Korean Broadcasting System facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Korean Broadcasting System

Main building of the Korean Broadcasting System
Native name
Hangul	한국방송공사
Hanja	韓國放送公社
Revised Romanization	Han-guk Bangsong Gongsa
McCune–Reischauer	Han'guk Pangsong Kongsa
Type	Statutory corporation
Industry	Public Broadcasting
Predecessors	Kyeongseong/Keijō Broadcasting Station (1927–1932) Chōsen Broadcasting Corporation (1932–1945)
Founded	16 February 1927; 98 years ago (1927-02-16) (as Kyeongseong/Keijō Broadcasting Station) (Radio) May 1956; 69 years ago (1956-05) (television) 3 March 1973; 52 years ago (1973-03-03) (as Public Broadcasting organization)
Founder	Governor-General of Korea
Headquarters	Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul , South Korea
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Park Min (President and CEO)
Products	Television Radio Web portals
Owner	Government of South Korea
Number of employees	4,701 (As of 1 June 2020)
Subsidiaries	KBS Media KBS Art Vision KBS Business KBS N KBS i (closed in 2011) KBS Security E-KBS KBS America KBS Japan Monster Union

The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) is the main public TV and radio broadcaster in South Korea. It was started in 1927. Today, it is one of the biggest TV and radio companies in the country.

KBS runs seven radio networks and ten TV channels. It also has many online services. Its main TV channel, KBS1, is on channel 9. KBS2, which focuses on entertainment, is on channel 7. KBS also has an international service called KBS World. This service offers TV, radio, and online content in twelve different languages for people around the world.

History of KBS

Early Days of Radio

KBS headquarters in Seoul

KBS started as the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station on February 16, 1927. It was set up by the Japanese government that ruled Korea at the time. In 1932, its name changed to Chōsen Broadcasting Corporation.

After Korea became free from Japan in 1945, the radio station got a new call sign, HLKA, in 1947. This call sign was given by an international group that manages radio signals. In 1948, the station was renamed Seoul Central Broadcasting Station.

Moving into Television (1950s–1960s)

Television broadcasting in South Korea began on May 12, 1956, with the first TV station, HLKZ-TV. KBS bought this station in 1961 after it faced money problems. This marked KBS's entry into television.

Growing Bigger (1970s)

On March 3, 1973, KBS changed from being a government office to a public broadcasting company. Construction of the main KBS building in Yeouido, Seoul, began in 1976. In 1979, KBS radio started broadcasting on the FM band with KBS Stereo, which is now called KBS 1FM. That same year, color television broadcasts also began.

New Changes (1980s)

In 1980, KBS started showing advertisements. This was unusual for a public broadcaster. It happened after the military government, led by Chun Doo-hwan, made several private TV stations join KBS.

New Channels and Digital Age (1990s–2010s)

Journalists protesting in front of the KBS headquarters in April 1990

KBS launched KBS 3TV and Educational FM in 1981. On December 27, 1990, these channels became a separate company called the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).

In 1994, the rules for TV license fees changed. After this, KBS1 (the main TV channel) and Radio1 stopped showing commercials.

KBS started broadcasting in high definition (HD) in 2001. By 2012, all KBS broadcasts became digital.

KBS's 50th anniversary logo as a public broadcasting organization.

In March 2013, computer systems at KBS and other South Korean TV stations were shut down by cyberattacks. The South Korean government said North Korea was involved, but North Korea denied it.

In 2013, KBS World Radio celebrated 60 years, and KBS World TV celebrated 10 years. In 2014, KBS World 24 was launched for Koreans living abroad.

In 2015, KBS's special live broadcast called "Finding Dispersed Families" was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. This program helped families separated by the Korean War (1950–1953) find each other. It was a huge success, broadcasting live for 453 hours and 45 minutes over 138 days in 1983. KBS kept 463 videotapes and many other items from this special broadcast.

In 2017, KBS launched the world's first Ultra High-Definition (UHD) broadcasting service.

In June 2018, KBS helped manage the broadcasting for the important April 2018 inter-Korean summit. They provided live coverage and news updates for over 3,000 media people. KBS World TV also showed the summit live with English subtitles for viewers in 117 countries.

In May 2019, KBS changed its Disaster Broadcast System. This was to provide better emergency services during disasters. The new system helps KBS use all its resources to deliver important information quickly. They also hired more sign language interpreters to help people with disabilities and improved English subtitles for international viewers.

How KBS is Organized

KBS Cool FM Radio studios

KBS regional broadcasting station in Changwon

KBS is a public company. It gets money from the South Korean government and from TV license fees. However, it is managed on its own. The President of South Korea chooses the head of KBS, based on suggestions from its board of directors. Political parties also get to name members of the board.

