KBS 1TV

KBS 1TV, also styled KBS1, is a South Korean free-to-air television channel operated by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). It is one of the principal channels in the KBS television portfolio and is positioned as the network’s public-service-oriented service, with a stronger emphasis on news, current affairs, documentaries, culture, education, national events and other information-led programming than its sister channel KBS2. The channel is distributed nationally through terrestrial broadcasting and has also been carried as part of South Korea’s cable must-carry framework. The service began broadcasting on 31 December 1961, when the government-established KBS television service replaced the earlier Daehan Broadcasting Corporation station after that station had been damaged by fire in 1959. Its early schedule was limited to several hours in the evening, but transmission hours expanded during the 1960s. KBS television initially operated in a developing broadcast market in which television ownership was restricted, and its signal was supplemented over time by relay transmitters and regional facilities. Advertising policy has been a recurring part of the channel’s institutional history. Commercial advertising was introduced to Korean television in the early 1960s, but KBS stopped carrying advertising in 1969. Advertising was later restored in 1981, following major changes to the Korean broadcasting system, and weekday commercial breaks were removed in 1990. Advertising was removed again on 1 October 1994. The channel’s commercial-free identity is therefore the result of a policy direction that developed through several changes rather than a continuous practice from launch. In 1980, following the closure of the Tongyang Broadcasting Company and the integration of much of its operation into KBS, the service was renamed KBS1. It absorbed a substantial amount of programming from TBC, including the drama Daldongne. The renaming established the modern distinction between KBS1 and KBS2: KBS1 became the more information- and public-service-focused channel, while KBS2 developed a comparatively broader entertainment and popular-programming profile. KBS1 played an important role in the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting. It began digital terrestrial transmission on 5 November 2001, using logical channel number 9. Analogue broadcasting was later shut down as South Korea completed its terrestrial digital transition. The channel also began 24-hour broadcasting on 8 October 2012 after receiving government approval. Its recognized news output includes KBS News Plaza, KBS News 12 and KBS News 9. In addition to scheduled news, the channel carries public-information programming, cultural and educational material, documentaries, sports and nationally significant broadcasts. KBS1’s operating model is tied to KBS’s public broadcasting mandate rather than to a separately listed corporate entity. As a result, the channel itself has no independent stock listing or ticker. KBS1 remains an active domestic television service and a core part of KBS’s national broadcasting presence.

KBS1 is rooted in the early development of television broadcasting in South Korea. Before KBS television began, Daehan Broadcasting Corporation operated the country’s first television station from Seoul under the HLKZ-TV call sign. The station served a very limited audience and broadcast through a small number of television sets installed in public locations and institutional buildings. A fire at the station’s facilities on 2 February 1959 forced it off the air. The government subsequently took over the operation and established KBS television. KBS TV began regular broadcasting on 31 December 1961, earlier than the initially expected 1962 start date. Its original schedule lasted approximately four and a half hours each day, from the evening until late night. By 1964, the service had expanded its operating hours, reflecting the growth of television ownership and the development of Korea’s broadcast infrastructure. Relay facilities were added over time, including a Seoul UHF relay station documented in the 1970s, while regional transmitters extended the service beyond the capital. Advertising policy changed repeatedly during the channel’s early decades. Commercial advertising was introduced to KBS and Korean television at the beginning of 1963. KBS then stopped carrying commercial advertising in May 1969. Advertising returned to KBS networks in March 1981 after a major restructuring of the Korean broadcasting system. Weekday commercial breaks were removed in 1990, although sports broadcasts generated significant advertising revenue during that period. Commercials were removed from the channel again on 1 October 1994, reinforcing KBS1’s public-service and non-commercial positioning. A major institutional change came in 1980, when Tongyang Broadcasting Company was shut down and integrated into KBS. KBS’s principal service was renamed KBS1, and it inherited many TBC programs, including the drama Daldongne. The new name also clarified the relationship between KBS1 and KBS2. KBS1 developed a more serious schedule centered on news, information, culture, education and public affairs, while KBS2 became more associated with entertainment and popular programming. During the introduction of cable television in South Korea in the early 1990s, KBS1 was included in the initial must-carry package. This reflected its status as a nationally important public broadcaster and distinguished it from commercial services that were not initially included in the same regulatory package. The channel continued to operate as a terrestrial service while also reaching viewers through cable distribution. KBS1 entered the digital era on 5 November 2001, when it began digital terrestrial broadcasts with logical channel number 9. Its analogue transmission network included facilities and frequencies in Seoul and numerous regional cities, including Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Jeonju, Jeju, Chuncheon, Cheongju, Gangneung, Ulsan and other areas. Analogue broadcasting was later shut down as part of South Korea’s transition to digital terrestrial television. On 8 October 2012, after government approval, KBS1 expanded to 24-hour broadcasting. The channel’s continuing identity is built around public-service television. Its schedule includes major KBS news bulletins such as KBS News Plaza, KBS News 12 and KBS News 9, alongside documentaries, cultural programs, educational material, current affairs, sports and coverage of important national events. KBS1 is operated by KBS and is not a separately incorporated or publicly traded company. It remains an active South Korean television channel and one of the most institutionally significant services in the KBS network.

• 2012

  24-hour broadcasting begins

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  KBS1 began 24-hour broadcasting on 8 October 2012 following government approval.

• 2001

  Digital terrestrial service begins

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  KBS1 began digital terrestrial broadcasts on 5 November 2001.

• 1994

  Commercial breaks removed

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  Commercial advertising was removed from KBS1 again on 1 October 1994.

• 1980

  Service renamed KBS1

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  Following the closure and integration of TBC, the channel adopted the KBS1 name and absorbed much of TBC’s programming.

• 1969

  Commercial advertising suspended

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  KBS stopped carrying commercial advertising from 1 May 1969.

• 1961

  KBS television service launches

  [1]KBS1en.wikipedia.org

  KBS television began broadcasting on 31 December 1961, establishing the service that later became KBS1.

Public-service television channel with a serious, information-led programming profile and a commercial-free broadcasting identity.

• Television channel · 1961

  KBS 1TV

  KBS1 is a national South Korean free-to-air television service operated by KBS. Its programming mix emphasizes public-service genres, including news, current affairs, documentaries, culture, education, sports and coverage of major national events. The channel is differentiated from KBS2 by its more serious and information-oriented profile. It broadcasts through terrestrial infrastructure and is also distributed through cable systems under South Korea’s must-carry arrangements.

• 2012

  Expansion to 24-hour broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  KBS sought regulatory approval to extend the channel’s operating schedule beyond conventional scheduled transmission hours.

  Action taken

  KBS1 began round-the-clock broadcasts on 8 October 2012 after receiving government approval.

  Aftermath

  The expansion made KBS1 a continuous television service while preserving its role as a public-service channel.

  Source

• 2001

  Digital terrestrial launchProduct launch

  Background

  South Korea was introducing digital terrestrial television as part of the modernization of its broadcasting infrastructure.

  Action taken

  KBS1 began digital terrestrial broadcasting on 5 November 2001 using logical channel number 9.

  Aftermath

  The channel continued its transition away from analogue transmission and retained a central role in the national terrestrial television system.

  Source

• 1980

  Reorganization and adoption of the KBS1 identityStrategy

  Background

  The closure of Tongyang Broadcasting Company led to the integration of its broadcasting assets and programming into KBS.

  Action taken

  KBS renamed its principal television service KBS1 and incorporated much of TBC’s programming into the channel.

  Aftermath

  The change established the modern division between KBS1’s public-service and information-led profile and KBS2’s more entertainment-oriented role.

  Source

1. 1KBS1en.wikipedia.org