Kyung-In Broadcasting

Kyung-In Broadcasting (경인방송) is a South Korean radio station, formerly a television station (iTV), serving the metropolitan area of Incheon, which is adjacent to Seoul. The successor of iFM Kyung-in Broadcasting is OBS Gyeongi TV. iTV closed because the television part (main) were struggling with financial issues and because the Korean Broadcasting Commission rejected their broadcasting renewal, which led to it being closed on December 31, 2004.

History

iTV began television broadcasting at noon on 11 October 1997 (initially scheduled for 1 September)[1] as iTV Incheon Broadcasting (iTV 인천방송). It was the largest of the private broadcasters outside of SBS at the time. Prior to the first broadcast, the building at Hagik-dong was formally inaugurated.[2] The launch of iTV occurred during the second wave of private local broadcasters, which also saw the expansion of the SBS network.[3]

Although iTV operated as an independent television station, it was the first channel to air a video journalist program, Real TV, which was broadcast at 8:30 p.m. The program employed twenty producers.[4] iTV struck a deal to carry MLB matches in 1998; in 2000, those rights returned to MBC.[5]

On 1 November 2000, iTV was renamed Kyung-In Broadcasting and shifted from UHF channel 21 to VHF channel 4.[6]

However, iTV's television division struggled with poor management, leading the government to decline the renewal of its broadcasting license.[7] As a result, on 21 December 2004, the station was forced to shut down on 31 December, the day its license expired.[8] It became the first media outlet in Korea to close in 24 years, since several outlets, most notably the Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation, had been shut down due to media rationing under Chun Doo-hwan's regime.[9]

In March 2005, iTV resumed radio broadcasting. The following year, the station signed a co-operation agreement with Qingdao Television.[10]

On 19 November 2013, iFM and OBS Gyeongin TV signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance practical co-operation between the two stations.[11] A second memorandum of understanding was signed on 30 January 2018, allowing both stations to use the Korean name Kyung-in Broadcasting.[12]

Following the closure of Gyeonggi Broadcasting, iFM applied for a license in November 2021 to operate in KFM's former coverage area.[13]

References

  1. ^ "2차 지역민방 9,10월 개국". Maeil Business Daily (in Korean). August 28, 1997.
  2. ^ "인천방송(ITV) 개국". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean).
  3. ^ "인천방송 오늘 개국". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). October 11, 1997.
  4. ^ "<방송> 인천방송 VJ프로그램 일일편성 시도". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). October 2, 1997.
  5. ^ Global Sports Fandom in South Korea: American Major League Baseball and Its Fans in the Online Community. Springer Nature Singapore. August 21, 2020. ISBN 9789811531965. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  6. ^ 이한동 국무총리 iTV 경인방송 채널4 광역화 기념 리셉션 참석
  7. ^ Nippon News Agency (23 December 2004). 京仁放送、年末でテレビ放送中断 (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  8. ^ 韓国，放送中止に追い込まれた地上波民放iTV. 放送研究と調査. Tokyo: NHK. February 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  9. ^ "iTV, 방송 중단 앞두고 고별방송 추진" (in Korean). Naver. Yonhap News. December 24, 2004.
  10. ^ 경인방송, 중국 칭다오방송과 우호협력 체결
  11. ^ 김, 나라 (November 19, 2013). "OBS·iFM, 업무 제휴 체결 "경인지역 방송 위상 새롭게 정립할 것"". OBS News (in Korean).
  12. ^ 박, 혜영 (January 30, 2018). "OBS·iFM, 30일 MOU체결…'경인방송' 상호 공동 사용". OBS News (in Korean).
  13. ^ "경기지역 신규 라디오방송사업자 선정 절차 돌입...11월 12일까지 접수". PD Journal (in Korean). October 1, 2021.