[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] JTBC variety shows are being canceled one after another. While JTBC explained that this is due to scheduling changes for World Cup broadcasts, concerns are mounting both within and outside the industry as delays in paying cast fees following the company’s corporate rehabilitation proceedings coincide with production setbacks for some programs.

According to JTBC on the 2nd, “The Scammers” and “Divorce Cooling-Off Camp,” which were scheduled to air that day, have been preempted due to the broadcast of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. JTBC stated, “‘2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Match Review’ and ‘Today’s World Cup’ will air instead.”
Recently, as JTBC has scheduled special World Cup broadcasts, it has successively canceled major variety shows—including “The Con Artists,” “Divorce Cooling-Off Camp,” “Knowing Bros,” and “Han Moon-cheol’s Black Box Review.”
However, industry attention is now focused on the network as some disruptions have occurred in program production and the payment of appearance fees since it entered corporate rehabilitation proceedings.
According to this newspaper’s report, JTBC recently failed to pay the appearance fees for cast members of certain variety shows—including “Knowing Bros,” “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” and “Divorce Cooling-Off Camp”—on the scheduled payment dates. JTBC reportedly notified the respective agencies that the payment schedule would be postponed and requested their understanding.
In response, JTBC stated, “While there have been some payment delays due to the rehabilitation proceedings, we are processing payments in accordance with court procedures.”
Concerns regarding program production also persist. Recording for the web variety show “Hal Myeong-su” was canceled, and filming for the drama “Rediscovering Love” was recently suspended temporarily. However, the drama’s production team drew a clear line regarding any direct connection to the rehabilitation proceedings, explaining that the suspension was “to refine the script and adjust the schedule in consideration of the rainy season.”
Following its filing for corporate rehabilitation on the 15th of last month, JTBC also applied for the Autonomous Restructuring Support (ARS) program. On the 30th of last month, the Seoul Bankruptcy Court approved JTBC’s ARS application and deferred its decision on whether to initiate corporate rehabilitation proceedings. In contrast, the court decided to initiate rehabilitation proceedings for four affiliates of the Joongang Group.