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Group plans satellite TV to North Korea
A private South Korean group is planning to raise US$46 million to fund the launch of a satellite TV station aimed at North Korea, according to a report by VOA News. Unification TV, which could be on the air as early as next year, plans to beam South Korean dramas and other entertainment programs, according…
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AP hopes to open Pyongyang bureau in early 2012
The Associated Press expects to finalize plans this week to open a news bureau in Pyongyang. A team from the U.S.-based news organization is currently in the North Korean capital negotiating the details of the bureau, which AP President Tom Curley said he hopes will be open in early 2012. Curley told South Korea’s Yonhap…
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AP kills KCNA photo, says it was altered
Hot on the heels of agreements between Korean Central News Agency and both The Associated Press and Reuters to more widely distribute KCNA video, The AP has withdrawn a KCNA photo saying it’s not what it appears to be. The photo, below, was distributed to AP members and customers on July 16 and purports to…
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KCNA video in demand by foreign agencies
Two recent deals with western news agencies stand to put Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) video in front of millions of viewers. The deals, with The Associated Press and Reuters, give each agency the ability to redistribute KCNA footage to TV stations around the world as part of their video news service. Such deals are…
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AP, Reuters battle for Pyongyang bragging rights
Pyongyang is suddenly the hottest place to have a newsroom. In the space of two weeks, both The Associated Press and Reuters have announced plans to source more content from inside the country. The AP has signed a memorandum of understanding (which typically precedes an official deal) on the establishment of a text and photo…
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North last, South falling in press freedom
North Korea remains the country with the least press freedom in the world, according to the 2011 Press Freedom index from Washington, D.C., based Freedom House. The news isn’t a surprise to anyone that follows North Korea closely. There is a complete lack of independent media, official media is highly censored, and the government actively…
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Kujang shortwave transmitter site
If you’ve ever listened to The Voice of Korea on shortwave, you’ve probably heard broadcasts from this transmitter site. Kujang is one of the largest transmitter locations in the DPRK with, according to official records, 5 shortwave transmitters each capable of delivering a 200kW signal. That’s powerful enough to reach most corners of the world,…
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Voice of Korea website due Friday
North Korea’s international broadcasting service, The Voice of Korea, will launch a website on Friday, according to a domestic radio report transcribed by BBC Monitoring. (The site has launched a day early. See below for update.) The site is due to open on Friday, which is Kim Il Sung’s birthday, and will be available at…
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Voice of Korea English A11 schedule
Voice of Korea, the DPRK’s international shortwave broadcasting service, is on the air everyday in several languages. The English language broadcasts appear to be refreshed during the day (local time) with each programming cycle beginning with the evening broadcast and then getting repeated overnight. The news output is similar to the English-language stories from KCNA,…
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KCNA significantly increasing output
The Korean Central News Agency has significantly increased its online output in the last few months as it continues to expand its new website. The website, available at kcna.kp (except in South Korea where it’s blocked), first appeared in October 2010 and is KCNA’s first official home on the web. KCNA news was previously available…
