Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation

Type	Broadcast radio and television
Country	South Korea
Availability	South Korea, United States (Satellite, certain metropolitan areas over-the-air)
Slogan	Good Friends, MBC
Owner	The Foundation of Broadcast Culture(70%) Jung-Su Scholarship Foundation(30%)
Key people	Kim, Jae-Chol, CEO & President
Launch date	December 2, 1961 (radio) August 8, 1969 (television) 2001 (digital) 2005 (DMB)
Official website	www.imbc.com

MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikhoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks, and is the oldest among all commercial broadcasting networks in South Korea. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television station is Channel 11 for Analog and Digital, Channel 66 for Cable. Twice government owned, the network is managed by the Foundation of Broadcast Culture (which owns 70% of the company's stock), while the Jung-Su Scholarship Foundation owns 30%. MBC receives no government subsidy, and derives its income almost entirely from commercial advertising. It has 19 regional stations, and 10 subsidiaries. The network evolved from Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, the first private broadcasting corporation in the country. As of 2011, MBC has over 4,000 employees. It has provided terrestrial digital TV service in the ATSC format since 2001, and T-DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) service since 2005.

History[link]

MBC Headquarters, Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea

MBC began as Busan Munhwa Bangsong (Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, or Busan MBC), and was established in 1959 in Busan, South Korea. The radio station was then owned by Jeong Hwan-ok (a radio-store operator) and Kim Sang-yong (a former department-store owner). Jeong had suggested that Kim open a private broadcasting station; Kim was looking for a new business opportunity, and at that time Japanese stations dominated the south coastal Korean radio dial. On April 15, 1959 the postal ministry authorized Busan MBC to operate, making it Korea's first private commercial broadcaster. Busan MBC began its service with a 1 kW AM station, and became known for broadcasting the first CM Song in South Korea.

The company, however, faced financial problems: production costs for a local radio station were higher than expected, and advertising did not generate sufficient revenue. The network also faced a management crisis. In September 1959 Busan MBC was sold to Kim Ji-tae, who owned the Busan Daily. Its management was revamped, and the network was saved from bankruptcy. After the network was rejuvenated, Kim decided to launch a private radio station in Seoul. That year, the postal ministry had approved four private stations. Kim purchased the right to operate a radio station in Seoul and launched a network in 1961, with a small AM station (as of 2011, the chief stockholder of Busan MBC is MBC in Seoul); MBC became the first private broadcasting network in South Korea.

However, after the coup in 1961, the network faced a challenge when Kim was accused by Park Chung-hee (South Korea's then-President) of corruption. Kim, under pressure, surrendered both Busan MBC and Busan Ilbo to the May 16 Scholarship Foundation in May 1962. It began television broadcasting on August 8, 1969 (MBC-TV was the third TV network in South Korea; the first is KBS-TV which was launched on January 1, 1962 while the second, TBC-TV, which is owned by Joong-ang Ilbo, was launched in 1964) and FM radio broadcasts in 1971. Under the Chun Doo-hwan regime, South Korea's media policy had changed. The regime had closed several private commercial radio and TV networks and MBC was forced to give most of its shares to the government, losing its position as a private broadcaster. On November 14, 1980, 70% of the network's stock was given to the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).^[1]

Partly to address concerns following the country's 1987 democratic reforms, the National Assembly established the Foundation for Broadcast Culture on December 26, 1988 to insulate MBC from political influence and KBS. Now, the network is owned by the Foundation of Broadcast Culture (which owns 70% of the company's stock) while the Jung-Su Scholarship Foundation (former May 16 Scholarship Foundation) owns 20%. Although the network is now managed by the Foundation, MBC has maintained its role as a commercial broadcaster. MBC has had a jingle since 1969: Korean: "MBC...문화방송", "MBC...Munhwa Bangsong" in romanization and "MBC...Munhwa Broadcasting" in English; it was also used in 1994 for the silver anniversary of MBC-TV.

In 1991, MBC, the first private commercial broadcaster network in South Korea, lost its monopoly when the government allowed the second private commercial broadcaster station SBS to begin broadcasting on MBC 30th Anniversary, December 2-9, 1991. MBC and SBS celebrated their anniversary at December 1992 in MBC 31st Anniversary and SBS 2nd Anniversary on December 2-9, 1992. It also done in 1996, to celebrate MBC 35th Anniversary and SBS 6th Anniversary.

