Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)
Korean name

MBC headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul
Type	Public broadcasting company
Traded as	KRX: 052220
Industry	Broadcast radio and television
Founded	21 February 1961; 64 years ago (1961-02-21)
Headquarters	267, Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul , South Korea
Area served	South Korea United States (satellite, certain metropolitan areas over-the-air)
Key people	Ahn Hyung-joon, CEO and president (2023-present)
Revenue	849 billion won (2022)
Operating income	59,272,035,738 won (2015)
Net income	82,403,520,805 won (2015)
Total assets	2,557,227,645,206 won (December 2015)
Total equity	1,000,000,000 won (December 2015)
Owner	Government of South Korea through The Foundation of Broadcast Culture: (70%) Chungsoo Scholarship Foundation: (30%)
Number of employees	1,712 (December 2015)
Subsidiaries	MBC Plus MBC C&I iMBC MBC Arts MBC Play Fee MBC Academy MBC America

Hangul	주식회사 문화방송
Hanja	株式會社文化放送
RR	Jusikhoesa Munhwabangsong
MR	Chusikhoesa Munhwabangsong

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is a major television and radio company in South Korea. It is one of the biggest broadcasters in the country. MBC's main TV channel, MBC TV, is on channel 11. Another channel, MBC News Now, is on channel 12.

MBC started on December 2, 1961. It has a network of 17 local stations across South Korea. Even though it uses advertising, MBC is considered a public broadcaster. This is because a public organization, the Foundation of Broadcast Culture, owns most of it. MBC is a large media group. It has one main TV channel, three radio channels, five cable channels, five satellite channels, and four DMB channels.

MBC's main office is in Digital Media City (DMC) in Mapo District, Seoul. It has very large production places in Korea. These include the Dream Center in Ilsan and filming sets at Yongin Daejanggeum Park.

MBC's Journey Through Time
MBC's Global Connections
MBC Leaders
MBC Channels
Images for kids
See also

MBC's Journey Through Time

Early Radio Days (1961–1968)

MBC began its first radio broadcast from Seoul. It was the first non-government commercial radio station in Korea. In 1963, MBC got permission to open local stations in big cities. This helped create a network connecting six cities, including Seoul and Busan.

Black and White TV Era (1969–1979)

MBC started TV broadcasting on August 8, 1969. Its main news show, MBC Newsdesk, began on October 5, 1970. MBC partnered with 7 other stations. This allowed it to broadcast TV across the country through 13 stations. In 1974, MBC also launched FM radio.

Color TV Arrives (1980–1989)

Color TV broadcasting began on December 22, 1980. In 1982, MBC moved its main office to Yeouido. That same year, MBC started its own baseball team, MBC Cheong-ryong (Blue Dragon). This team joined the KBO League. MBC also showed the league's TV broadcasts.

MBC grew a lot by covering big events. These included the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. The baseball team was later sold to LG Corporation in 1989.

Growing into Multimedia (1990–1999)

As MBC became a big company, it created special companies for different tasks. These included MBC Production and MBC Media Tech. These companies became separate parts of MBC. This helped MBC work better as media became more competitive.

The Digital Age (2000–Present)

In 2000, MBC made its internet part, iMBC, a separate company. This helped MBC explore online businesses. MBC also started cable TV (MBC Plus Media), satellite TV, and new DMB broadcasting. In 2007, MBC built the Ilsan Dream Center. This center has very modern production tools. In September 2014, MBC moved to a new main office in Sangam-dong.

In 2001, MBC began satellite and cable TV broadcasts. It also created MBC America in Los Angeles, USA. This company helps share MBC shows across North and South America. In 2008, MBC America launched MBC-D. This TV network was available on digital channels in some US cities.

In March 2013, some South Korean TV stations, including MBC, faced computer shutdowns. The South Korean government said North Korea was involved in these cyberattacks. North Korea denied this.

