-
·
KCTV’s slow move to high-definition, what’s taking so long?
There was a little bit of excitement among North Korea watchers, myself included, earlier this year when the state TV broadcaster, Korean Central Television, took its first step towards high-definition broadcasting. It was signaled by a switch in satellite transmission formats that increased the available screen resolution by more than five times, from just over 414,000 pixels…
-
·
Changes in North Korean TV presentation
North Korean TV news doesn’t change very much. Centrally programmed from Pyongyang, the news can be counted on the provide an update of the work of Kim Jong Un (usually depicted in still photos rather than video), commentary on issues in South Korea and the U.S., reports on innovation in industry, medicine, education and farming, and…
-
·
Reception check: KCTV’s new satellite feed
A couple of weeks ago I reported that satellite monitors had found a new feed of Korean Central Television on Intelsat 21, a satellite above the Atlantic that covers all of the Americas and west Europe. Today I had a chance to check it out. The feed is being broadcast in standard definition PAL. That isn’t…
-
·
North Korean TV expands satellite transmissions
Korean Central Television has appeared on a satellite above the Atlantic Ocean, extending coverage of its live signal to the Americas and Europe. The TV channel, which is North Korea’s main state-run TV service, began broadcasting on Intelsat 21 earlier in April, according to monitoring reports. KCTV has been available for more than a decade…
-
·
KCTV launches HD satellite broadcasts
Korean Central Television, North Korea’s main national television station, has begun high-definition broadcasting. The TV station has been available in standard definition via the Thaicom satellite for more than 15 years, and earlier in January a second high-definition feed of the TV station appeared. The technical parameters of the new broadcast are as follows: 3696MHz, horizontally polarized, 4167…
-
·
A new look at newspapers on KCTV
Earlier this month, Korean Central Television rolled out updated opening graphics for its 5pm and 8pm evening newscasts. A closer look at the programming reveals it wasn’t the only part of the newscast that was given a new look. The newspaper review, which is a staple of the early evening 5pm bulletin, also has a…
-
·
KCTV updates its evening news graphics
North Korea’s main evening news bulletin has a new look. Korean Central Television has updated the opening sequence of the 8pm evening news program for the first time since September 2012. The new graphics begin with a map of the world, zooming into the DPRK and then a wall of clips from the station’s news…
-
·
North Korea digital TV imports see big jump
Imports of digital TV sets to North Korea are sharply higher in the first few months of this year compared to last year, according to Yonhap News. Citing data from the Korea International Trade Association, Yonhap said China shipped just under $18 million worth of digital TVs to North Korea in the first four months of…
-
·
Sochi Olympics coverage on KCTV
Every time the Olympics or World Cup come around, there’s the question of whether viewers in the DPRK will be able to see the major sporting events. Korean Central Television (조선중앙텔레비죤) often manages to air portions of the events, but only with technical assistance from other organizations. And so this year, for the Winter Olympics…
-
·
TV Review: Educating North Korea
The BBC’s Panorama news documentary series visited The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology recently for a revealing look behind the unique school. The program, broadcast on BBC One on February 3, begins summarizing the Kim’s control over the country and its people and reminds us that Kim Jong Un recently had his uncle, Jang Song…
