Korean Central Television
Encyclopedia
Korean Central Television (KCTV) is a state news
broadcaster in North Korea
, located in the capital city, Pyongyang
. KCTV is the only official source of television
news for North Koreans. The reach of the programming is limited, as there are only around 1.2 million television sets in the country of over 23 million inhabitants. Additionally, the North Koreans who do own televisions are almost exclusively found in cities.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea-Korean Central Radio Television Broadcasting System (DPRK-KRCTVBS) of the DPRK was established in 1980, strengthening the publishing and broadcasting industries of the DPRK. Four channels compose the DPRK-KCRTVBS:
KCTV broadcasts reflect the official points of view of the North Korean government, and are made available internationally through satellite connections.
from 09:00 to 23:15. There is an exception, for the emergency events in DPRK at night or daytime, it starts up without any announcers or the Voice of Korea
interval signal. The station is still open until that event becomes normal.
In the 1980s, KCTV began broadcasting from 19:00 to 21:00 and broadcast only on daily until 1992. While in the 1970s, KCTV broadcast only 1 hour a week.
KECATV broadcasts two hours from 19:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and weekends, including national holidays.
KSTV broadcasts two hours from 19:00 to 21:00 on weekend and one hours from 20:00 to 21:00 on weekend, including national holidays broadcasting national and international sports.
KEITV broadcasts one hours from 20:00 to 21:00 on daily including national holidays these international news major News broadcasting
or News program
coverage 30-minutes mixtures a 2 programmes including has : BBC World News (BBC World News) and CNN International News
at CNN International News Asia Pacific
(CNN World News).
The stations' output is dominated by propaganda
programming focusing on the history and achievements of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, the Korean People's Army
(KPA) and Kim Jong-il. Topics covered range from new construction projects to history lessons about the accomplishments and past of Kim Jong-il, Kim Il-sung
and the juche
idea. As with most propaganda, the accuracy of these historic accounts is not always credible, with facts sometimes being distorted in favor of the government. Other programs on topics such as health, education and even children's programs are also aired. Movies and even patriotic musical shows and theater are also shown on the network.
On national holidays, military parades, musical performances and movies, plus more special programs are shown on all four networks.
The following illustrates part of a typical day's broadcasting on KCTV on Thursday, 1 December 2005:
Time zone: UTC+09:00 at Korea Standard Time
(KST
)
, so with the appropriate equipment can be picked up in Asia
, Australia
, Middle East
, Africa
and Europe
.
The daily KCTV news bulletin is also distributed online through this Chongryon
.
The blue background with KCTV's logo and Juche Tower flying in slowly, without voice-over.
at 23:59. The clock changes every year.
along with shots of Mount Paekdu and Lake Chon, followed by a shot of the national flag
on which an image of the Chollima statue appears, along with the caption 조선중앙방송 (Korean Central Television). An announcer then appears, welcoming viewers to the day's transmission. This is followed by the Song of General Kim Il-sung
accompanied by shots of Mount Paektu and Lake Chon, and then a red flag flutters on the screen, on which appears a portrait of late president Kim Il Sung. This is followed by a rendition of the Song of General Kim Il-sung
by military band and all choir which also appear on the screen formal lyric subtitles singers Korean language
music songers. The overall start-up sequence lasts just over six minutes.
a shot of the national flag.
format for their broadcasting and introduced relay reception by a communication satellite in 1980.
KCTV is not to be mistaken for North Korea
's news agency, Korean Central News Agency
.
State media
State media or state-owned media is media for mass communication which is ultimately controlled and/or funded by the state. These news outlets may be the sole media outlet or may exist in competition with privately-controlled media.-Overview:...
broadcaster in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, located in the capital city, Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
. KCTV is the only official source of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
news for North Koreans. The reach of the programming is limited, as there are only around 1.2 million television sets in the country of over 23 million inhabitants. Additionally, the North Koreans who do own televisions are almost exclusively found in cities.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea-Korean Central Radio Television Broadcasting System (DPRK-KRCTVBS) of the DPRK was established in 1980, strengthening the publishing and broadcasting industries of the DPRK. Four channels compose the DPRK-KCRTVBS:
- KCTV1 - Korean Central Television (KCTV) - Public broadcastingPublic broadcastingPublic broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
stations - KCTV2 - Korean Education and Culture Arts Television (KECATV) - EducationEducational televisionEducational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
, CultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, ArtsARtsaRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and KnowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
stations - KCTV3 - Korean Sports Television (KSTV) - SportsBroadcasting of sports eventsThe broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing the events as they happen.-United States:...
stations - KCTV4 - Korean English International Television (KEITV) - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
stations
KCTV broadcasts reflect the official points of view of the North Korean government, and are made available internationally through satellite connections.
