show meant clearing half a day from one's schedule, and singers had to handle their own hair and makeup at considerable expense. Yet broadcast appearance fees were only 100,000 to 200,000 won. For idol groups with many members, that didn't even cover meals. In contrast, Mnet 23's music program Music Countdown started at a minimum of 1 million won. That was the base for rookie male soloists; fees rose further for larger idol groups. While still far below what local governments or major corporations paid for events, at least artists no longer had to spend their own money just to appear on a music show. Rival networks found this inconvenient. Instead of admitting their own systems were flawed, they accused ID Media Group of muddying the waters by relying on its wealthy parent company. The Next Music Award had finally ignited their fury. The year-end music awards were a grand stage shared by the three major terrestrial networks. Though billed as a year-end summary and presented with great fanfare, they were essentially no different from regular music broadcasts. The networks provided only the stage; decorating it was the responsibility of the singers and their agencies. ID Media Group had merely made appearance fees realistic, yet from the networks' perspective, it was simply stirring up trouble where things had been running smoothly. Hence the accusations of trying to buy tradition and prestige with money. Watson's report further noted that the networks weren't just grumbling—they were considering collective action. They were seriously contemplating moving their own year-end music awards to the same date as the Next Music Award.
"In times like this, we need to be even bolder."
Yoo Jae-won had no intention of backing down. Buying tradition and prestige with money? The terrestrial networks' awards shows were the ones doling out prizes according to inconsistent standards, sparking the same controversies every year-end. Their long history meant nothing; they carried no real authority. Moreover, using their position as broadcasters to lowball appearance fees was the problem that needed fixing—not suppressing the one network that was finally doing things properly. Yoo Jae-won immediately drafted an official memo to Watson. It instructed him to proceed without concern for the surrounding noise and, specifically, to prepare the Next Music Award on an even grander and more spectacular scale. It also explicitly stated there was no need to stubbornly stick to the year-end slot. Yoo Jae-won didn't believe ID Media Group would lose a fight against the terrestrial networks. However, he worried that the singers caught in the crossfire might suffer unnecessary harm, like shrimp crushed in a whale fight. If ID Media Group first presented a stage so grand and dazzling that terrestrial networks could never match it, raising viewer expectations sky-high, then the terrestrial year-end shows would inevitably look dull by comparison.
"And one more thing."
Yoo Jae-won issued an additional order to Watson: secure the broadcasting rights for the English Premier League. Interest in the EPL in Korea was not yet explosive. As the world's premier league, it had never featured a Korean player. It remained a league enjoyed only by dedicated fans. Even before his regression, popularity had surged only after Park Ji-sung joined Manchester United. This time, the route was slightly different—thanks to Yoo Jae-won's acquisition of Manchester United. After the 02-03 season, Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan were scheduled to transfer to Manchester United. Though he had wanted to parachute them in immediately upon acquiring the club, reality had intervened. Both players needed time to adapt to the EPL. Park Ji-sung had gone to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands with Coach Hiddink to gain experience, while Ahn Jung-hwan was on loan at West Ham United in the EFL Championship. Their overseas moves, a prime example of the active international transfers following the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, had visibly improved their skills. Yoo Jae-won was confident they would catch Alex Ferguson's eye. If both players transferred to Manchester United, interest in the EPL would explode, so securing the rights in advance was essential. He ordered that the acquired EPL matches be scheduled on OnGameNet. OnGameNet's core audience was young people aged 10 to 30—the exact demographic that matched the EPL's primary viewership. There were plenty of people like Yoo Jae-won who loved both games and European football. Although OnGameNet focused on e-sports broadcasts and produced numerous gaming variety shows, it still had open slots. Yoo Jae-won's grand vision was to transform OnGameNet from an e-sports-only channel into a comprehensive sports channel that featured e-sports as its foundation while also broadcasting leagues like the EPL.
"Should we go for MLB rights too?"
Thanks to Park Chan-ho, MLB broadcasting rights had already risen significantly in price, but there was no reason they couldn't be acquired. After all, ID Group's total revenue had grown substantially this year due to the smartphone market's momentum. Moreover, ID Investment's investments had paid off spectacularly, with money pouring in like a gushing spring. Rather than getting drunk on the flood of cash, investing for the future was far wiser. If OnGameNet could be elevated from a simple e-sports channel into Korea's premier sports channel, investing in EPL and MLB rights was hardly excessive. It was money well spent.
"Whew. Is that everything?"
Just when he thought he had finished with Korean matters, Yoo Jae-won, whose Xbox 2 project flow had been interrupted by the unexpected broadcasting dispute, reviewed the documents he had prepared. Satisfied, he smiled at the dynamite-filled memo that would have enormous impact if detonated, then sent it to Watson at ID Media Group. He also created electronic copies of the same document and forwarded them to the secretariat and the strategic planning office. Securing the Next Music Award and acquiring EPL and MLB rights would require substantial budgets and negotiation power, so he was taking measures to support Watson. Having wrapped up ID Media Group's affairs, Yoo Jae-won stretched briefly before returning to his original task: programming work for the Xbox 2. Time was relative. What might have passed slowly for others flew by like a bullet for Yoo Jae-won. In the blink of an eye, 2003, filled with so many events, came to an end, and 2004 arrived. Despite the bitter cold accompanying the new year, Yoo Jae-won was too busy to feel it. Companies listed through IPOs, such as Android Corporation and ID Technology, required year-end settlements and board reports. While he could delegate the shareholders' meeting to the president, he had to personally handle the board meeting to ensure a smooth future. At least with Time Warner Nextcom, he could pass the burden to Remington, who was nominally the chairman. The year-end settlement atmosphere was excellent. Although the PC market's growth rate had slowed compared to the previous year, Android Corporation's operating system and various software sales remained solid. ID Technology's performance had exploded. Its semiconductor division's factories ran around the clock, churning out M-series processors, memory semiconductors, and GPUs. Production volume directly translated into revenue. The home appliance division was also gaining traction both domestically and globally after its brand redesign. In the LCD-TV market, ID Technology's Bordeaux TV commanded over 40% of global flat-panel TV sales. Furthermore, even second- and third-tier manufacturers used ID Display modules, further boosting ID Group's profits. There was also the year-end awards ceremony. Held in mid-December at the ID Digital Media Center in Heukseok-dong, Seoul, the first Next Music Award was more spectacular than any event Korea had ever seen. The lineup of stars who had flown in was on a level never before experienced. It was broadcast worldwide not only on tvM but also on the American terrestrial network NBC and Timeflex, drawing enormous viewership. There, Yoo Jae-won presented the Song of the Year and Artist of the Year awards. Coincidentally, both went to the same person: Beyoncé. As 2003 passed like a bullet, Yoo Jae-won returned to the United States and focused on the Xbox 2 project. Because it was a project personally led by the chairman of ID Group, everything proceeded smoothly. From CPUs to GPUs, and even controllers incorporating more realistic force-feedback technology—mass production of major components posed no issues. Even if problems arose, they would be resolved quickly without derailing the schedule. Several more months passed, and finally, the day arrived. Alongside IDDC 2004, the Xbox 2, which gamers worldwide had been eagerly awaiting, was launched. At the same time, distribution of the controversial launch title The Pacific began.