Television
AP, Reuters battle for Pyongyang bragging rights
Jul 12th
Pyongyang is suddenly the hottest place to have a newsroom.
In the space of two weeks, both The Associated Press and Reuters have announced plans to source more content from inside the country.
The AP has signed a memorandum of understanding (which typically precedes an official deal) on the establishment of a text and photo bureau in Pyongyang, while Reuters says it has an agreement to feed video from Pyongyang for distribution to its TV clients worldwide.
(Pictured right: Kim Pyong Ho, president of Korean Central News Agency, right, exchanges an agreement during an official signing with AP President and CEO Tom Curley More >
Expansion at Pyongyang TV Tower
Jan 12th
There appears to have been a significant expansion of communications capability at Pyongyang TV tower over the last decade. Analysis of satellite imagery through Google Earth shows big expansion of a neighboring building and the addition of multiple satellite dishes. (See the bottom of this post for updates.)
Here’s what the building looked like on June 3, 2000, which is the earliest image available in Google Earth. To its west two satellite dishes are visible. The TV Tower is just to the east of this building and you can see the top of the tower on the right-hand side of the More >
KCNA launches video news
Jan 2nd
The Korean Central News Agency carried video news for the first time on its new home page on Jan. 1, 2011. Two video clips were posted as part of the daily news offering.
The first shows scenes from around Pyongyang, including families visiting the Mansudae Grand Monument, while the second includes more shots of the city and comments from a government official identified as Kim Pyong O, a department director in the Ministry of Light Industry, on the New Year editorial.
A close-up of the newspaper page clearly shows the date as Jan. 1. Of course, it’s possible to fake such a shot, More >
KCTV moving on Thaicom-5
Oct 19th
Korean Central Television (KCTV) is moving transponders on the Thaicom-5 satellite at the end of this month.
Anyone receiving the channel via satellite will have to retune to continue watching. It’s moving from the current transponder 3G at 3504MHz H to transponder 7G at 3695MHz H.
KCTV has been on its current transponder since at least 2007, which is shortly after Thaicom-5 was launched. The new transponder has a similar footprint to the old one, so the reception area and equipment needed shouldn’t change.
The station has been broadcasting on the new channel since July 1 and will end transmission on the old More >