Coverage
KCTV broadcasts six hours each day from 17:00 to 23:00 and at weekends and key national holidaysPublic holidays in North Korea
This is a list of Public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays....
from 09:00 to 23:15. There is an exception, for the emergency events in DPRK at night or daytime, it starts up without any announcers or the Voice of Korea
Voice of Korea
Voice of Korea is the international broadcasting service of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It broadcasts primarily information in Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German, English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic...
interval signal. The station is still open until that event becomes normal.
In the 1980s, KCTV began broadcasting from 19:00 to 21:00 and broadcast only on daily until 1992. While in the 1970s, KCTV broadcast only 1 hour a week.
KECATV broadcasts two hours from 19:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and weekends, including national holidays.
KSTV broadcasts two hours from 19:00 to 21:00 on weekend and one hours from 20:00 to 21:00 on weekend, including national holidays broadcasting national and international sports.
KEITV broadcasts one hours from 20:00 to 21:00 on daily including national holidays these international news major News broadcasting
News broadcasting
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
or News program
News program
A news program, news programme, news show, or newscast is a regularly scheduled radio or television program that reports current events. News is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors...
coverage 30-minutes mixtures a 2 programmes including has : BBC World News (BBC World News) and CNN International News
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
at CNN International News Asia Pacific
CNN International Asia Pacific
CNN International Asia Pacific is the Asia-Pacific edition of the CNN International pay-TV cable network. The feed originates from Hong Kong.CNN International began transmissions in August 1989....
(CNN World News).
The stations' output is dominated by propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
programming focusing on the history and achievements of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
(KPA) and Kim Jong-il. Topics covered range from new construction projects to history lessons about the accomplishments and past of Kim Jong-il, Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
and the juche
Juche
Juche or Chuch'e is a Korean word usually translated as "self-reliance." In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , "Juche" refers specifically to a political thesis of Kim Il-sung, the Juche Idea, that identifies the Korean masses as the masters of the country's development...
idea. As with most propaganda, the accuracy of these historic accounts is not always credible, with facts sometimes being distorted in favor of the government. Other programs on topics such as health, education and even children's programs are also aired. Movies and even patriotic musical shows and theater are also shown on the network.
On national holidays, military parades, musical performances and movies, plus more special programs are shown on all four networks.
The following illustrates part of a typical day's broadcasting on KCTV on Thursday, 1 December 2005:
- 16:30 - Test cardTest cardA test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
with time - 16:59 - Clock identClock identA clock ident is a form of television ident that employs a clock displaying the current time with the station logo, typically used before news bulletins and closedown.-Appearance:...
(17:59:40-17:59:59) - 17:00 - National anthemAegukka"The Patriotic Song" is the national anthem of North Korea.-Etymology:"Aegukka" is also popularly referred to in North Korea by the first phrase of the song, "Ach'imŭn pinnara" or "Let Morning Shine".-History:...
, Opening of broadcasts and sign-on continuity, Song of General Kim Il-sung (instrumental and minus one anthem)Song of General Kim Il-sung"The Song of General Kim Il-sung" is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il-sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in that country.The first two bars of the song...
-Kim Il-sung (all vocal and choir anthem)Song of General Kim Il-sung"The Song of General Kim Il-sung" is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il-sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in that country.The first two bars of the song...
