By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A conservative media watchdog has selected MBC's investigative news program "PD Notebook" as the worst program of the year.

The Citizen Network for Media Reporting (CNMR) said at a press conference Thursday that the program had "intentionally distorted, manipulated and exaggerated facts, which triggered unnecessary unrest in society." The group called for the cancellation of the program.

In a CNMR report, MBC shows took 11 of the 15 categories for worst programs. Also included on the list were "News Who," which was named the worst for distorting facts, and "Sisa Magazine," which was picked for fanning anti-corporate sentiment. MBC's labor union "won"the "illegal strike" category for its nationwide strike against the Media Law revision.

The network said the selection process for the list was based on the results of surveys conducted among reporters and critics, and the opinions of its members.

"The influence of TV in ordinary people's lives is getting larger than ever. Industry insiders including TV stations, producers and reporters should be careful of what they write and show," they said.

CNMR, an affiliate of the neo-conservative civic group New Right Union (NRU), has maintained an uncomfortable relationship with MBC, which is considered liberal among broadcasters.

The NRU has constantly accused the TV station of airing programs against the Lee Myung-bak administration's resumption of U.S. beef imports last year.

The "PD Notebook" report on mad cow disease triggered nationwide candlelit protests attended by more than 2 million people last year, it claimed.

Producers of that program are still defending a court action against them for its alleged misleading content.

Meanwhile, CNMR is engaged in a separate legal battle with MBC over the TV network's alleged irregularities in the construction of its building in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Earlier, the civic group was convicted of libel by a local court on the issue.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr