Produce 48

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**Produce 48** (Hangul: 프로듀스 48) was a 2018 reality competition show on the Korean broadcasting network Mnet. It was the third season of the show Produce 101, in which the viewers create an idol group by voting for members out of the 96 female contestants. This season's aim was to create a Korean-Japanese group, by teaming up with AKB48 and various Korean entertainment companies. The name "Produce 48" differed from that of the last two seasons, combining "Produce 101" with "AKB48". Once the show ended, the viewers would vote in the group's debut single, concept, and name. The top twelve trainees would go on to become part of the temporary project group for two and a half years.

## Pre-show and Broadcast

* The concept for Produce 48 was revealed at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Japan on November 29, 2017, following a joint performance by AKB48 and South Korean artists Weki Meki, Chungha, Pristin, Idol School and Fromis\_9. In February 2018, Mnet stated that it would not use the speculated format of having 48 girls from South Korea and 48 girls from Japan competing separately, or that six members of each country would be selected.

* The first teaser for the show was released on April 11, 2018. On April 22, the series' theme song "Nekkoya (Pick Me)" was recorded by the contestants of the show with HKT48's Miyawaki Sakura as center. The winners of the previous series, I.O.I and Wanna One, made appearances at the recording. Produce 48's contestants performed the theme song on Episode 570 of M Countdown in May 2018.

* The show premiered on June 15, 2018, on Mnet in South Korea and Mnet Japan. It is also being broadcast in Japan on BS Sky PerfecTV. CJ E&M is also live streaming the series on their TVing Global service. The series was broadcast on tvN Asia in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar where it premiered on June 21, 2018.

## Concept and format

* Produce 48 brought together 96 girls from idol groups and entertainment companies in Japan and South Korea to form a 12-person Korean-Japanese group that would promote for two and a half years. Formed as a collaboration between Mnet and Yasushi Akimoto, the project planned to adopt the AKB48's concept of "idols you can meet and greet" and be able to perform in a designated theatre. Members of the group are able to promote under their own agencies concurrently, as the show, and the groups' promotions thereafter, are recorded in batches.

* The show started with 96 contestants, who were initially grouped into several classes. Episodic competitions were featured in which girls performed in teams on various songs, and were voted by the studio audience, with the winning teams receiving a number of bonus votes to apply to their overall vote count. The viewer-submitted votes were then applied and the girls were ranked, with certain episodes being elimination rounds to reduce the remaining number of contestants.

* Of the 96 contestants, 57 of them were from South Korean idol groups and companies, and the other 39 were from Japanese idol groups, consisting of current members of AKB48 and their sister groups. The final 12 were selected regardless of nationality.

## Staff

**The series was presented by Lee Seung Gi**

### Vocal Trainers

* Lee Hong Gi
* Soyou

### Dance Trainers

* Bae Yoon Jung
* Choi Younh Joon
* May J Lee

### Special Apparitions

* Jeon Somi (Ep. 1 and 5)
* Kang Daniel (Ep. 1)
* Chung Ha (Ep. 5)
* Yoon Bora (Evaluation, Ep. 6 and 7)

## Vote manipulation

* Following allegations of electoral fraud on the final episode of Produce X 101, 272 viewers filed a lawsuit against Mnet.   On August 20, 2019, a search warrant was issued on CJ E&M offices and a text voting company by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. During their first search, the police uncovered voice recordings of the staff members discussing vote manipulation on the previous seasons of the show, resulting in them extending their investigation to all four seasons of the Produce 101 series and Idol School. On November 6, 2019, producers Ahn Joon-young and Kim Yong-bum were arrested. During questioning, Ahn admitted to having manipulated the rankings for Produce 48 and Produce X 101. Police also found that Ahn had been using services from adult entertainment establishments in Gangnam paid for by various talent agencies approximately 40 times beginning from the second half of 2018, estimating to ₩100 million. On November 7, 2019, the police revealed that the final rankings of the top 20 trainees during Produce 48 and Produce X 101 had already been predetermined by the producers before the final performances were recorded and broadcast.

## References

1. ↑ Irate Viewers File Lawsuit Against Produce X 101 Requesting Thorough Investigation
2. ↑ Disgraced Produce X 101 faces class-action suit amid the downfall
3. ↑ Produce X 101 Production Team Booked After Police Reportedly Find Evidence Of Vote Rigging
4. ↑ Police request arrest warrants for alleged 'Idol School' vote rigging investigation
5. ↑ Prosecutors extend arrest period for Ahn Joon Young PD & Kim Yong Bum CP of 'Produce' series
6. ↑ CJ ENM producer Ahn Joon Young admits to manipulating votes for 'Produce x 101' & 'Produce 48'
7. ↑ SBS Reports Ahn Joon Young Admits To Manipulating Rankings For “Produce 48” And “Produce X 101”
8. ↑ “Produce 101” PD And CP Say Manipulation Was Due To Trainees Who Wanted To Leave + Deny Bribery

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