"I was informed that scheduling would not be possible unless the cast was changed."
The entertainment program 'Praying in the Himalayas' (hereafter 'Himalaya'), ambitiously planned to wish for the North and Central America World Cup quarterfinals in 2026, faced chaos right from its first official event, the launch ceremony. Although a glamorous cast gathered, only a fierce battle of truths between the production company and the broadcasting company filled the venue.
The 'Himalaya' launch ceremony held on the afternoon of the 5th started 30 minutes late, creating an uneasy atmosphere from the beginning. The venue was attended by star cast members including Kim Byung-man, Lee Dong-guk, Ahn Hyun-mo, Yeo Ji-won, Jung Yu-mi, Lee Tae-hwan, Park Hae-rin, and Yubin, but the fact that the program's very existence was uncertain shocked everyone.
◇ Production Company "JTBC Pressured Cast Change Using Broadcasting Rights"
Producer and head Lee Jun-ho pointed to scheduling conflicts with JTBC as the cause of the event's delay and confusion. He revealed, "The broadcasting company, which monopolized the World Cup broadcasting rights, demanded a cast change as a condition for scheduling, which prolonged the discussions."
He maintained a firm stance, stating, "I received notice from the broadcasting company that scheduling would not be possible unless the cast was changed, but from the production company's perspective, there is no intention to replace the existing members at all." He particularly expressed the difficulty of discussing scheduling with other channels while excluding JTBC, which holds the broadcasting rights, given the program's nature of wishing for the World Cup.
◇ JTBC "Scheduling Was Never Confirmed… Unrelated Event"
On the other hand, JTBC directly refuted the production company's claims. A JTBC representative stated, "We have never confirmed scheduling for this program, so the expression 'cancellation of scheduling' itself does not hold any validity."
They continued, "This event was conducted independently of the broadcasting company," and explained, "It is true that a scheduling request came from the production company, but we had already clearly expressed our refusal, yet the event was carried out anyway." As both sides' claims continued to diverge, the future production and airing of the program fell into uncertainty.
Amidst this confusion, representative Lee Jun-ho showed a resolute determination, stating, "Even if there is only one member, we will head to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp in April to hold a ceremony wishing for success in the World Cup." Attention is focused on whether the program's intent of capitalizing on the World Cup and the celebrity climbing challenge can be realized despite the scheduling conflict that looms ahead.