In 2001, MBC launched satellite and cable television broadcasting. As part of this expansion it created MBC America, a subsidiary based in Los Angeles, California, USA, to distribute its programming throughout the Americas. On August 1, 2008 MBC America launched MBC-D, a television network carried on the digital subchannels of KSCI-TV, KTSF-TV, and WMBC-TV. The service was planned to be launched in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. by the end of the year.^[2][3] In northeast metro Atlanta, it aired on WKTB-LD channel 47.3, but as of 2011 is on WSKC-CA channel 22.1.

On October 21, 2011, the heads of MBC and Google signed an agreement of partnership. MBC will release 10,000 hours of content produced before 2005. The files will be divided into 10-minute clips with advertisement in between. MBC is also interested in holding a K-pop concert at the head office of Google to celebrate the partnership. The concert was broadcast live worldwide through YouTube on May 21, 2012.^[4]

MBC channels[link]

• 1 terrestrial TV (MBC-TV 11), 3 radio (1 AM (MBC-AM 900), 2 FM (FM4U 91.9 and Standard FM 95.9))
• 5 cable (drama, sports, game-show, variety and documentary)
• 5 satellite (drama, sports, game-show, variety and documentary)
• 3 terrestrial DMB (TV, radio, data)
• 2 satellite DMB (drama, sports)

MBC programs[link]

Drama[link]

MBC dramas have been part of the "Korean wave".^{[citation needed]} MBC dramas are exported to 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Dae Jang Geum has high audience ratings in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong; its popularity has continued in 50 countries, including Japan. Other dramas that have enjoyed high viewership include Jumong, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, Yi San and the recent drama, Queen Seondeok.

Entertainment[link]

MBC’s reality program Infinite Challenge has enjoyed high ratings for three consecutive years. The comedians hosting Exclamation! (which ended its run in 2007) have promoted reading, reuniting foreign workers in South Korea with their families and providing medical help to the elderly.

Current affairs and documentaries[link]

MBC documentaries encompass a wide range of issues, from foreign affairs to the environment. PD Notebook premiered in 1990, and has since earned notoriety for its investigations from a journalistic standpoint. Episodes have included one covering scientific fraud by Korean geneticist Hwang Woo-Suk, and another containing arguments against importing US beef.^[5] The latter episode, entitled "Is American Beef Really Safe from Mad Cow Disease?", contributed to three months of protest in Seoul against importing US beef. Since then, the accuracy of the episode and the program's method of obtaining information has been questioned.^[6][7][8] MBC current-affairs and documentary programs have won recognition from the New York and Banff TV Festivals, the Asian TV Awards, ABU Prizes, Earth Vision and the Japan Wildlife Festival.

Controversies[link]

MBC has come under fire recently for a segment on their "Think Different" documentary section called "The Shocking Truth about Relationships with Foreigners." The video alleges that relationships between Korean women and foreign men is a "social problem" that must be dealt with by Koreans. In response to complaints, an MBC "representative responded that the documentary was outsourced and not produced in-house." ^[9]

[edit] News and sports

MBC has 19 regional stations in Korea, 9 permanent overseas bureaus and service arrangements with CNN, APTN, Reuters TV and NBC. It also produces news-analysis programs such as News Magazine 2580, News Who, 100-Minute Debate, Economy Magazine, Global Report and North Korea Report covering the political, economic, social and cultural issues of the day.

iMBC[link]

iMBC is MBC's website, providing users with information on current and past programs and allowing users to download or stream programs to watch. Established in March 2000 as the internet subsidiary of MBC, iMBC uses the digital content of MBC to provide content to internet, mobile and ISP users and foreign businesses. iMBC also plans projects for creating, developing, and circulating new content. The site offers free and paid VOD services for users to view programs online. While the public-service programs, news, radio and programs currently on-air are free, drama, entertainment, and current-affairs programs are not.

For viewers in Korea and abroad, iMBC offers VOD streaming services. An episode typically costs around ₩500, and there is a fixed fee allowing users to watch as many videos as they wish for ₩4,000 a day or ₩15,000 a month. For users abroad, iMBC offers VOD download and streaming services, available for ₩1000 (about $1 US) each.

