JTBC

JTBC (Hangul: 제이티비씨) is a South Korean nationwide general cable TV network and broadcasting company, in which the largest shareholder is JoongAng Ilbo/JoongAng Media Network with 25% of shares. It was launched on December 1, 2011.

JTBC is one of four new South Korean nationwide general cable TV networks alongside Dong-A Ilbo's Channel A, Chosun Ilbo's TV Chosun and Maeil Kyungje's MBN in 2011. The four new networks supplement existing conventional free-to-air TV networks like KBS, MBC, SBS and other smaller channels launched following deregulation in 1990.

History

The JoongAng Ilbo, which used to be a part of the Samsung Group, had owned a TV station before. In 1964 it founded the Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) and ran the network for 16 years. In 1980 however TBC was forcibly merged with the state-run KBS by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan. Market watchers see the return of JoongAng Ilbo to television in JTBC as the reincarnation of TBC.

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