JTBC

JTBC (an acronym from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network, whose primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings with a 25% stake.^[1] Launched on December 1, 2011,^[2] JTBC is a generalist channel, with programming consisting of television series, variety shows, and news broadcasting. Its news division is held in similar regard to the three main terrestrial networks in South Korea.^[3]

When launched in 2011, JTBC was one of four new South Korean nationwide generalist cable TV networks, the other three being The Dong-A Ilbo's Channel A, The Chosun Ilbos TV Chosun, and Maeil Business Newspapers MBN.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} These networks serve as supplementary networks to the existing conventional free-to-air TV networks like KBS, MBC, SBS and the other smaller channels launched following deregulation in 1990.

History

The origins of the network can be traced back to 1964, when the newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, then a part of Samsung, founded the Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). JoongAng Ilbo ran the network for 16 years until it was forced by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan to merge with the state-run KBS in 1980.

At its founding in 2011, some media analysts considered the return of JoongAng Ilbo to television via JTBC as the reincarnation of TBC.^[9] Indeed, JoongAng Ilbo had wanted to reuse the name Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation but was unable to because Taegu Broadcasting Corporation has held the rights to the acronym "TBC" in South Korea since 1994.

Timeline

• June 26, 1964: Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation launches.
• December 7, 1964: TBC-TV starts broadcasting on channel 7.
• November 30, 1980: TBC-TV merges with KBS Television under a special law of Chun Doo-hwan, president of the military authorities, resulting in the launch of KBS 2TV.
• July 22, 2009: Amendment of the media law passed by the national assembly in order to deregulate the media market in South Korea. A response from the South Korean government to the Chojoongdong (the major media conglomerates of The Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and The Dong-A Ilbo), which were aiming to launch the cable market.^[10]
• December 31, 2010: JTBC, TV Chosun, MBN, and Channel A selected as "general cable television channel broadcasters".
• March 11, 2011: JoongAng Ilbo establishes the JTBC corporation.^[11]
• December 1, 2011: JTBC starts broadcasting on channel 15.^[12]
• May 2013: Former MBC news anchor Sohn Suk-hee designated as JTBC's new president of its news division.^[13]
• January 2015: JTBC constructs a new building in Digital Media City in Sangam-dong, Seoul.
• November 2018: Sohn Suk-hee promoted to JTBC's president and CEO.^[14]
• June 2019: JTBC acquires the Korean rights to the Olympic Games from 2026 to 2032.^[15]
• April 2020: JTBC moves its newscasts to Creation Hall, starting with JTBC Newsroom, with its other programs following suit on May 18.^[16]
• June 2021: JTBC buys a majority stake in production company Wiip from Creative Artists Agency (CAA).^[17]

Programs

• News programs include JTBC Newsroom, After News 5, Newsroom Now, and Sangam-Dong Class.
• JTBC dramas hold 9 spots in the top 50, including The World of the Married. This is the highest-rated drama in cable television, surpassing JTBC's previous record with SKY Castle.
• Cultural productions include Begin Again and Ssulzun
• Variety shows include Knowing Bros, Let's Eat Dinner Together, Traveler, and more.

Drama

Variety

Viewership ratings

• The table below lists the top 10 cable dramas ranked by average national audience share ratings.

• 「Ratings」data sourced from Nielsen Korea nationwide rating of cable channel, with the inclusion of occasional advertisement

Subsidiaries

Awards

See also

• Samsung
• List of Shinhwa Broadcast episodes
• Maeil Broadcasting Network
• TV Chosun

References

1. ^ Choi, Hee-jin (January 3, 2011). "ko:종편 주주 현황 어떻게" (in Korean). Kyunghyang Shinmun. Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
2. ^ Shin, Hae-in (November 30, 2011). "New cable channels go on air". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
3. ^ "South Korea country profile". BBC News. 2011-10-19. Archived January 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
4. ^ Kim, Tong-hyung (December 12, 2011). "What else can new channels do to boost ratings?". The Korea Times. Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
5. ^ Noh, Hyun-gi (January 4, 2012). "Four new TV channels face uncertain futures". The Korea Times. Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
6. ^ Yoon, Ja-young (January 20, 2012). "Low ratings weigh on new channels". The Korea Times. Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
7. ^ Kim, Tong-hyung (June 2, 2012). "New channels remain 'anonymous'". The Korea Times. Archived January 8, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
8. ^ Kim, Tong-hyung (November 29, 2012). "New TV channels are niche, not gold mine". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
9. ^ "Four New TV Broadcasting Networks Debut in S. Korea". Gold Sea. Archived June 19, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
10. ^ Kim, Chyun-hyo (February 26, 2016). Samsung, Media Empire and Family. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315669045. ISBN 9781315669045.
11. ^ "ko:JTBC: 고객센터" (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 26, 2015.
12. ^ "A fresh start by JTBC". Korea JoongAng Daily. December 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
13. ^ Kim, Hee-jin & Han, Eun-hwa (May 11, 2013). "JTBC chooses news chief". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
14. ^ "ko:손석희 JTBC 사장, 대표이사로 승격…홍정도 중앙일보 대표는 발행인 겸해" (in Korean). The Korea Economic Daily. November 19, 2018. Archived May 7, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
15. ^ "JTBC awarded Olympic Games broadcast rights in North and South Korea from 2026 until 2032". Inside the Games. June 4, 2019. Archived June 26, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
16. ^ "ko:중앙일보와 JTBC, 상암시대 열다…15일 창조관 기공식" (in Korean). JTBC. November 15, 2017. Archived September 29, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
17. ^ Lee, Wendy (June 1, 2021). "CAA to sell majority stake in production firm to South Korea's JTBC Studios Co.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
18. ^ https://www.soompi.com/article/1844221wpp/watch-lee-jun-young-is-shocked-by-what-he-sees-in-the-mirror-in-reborn-rookie-preview
19. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reborn_Rookie
20. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reborn_Rookie#:~:text=Reborn%20Rookie%20(Korean%3A%20%EC%8B%A0%EC%9E%85%EC%82%AC%EC%9B%90,%2Djin%2C%20and%20Jin%20Goo.
21. ^ https://www.soompi.com/article/1844221wpp/watch-lee-jun-young-is-shocked-by-what-he-sees-in-the-mirror-in-reborn-rookie-preview
22. ^ "ko:'부부의 세계', 비지상파 최고 시청률 28%로 마무리" (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. 2020-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
23. ^ "ko:'재벌집 막내아들' 시청률 26.9%로 종영…'SKY캐슬' 뛰어넘었다" (in Korean). 이투데이. 2022-12-26. Archived December 26, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
24. ^ "ko:드라마 'SKY캐슬', 시청률 23.8% 케이블 사상 최고 기록 경신" (in Korean). The Korea Economic Daily. 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
25. ^ "ko:'닥터차정숙' 엄정화, 전문의로 인생 리부팅 성공…18.5% 자체 최고 시청률 종영" (in Korean). News1. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
26. ^ "`이태원 클라쓰` 16회 자체 시청률 기록하며 종영" (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 2020-03-22. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
27. ^ "ko:JTBC, 대상·'미스티' 김남주 최우수 포함 ATA 첫 4관왕 영예" (in Korean). Naver News. Naver. Retrieved January 14, 2019.

External links

• JTBC official website (in Korean)