Foreign partners[link]

See also[link]

• MBC Music
• MBC Plus
• MBC Game
• List of South Korean broadcasting networks
• List of Korea-related topics
• Contemporary culture of South Korea

References[link]

External links[link]

• MBC Overseas
• MBC Global Media English language homepage
• MBC America
• MBC in Brief
• MBC History Logos

Korean[link]

• Official Homepage
• MBC News ('IMNews') Homepage

English[link]

• Official Homepage

MBC subsidiaries[link]

• MBC production
• MBC MediaTech
• MBC Academy
• MBC Art Center

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2008)

LaCosta Tucker (born December 12, 1951) is an American country music artist who recorded in the 1970s and 1980s as La Costa. The sister of country singer Tanya Tucker, LaCosta charted several singles of her own in the 1970s on the Billboard country singles charts, including the #3 "Get on My Love Train."

Biography[link]

Born in Seminole, Texas, Tucker moved around frequently, as her father Beau Tucker was a construction worker. Tucker had two siblings, Donald and younger sister, Tanya Tucker. Beau felt LaCosta had the talent to be a star, and Tucker won her first talent contest at age four. In-between entering beauty pageants and talent shows, she performed with Tanya in a band called the Country Westerners. She graduated from Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona and began working as a medical records technician as she sang in clubs and became Miss Country Music, Phoenix.

La Costa married, and around this time, Tanya became a country music star. La Costa moved to Las Vegas, to be near Tanya, and Beau Tucker helped her get a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1974. Going only by La Costa, she soon had a hit record with "I Wanna Get To You", which landed at 25 on the country charts, followed by "Get On My Love Train" at number 3 and "He Took Me for a Ride" at number 10.^[1] She charted 10 more singles for Capitol and recorded five albums for the label. In 1982 she moved to Elektra Records and she charted with "Love Take It Easy On Me", under her full name of La Costa Tucker.^[1]

In 1989 LaCosta toured with Tanya, and by the 1990s was serving as president of Tanya's fan club. She raised two children, and for a time made gourmet candy for sale on her sister's website.

Many of LaCosta Tucker's recordings are out of print, but a 2000 release, Sisters: An Anthology, had some of her hits packaged together with Tanya's material.^[2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (May 2010)

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (November 2009)

Jenny Bae is one of the foremost violinists in the world. She has been performing Internationally at major events for over a decade.

In 2000, she performed in her hometown Seoul, Korea at the Peace concert with Luciano Pavarotti for an audience of 90,000. She has also guest-performed for world-renowned musicians such as Eric Clapton, Zucchero, Lionel Richie and Andrea Boccelli.

In 2001 she performed at The Rheingau Musik Festival with The Poland Philharmonic and continued touring with the Philharmonic throughout Poland & Germany.

In 2004 Jenny was featured on Zucchero & Co Live at The Royal Albert Hall DVD, which to this date has sold millions. Their rendition of “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometimes” is one of the most moving versions of The Korgis classic.

In 2006 Jenny performed at the World Cup finals in Berlin with a lineup that featured Shakira, Wyclef Jean & Placido Domingo.

In 2007 as a Red Cross Ambassador Jenny was asked to make a speech at The United Nations to welcome fellow South Korean Ban, Ki-Moon as Secretary General.

In 2007 & 2008 Jenny was invited by the Nobel Peace Laureates Summit in Rome where she performed in front of guests such as Mikhail Gorbachev, George Clooney & Peter Gabriel.

In 2008 as an Ambassador to the Red Cross in Asia, Jenny performed to both South Korean and North Korean Presidents. She was the first South Korean to record with the North Korean Symphony to help raise the money to build proper hospitals in North Korea.

In 2009 Jenny was featured on the single “Glory Glory Man United” for the world famous Manchester United Football Club. She also appeared in front of 70,000 fans at Old Trafford during half time in a match against Chelsea FC and performed at the MUFC’s ‘Player of the year’ awards. Jenny’s page on the MUFC’s website is the most hit page in the history of the site.

After taking a short break from the industry Jenny returned this year to perform at the Latin Billboard awards in Miami to open up for the best artist of the year nominee, Don Omar featuring Akon.

In July Jenny will release her single with a legendary dance producer and DJ, David Morales and her first solo album will follow later this year.