MBC's Global Connections

MBC works with international groups like ABU (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union). It also partners with 21 broadcasters in 13 countries. MBC has offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai. It also has bureaus in North America, Europe, and Asia. This helps MBC work closely with big media groups worldwide.

MBC wants to share its content with more countries. It goes to major content markets every year. MBC also has an English website. This website helps people from other countries find MBC shows easily.

MBC drama What on Earth Is Love? was the first Korean drama to become popular in China. This happened when it aired on CCTV in 1997. Since then, many MBC dramas, entertainment shows, and documentaries have been shown in other countries. The drama Dae Jang Geum was shown in 91 countries. More recently, MBC has been selling the ideas for its shows. Examples include I Am a Singer, We Got Married, and Dad! Where Are We Going?.

MBC Leaders

Term	Name	Period	Background
1st to 3rd	Kim Ji-tae	February 21, 1961 – July 22, 1962
4th	Go Won-jeung	July 22, 1962 – August 26, 1964
5th	Hwang Yong-ju	August 26, 1964 – December 15, 1964
6th to 8th	Jo Jeung-chul	December 15, 1964 – June 30, 1971
9th to 12th	Lee Hwan-ui	June 30, 1971 – June 20, 1980
Acting	Im Taek-geun	June 20, 1980 – July 5, 1980
13th	Lee Jin-hee	July 5, 1980 – June 7, 1982	Reporter
14th to 15th	Lee Woong-hee	June 7, 1982 – February 17, 1986	Reporter
16th	Hwang Seon-pil	February 17, 1986 – August 29, 1988
Acting	Shin Jeong-hyu	August 29, 1988 – November 2, 1988
17th	Kim Young-su	November 2, 1988 – February 10, 1989
18th to 19th	Choi Chang-bong	February 10, 1989 – March 12, 1993	Producer
20th to 21th	Kang Seong-gu	March 17, 1993 – June 14, 1996	Reporter
Acting	Pyeon Il-pyeong	June 14, 1996 – July 22, 1996
22nd	Lee Deuk-ryeol	July 22, 1996 – March 8, 1999	Reporter
23th	No Seong-dae	March 9, 1999 – March 9, 2001	Reporter
24th to 25th	Kim Joong-bae	March 9, 2001 – March 2, 2003	Reporter
26th	Lee Geung-hee	March 3, 2003 – February 25, 2005	Producer
27th	Choi Moon-soon	February 25, 2005 – February 28, 2008	Reporter
28th	Eom Gi-young	February 29, 2008 – February 8, 2010	Reporter
29th 30th	Kim Jae-cheol	February 26, 2010 – March 26, 2013	Reporter
Acting	Ahn Gwang-han	March 26, 2013 – May 3, 2013
31th	Kim Jong-guk	May 3, 2013 – February 24, 2014	Reporter
32th	Ahn Gwang-han	February 25, 2014 – February 24, 2017	Producer
33th	Kim Jang-gyeom	February 25, 2017 – November 13, 2017	Reporter
Acting	Choi Ki-hwa	November 14, 2017 – December 7, 2017
34th	Choi Seung-ho	December 7, 2017 – February 23, 2020	Producer
35th	Park Seong-je	February 24, 2020 – February 23, 2023	Reporter
36th	Ahn Hyeong-jun	February 24, 2023 – March 23, 2026 (Expected)	Reporter

MBC Channels

One main TV channel: MBC TV (channel 11) and MBC News Now (channel 12).
Three radio stations:

Name	Frequency	Power (kW)
MBC Standard FM	95.9 MHz FM	10 kW (FM)
MBC FM4U	91.9 MHz FM	10 kW
Channel M	CH 12A DAB	2 kW

Five cable/satellite channels: MBC Drama, MBC Sports+, MBC M, MBC every1, and MBC ON.
Three terrestrial DMB channels (for TV, radio, and data).
Two satellite DMB channels: MBC Drama and MBC Sports+.
MBC also has a voice acting group (Hangul: 문화방송 성우극회). They provide voices for movies, anime, and documentaries.