, Programmes guide and TV listings for the day - 17:09 - Clock ident (17:09:50-17:09:59)
- 17:10 - KCTV National Capital News (Afternoon)
- 17:20 - KCTV International weather forecast
- 17:30 - KCTV Newspaper Daily Press Revies (NewspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
stories) - 17:37 - North Korea comedy
- 17:47 - Korean documentary
- 18:42 - Korean music arts vocal pop songsPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
- 18:59 - Clock ident (18:59:50-18:59:59)
- 19:00 - KCTV International News
- 19:10 - KCTV International weather forecast
- 19:20 - North Korean films/Movie theaterMovie theaterA movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
from the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... - 20:59 - Clock ident (20:59:50-20:59:59)
- 21:00 - KCTV Evening News
- 21:20 - KCTV Weather forecast
- 21:30 - North Korean films/Movie theater from Korean War
- 22:29 - Clock ident (22:29:50-22:29:59)
- 22:30 - KCTV Late News Update
- 22:40 - KCTV Weather forecast
- 22:45 - Music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
- 22:50 - Schedule for the next day's programming, sign-off announcement, Clock ident (22:54:30-22:54:53), Station main themeFlag of North KoreaThe flag of North Korea was adopted on September 8, 1948, as the national flag and ensign. The red star of Communism can be seen on this flag on a white disc. The flag was adopted in 1948, when Northern portion of Korea became a Communist state. The traditional Korean flag was red, white, and blue...
- 22:56 - Fade out black, EBU Test cardTest cardA test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
Time zone: UTC+09:00 at Korea Standard Time
Korea Standard Time
Korea Standard Time is the standard time zone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC : i.e., when it is midnight UTC, it is 9 am Korea Standard Time. Korea does not currently observe daylight saving time but has experimented with it in the past...
(KST
Korea Standard Time
Korea Standard Time is the standard time zone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC : i.e., when it is midnight UTC, it is 9 am Korea Standard Time. Korea does not currently observe daylight saving time but has experimented with it in the past...
)
Interesting facts
- News program - Newsreaders wear the same outfit everyday, though they may vary in color. Black and blue for male newsreaders and green and pink for female and have the same haircut for everyoneLet's trim our hair in accordance with the socialist lifestyleLet's trim our hair in accordance with the socialist lifestyle, or alternatively translated as Let us trim our hair in accordance with Socialist lifestyle, was part of a North Korean government propaganda campaign promulgating grooming and dress standards in 2004–2005.It was broadcast on state-run...
in the same gender. Newscasters must strongly project their voices when on air. Newscasts start typically with a blank red or blue slide, followed by a slow fade to the anchor. The set has the background of Pyongyang with the Taedong river. - Program schedule - Programs have no set time at which to air (The programming is not pegged to air at every half hour, hour, etc.). This is probably due to the cut out of commercials for imported programs.
- Test card - They air testcards, simulcasting the voice of KoreaVoice of KoreaVoice of Korea is the international broadcasting service of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It broadcasts primarily information in Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German, English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic...
at some intervals. - Imported syndicated programming - KCTV dubs all dialogue and will plaster it on top of the original soundtrack.
- Movies - They are usually rated PG or R or their equivalents and are not intended for younger viewers.
Viewing outside DPRK
KCTV is broadcast free-to-air on Thaicom 5Thaicom 5
Thaicom 5 is a Thai geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Thaicom, and previously Shin Satellite. It is used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia....
, so with the appropriate equipment can be picked up in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The daily KCTV news bulletin is also distributed online through this Chongryon
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
.
Identity
There are 5 idents broadcast daily since 1980, each having the same voice-over.- Startup ident: The violet background with KCTV's logo flying in, followed by some Korean characters, with the voice-over "Joseon Jungang Bangsong". Broadcast after the music and before the program schedule in the sign-on sequences.
- News ident: The blue background with KCTV's logo and Juche TowerJuche TowerThe Juche Tower is a monument in Pyongyang, North Korea. The tower is named after the principle of Juche, developed by Kim Il Sung as a blend of autarky, self-reliance, nationalism, isolationism, Korean traditionalism, and Marxism-Leninism.Completed in 1982, it is sited on the eastern bank of the...
flying in slowly, without voice-over. - Night Time news ident: Same as news ident, but with different characters, broadcast only at 22:30.
- Closedown ident: Same as startup ident, but different voice over, and in the blue background. Followed by the program schedule.
