Television
North Koreans to soon loose access to South Korean TV
Nov 6th
South Korea’s impending closure of analog television broadcasts will cut off one of the few uncensored sources of information available to North Korean citizens.
South Korea, like many countries, is coming towards the end of a transition from analog to digital broadcasting and ending analog transmissions region by region.
The process began in August but didn’t affect North Korean viewers until October 25, when analog TV was switched off in Gangwon province. The second stage that will affect North Korea is the final step in the process, when analog TV in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gyonggi province will end on December More >
Japanese flat-screen TVs on evening news
Oct 10th
North Korea’s main evening news bulletin reported on Saturday evening about big-screen Japanese televisions.
The report was contained as one of the brief foreign news items sometimes included at the end of the program and followed reports about a speech made by the Russian foreign minister at the UN General Assembly and a protest in Okinawa against the deployment by U.S. forces of Osprey aircraft.
The LCD TV report appears to contain footage of Sony and Panasonic televisions and looks like it was shot at the IFA consumer electronics, which took place in Berlin in late August and early September. That makes More >
China modernized North Korea’s TV news
Oct 1st
The sudden refresh of North Korea’s staid state TV evening news appears be thanks to help from China’s state TV broadcaster.
China Central Television, the government-run broadcaster of China, donated 5 million yuan (about US$800,000) of equipment to North Korea’s Korea Central Television to help improve its news broadcasts, according to a Chinese news report.
There are very few details of the deal except for a single Chinese-language report and a piece from the Korea Central News Agency.
Here’s the North Korean report:
Pyongyang, September 26 (KCNA) — The Chinese Central TV donated equipment to the Central Broadcasting Committee of Korea. A donating ceremony took place here More >
More on KCTV’s new-look news
Sep 12th
More video of the new-look evening news on Korea Central Television has emerged and it reveals the 8pm newscast has a new introduction in addition to new set.
Gone is the familiar opening theme replaced by a new theme that is every bit as grand. The opening sequence has also been renewed with more complex computerized graphics.
Here’s a short YouTube video showing the difference. This is in addition to the changes noted last week that took place on the news broadcast’s set.
It’s a small change for sure, but in a country like North Korea where so much effort is put into propaganda More >
KCTV’s evening news gets an update
Sep 10th
North Korea’s main evening news bulletin has gotten a visual refresh. The TV program, which ranks as one of the government’s most important tools in information dissemination — both domestically and internationally — has had a few minor updates over the last year but the most recent refresh is perhaps the biggest.
The paintings that adorned the studio wall behind the presenters have been replaced with a video wall. In a few postings on YouTube, several different backgrounds can be seen.
In the first example, the news reader is sitting in front of a large representation of the globe that slowly turns More >
Pyongyang to get Olympic TV coverage
Jul 25th
The Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union has agreed to supply North Korea with live TV coverage of the 2012 Olympic games.
The agreement was reached during a meeting in Pyongyang between Kim In-Kyu, president of the ABU, and representatives of Korea Central Television (KCTV).
Kim went to Pyongyang specifically to work out a relay for Olympic TV coverage after South Korea’s Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) acquired rights for the Korean peninsula. No deal between SBS and KCTV was forthcoming.
The ABU is a grouping of TV broadcasters in 60 countries.
The two parties also agreed to “find ways to further the cooperation between ABU and KCTV” More >
ABU set to negotiate Olympic TV deal for North Korea
Jul 24th
The ability of North Koreans to watch their athletes compete at the 2012 Olympics looks set to be decided this week, just in time for the opening of the games.
A official from the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), an organization of major broadcasters in the Asia Pacific, is due to travel to Pyongyang to discuss airing the games in North Korea. ABU President Kim In-kyu, who also serves as chairman of Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), will make the trip on Tuesday, according to VOA.
It’s likely to result in a deal allowing North Korea’s KRT access to and Olympic TV feed.
While most broadcasters More >
North Koreans gaining more access to foreign media, says report
May 13th
Cracks in the information wall that has long surrounded North Korea are increasingly allowing citizens in the country more exposure to foreign media, according to a report published on Thursday.
The report, produced by Intermedia for the U.S. Department of State, was based on surveys of several hundred defectors, refugees and travelers, and found “substantial numbers” are able to access outside media.
It’s based on a relatively small sample of a few hundred people made up of those who have already made it outside the country, either by defecting or crossing the Chinese border for trade. Therefore, the results can’t simply be More >
TV presenters have new double-Kim pin
Apr 14th
Sometimes it’s the little things that mark larger changes in North Korean society.
[This post has been updated, see below]
As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung this Sunday, April 15, announcers on state television have begun wearing new pins that have two faces on them.
The “Kim pins” are familiar to anyone that closely follows North Korea. Worn on the lapel almost all the time by North Koreans, they typically have the face of Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il.
Eagle-eyed North Korean TV monitor Mark Fahey in Australia spotted the change in More >
Pyongyang News website offers archived TV news
Mar 21st
A website in Japan has begun offering an archive of several days worth of North Korean TV news broadcasts.
[Updated: see below]
The Pyongyang News website appears to be affiliated with a handful of sites operated by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (sometimes known as ‘Chosen Soren’ or ‘Chongryon’) (在日本朝鮮人總聯合會, 재일본 조선인 총련합회).
At time of writing, news bulletins going back to March 2nd are available. That’s longer than the 10 day archive offered by Elufa.net, another Tokyo-based website affiliated with the same group. The programs are received via a feed of North Korean television on the Thaicom satellite.
The new site has bulletins More >