Some people think this system allows politicians to have too much control over KBS. To keep KBS independent, a "Public Advisory Group" was created in 2018. This group helps choose the new President and CEO of KBS. The new leader is then officially appointed by the President of South Korea after a review by the National Assembly.

About 49% of KBS's money comes from a required TV license fee of 2,500 South Korean won (about $2 USD). Another 18.7% comes from selling advertisements.

KBS has 18 local stations and 12 offices in other countries. It also has eight smaller companies, like KBSN and KBS Media, which manage KBS content.

KBS Channels

TV Channels on Air (Terrestrial)

Name	Logo	Description
KBS1		This is KBS's main channel. It shows news, current events, educational programs, dramas, sports, and children's shows. It started in 1961 as HLKA-TV. It is paid for only by the license fee, so it has no commercials. You can watch it on channel 9 through digital TV.
KBS2		This channel focuses on entertainment. It started in 1980 after another TV company, Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation, joined KBS. You can watch it on digital channel 7. KBS2 also shows live sports, kids' programs, and some news and dramas.
KBS NEWS D		This is a 24-hour news and weather channel. It started online as KBS 24 News. Unlike the other two channels, you can also watch it for free on the KBS News YouTube channel.
KBS UHD		This is the Ultra High-Definition channel. It uses a special format called ATSC 3.0. It shows music videos, old TV series, and other programs in very high quality.

Cable and Satellite TV Channels

These channels are available through cable and satellite TV providers in South Korea:

• KBS Life – Shows culture and drama programs.
• KBS Drama – Focuses on dramas.
• KBS N Sports – Shows sports.
• KBS Joy – Features comedy and quiz shows.
• KBS Kids – A channel just for children.
• KBS Story – A channel made for women.

These six channels are managed by KBS N, a company owned by KBS.

KBS World (International Service)

KBS World is KBS's international TV and radio service. It started on July 1, 2003. It broadcasts 24 hours a day with news, sports, TV dramas, entertainment, and children's shows. About 65% of its programs have English subtitles. It is available in 32 countries and reaches over 40 million homes worldwide.

KBS World TV is available on YouTube and other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LINE. In May 2019, its YouTube channel reached 10 million subscribers!

KBS Korea (formerly KBS World 24) is another channel from KBS World, made for Koreans living abroad.

Radio Channels

• KBS Radio 1 (711 kHz AM/97.3 MHz FM) – This channel broadcasts news, current events, dramas, documentaries, and cultural programs. It started in 1927.
• KBS Radio 2 (603 kHz AM/106.1 MHz FM) – Plays popular music. It started in 1948.
• KBS Radio 3 (1134 kHz AM/104.9 MHz FM) – This channel was relaunched in 2000 and focuses on programs for people with disabilities.
• KBS 1FM (93.1 MHz Classic FM) – Plays classical music and folk music. It started in 1979.
• KBS 2FM (89.1 MHz/DMB CH 12B Cool FM) – Offers entertainment and news. It started in 1966.
• KBS Hanminjok Radio (KBS Korean Nationality Radio) (6.015 MHz shortwave and 1170 kHz mediumwave) – Started in 1975.
• KBS World Radio – This is South Korea's international radio service, funded by the government.

KBS Logos Over Time

• 

  First KBS logo (1961–1973)

• 

  Second KBS logo (1973–1984)

• 

  Third and current KBS text logo (1984–present)

• 

  1984–1985 logo

• 

  Third and current KBS logo (1985–present)

• 

  1985–2001 logo

• 

  2001 logo

• 

  Fourth and future KBS logo (from 2024 onwards)

KBS Shows

KBS Partners Around the World

KBS works with public TV stations in many countries. Here are some of them:

Americas

Europe

Asia

Oceania

How KBS Works

Headquarters and Operations

On March 1, 2019, KBS made big changes to how it is organized. The goal was to make better content, improve digital services, and serve its audience better. A new "Content Production 2 Division" was created to make great dramas and entertainment shows more efficiently.

A "Public Service Media Strategy" team was also formed. This team helps KBS develop digital plans so that people can enjoy KBS content on many different online platforms. The "Digital News department" also got stronger.

Another important change was making the "Audience Relations Center" a direct department under the KBS President. This center works to improve services for viewers and listeners. It also creates more ways for people to get involved with KBS. Also, the "Local Stations Management" now reports to the KBS Executive Vice President. This is part of a plan to build a stronger regional broadcasting system.

See also

In Spanish: Korean Broadcasting System para niños

• Educational Broadcasting System
• KBS World Radio
• KBS America
• KBS World Canada
• KBS Symphony Orchestra
• KBS Hall
• Television in South Korea
• Korean Central Television (like KBS, but in North Korea)