Logo History
- There is only one KCTV logo, which has statue form ChollimaChollimaChollima is the Korean name for a mythical horse. Its name roughly means "thousand-mile horse", is often portrayed as a winged horse and several such statues are found in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. It is also the nickname of the North Korean national football team. The Chollima Movement...
in it. This was launched in 1980 title as Democratic People's Republic of Korea-Korean Central Radio Television Broadcasting System (DPRK-KRCTVBS). - There is only one KCTV logo, which has fire from Juche Tower in it. This was launched in 1996 title as Korean Central Television (KCTV).
News
As there is only one news ident.The blue background with KCTV's logo and Juche Tower flying in slowly, without voice-over.
Clocks
There is only one clock, broadcast on New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
at 23:59. The clock changes every year.
Test Card
There are test card changes from time-to-time.- 1980–present - EBU Colour BarsTest cardA test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
and Philips PM5544Philips PM5544The Philips PM5544 is a television pattern generator, most commonly used to provide a television station with a complex test card commonly referred to as a Philips Pattern or PTV Circle. The content and layout of the pattern was designed in the Philips TV laboratory in Copenhagen by chief engineer...
testcard with time
Closing and Opening times
- 1980-1987
- Every day, 18:00-20:00
- 1987-1992
- Every day, 18:00-21:00
- 1992–present
- Every day, 17:00-23:00
- Weekends and on national holidays: 09:00-23:15
Startup
Korean Central Television generally signs on at 17:00 with the country's national anthemAegukka
"The Patriotic Song" is the national anthem of North Korea.-Etymology:"Aegukka" is also popularly referred to in North Korea by the first phrase of the song, "Ach'imŭn pinnara" or "Let Morning Shine".-History:...
along with shots of Mount Paekdu and Lake Chon, followed by a shot of the national flag
Flag of North Korea
The flag of North Korea was adopted on September 8, 1948, as the national flag and ensign. The red star of Communism can be seen on this flag on a white disc. The flag was adopted in 1948, when Northern portion of Korea became a Communist state. The traditional Korean flag was red, white, and blue...
on which an image of the Chollima statue appears, along with the caption 조선중앙방송 (Korean Central Television). An announcer then appears, welcoming viewers to the day's transmission. This is followed by the Song of General Kim Il-sung
Song of General Kim Il-sung
"The Song of General Kim Il-sung" is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il-sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in that country.The first two bars of the song...
accompanied by shots of Mount Paektu and Lake Chon, and then a red flag flutters on the screen, on which appears a portrait of late president Kim Il Sung. This is followed by a rendition of the Song of General Kim Il-sung
Song of General Kim Il-sung
"The Song of General Kim Il-sung" is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il-sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in that country.The first two bars of the song...
by military band and all choir which also appear on the screen formal lyric subtitles singers Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
music songers. The overall start-up sequence lasts just over six minutes.
Closedown
Korean Central Television signs off at around 10:50 pm each evening with an extended preview of the next day's schedule followed by an in-vision closing announcement and station main themeFlag of North Korea
The flag of North Korea was adopted on September 8, 1948, as the national flag and ensign. The red star of Communism can be seen on this flag on a white disc. The flag was adopted in 1948, when Northern portion of Korea became a Communist state. The traditional Korean flag was red, white, and blue...
a shot of the national flag.
Technical data
North Korean broadcasters use PALPAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
format for their broadcasting and introduced relay reception by a communication satellite in 1980.
KCTV is not to be mistaken for North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
's news agency, Korean Central News Agency
Korean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
.
Sources
See also
- Telecommunications in North Korea
- Politics of North KoreaPolitics of North KoreaThe politics of North Korea take place within a nominally democratic multi-party system within the framework of the official state philosophy, Juche, a concept created by the founder of the North Korean state, Kim Il-sung, and his son and successor as leader, Kim Jong-il. In practice, North Korea...
- North Korean news organizationsNorth Korean news organizationsThis is a list of news agencies associated with North Korea.*Korean Central News Agency*Korean Central Television*Rodong Sinmun*Uriminzokkiri*Voice of Korea-See also:*Communications in North Korea*Media of North Korea*List of Korea-related topics...