Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Korean name
Latin-alphabet logo used since 3 January 2005
Native name
Hangul	주식회사 문화방송
Hanja	株式會社文化放送
Revised Romanization	Jusikhoesa Munhwa Bangsong
McCune–Reischauer	Chushikhoesa Munhwa Pangsong

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	1,500,941,912,398 won (2015)
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 MBC Nanum

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is a major TV and radio company in South Korea. The word Munhwa means "culture" in Korean. MBC TV, its main TV channel, broadcasts on channel 11.

MBC started on December 2, 1961. It has a network of 17 local stations across South Korea. Even though it shows advertisements, MBC is a public broadcasting company. This means a public group, called the Foundation of Broadcast Culture, owns most of it. MBC is a big 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 huge production places in Korea. This includes the Dream Center in Ilsan and outdoor sets at Yongin Daejanggeum Park.

A Look Back: MBC's Journey
MBC's Global Connections
MBC Channels
MBC Headquarters Over Time
MBC Logos Through the Years
See also

A Look Back: MBC's Journey

Starting with Radio (1961-1968)

MBC began as Korea's first private radio company. It started broadcasting from Seoul on December 2, 1961. In 1963, MBC got permission to open more stations. These were in major cities like Daegu and Gwangju. This helped MBC create a network connecting six cities.

Black and White TV Arrives (1969-1980)

MBC started TV broadcasting on August 8, 1969. Its main news show, MBC Newsdesk, began in October 1970. MBC made deals with 7 other stations. This helped it broadcast TV shows all over the country. In 1974, MBC also launched FM radio.

The Era of Color TV (1980-1990)

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

MBC helped broadcast big sports events. These included the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. These events helped MBC grow a lot. The baseball team was later sold to LG Corporation in 1989.

Growing into Multimedia (1991-2000)

MBC became a very large company. It started special companies for different parts of its business. These new companies helped MBC work better. They also helped MBC compete in the new world of multimedia.

The Digital Age (2001-Present)

As TV and internet joined together, MBC created iMBC. This company focused on internet businesses. MBC also started cable TV (MBC Plus Media) and satellite TV. It also began new DMB broadcasting.

In 2007, MBC built the Ilsan Dream Center. This center has very modern production tools. In 2014, MBC moved its main office again. It moved from Yeouido to Sangam-dong. This started a new chapter for MBC.

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

In March 2013, some South Korean TV stations, including MBC, had computer shutdowns. The government said it was a cyberattack.

MBC's Global Connections

MBC works with many international groups. It is part of ABU (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union). It also works with 21 other 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 shows with more countries. It goes to major content markets every year. MBC also has an English website. This site helps people around the world find its shows.

MBC drama What on Earth Is Love? was very popular in China in 1997. It helped start the "Korean Wave" of dramas. Many MBC dramas and shows have been sent to other countries. The drama Dae Jang Geum was shown in 91 countries. MBC also sells the ideas for its shows. Examples include I Am a Singer and We Got Married.

MBC Channels

One main TV channel: MBC TV (channel 11)
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 (TV, radio, data)
Two satellite DMB channels (MBC Drama, MBC Sports+)