Category: Television

  • ABU set to negotiate Olympic TV deal for North Korea

    The ability of North Koreans to watch their athletes compete at the 2012 Olympics looks set to be decided this week, just in time for the opening of the games. A official from the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), an organization of major broadcasters in the Asia Pacific, is due to travel to Pyongyang to discuss…

  • North Koreans gaining more access to foreign media, says report

    Cracks in the information wall that has long surrounded North Korea are increasingly allowing citizens in the country more exposure to foreign media, according to a report published on Thursday. The report, produced by Intermedia for the U.S. Department of State, was based on surveys of several hundred defectors, refugees and travelers, and found “substantial…

  • TV presenters have new double-Kim pin

    Sometimes it’s the little things that mark larger changes in North Korean society. [This post has been updated, see below] As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung this Sunday, April 15, announcers on state television have begun wearing new pins that have two faces on them.…

  • Pyongyang News website offers archived TV news

    A website in Japan has begun offering an archive of several days worth of North Korean TV news broadcasts. [Updated: see below] The Pyongyang News website appears to be affiliated with a handful of sites operated by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (sometimes known as ‘Chosen Soren’ or ‘Chongryon’) (??????????, ??? ??? ????). At…

  • KCTV adds computer-generated backdrop to evening news

    KCTV adds computer-generated backdrop to evening news

    North Korea’s state broadcaster, Korea Central Television, has given its evening news a new look. The changes are small, but represent a leap forward in presentation style for the staid broadcaster. The new look has news readers presenting items in front of a computer-generated background. A graphic to accompany the story appears above the right…

  • DPRK again at bottom of press freedom ranking

    DPRK again at bottom of press freedom ranking

    North Korea has again been ranked the second-worst country in the world for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders. The Paris-based organization has consistently ranked the DPRK at the bottom of the world in terms of press freedom for the last decade. “It is no surprise that the same trio of countries, Eritrea, Turkmenistan and North Korea, absolute dictatorships that…

  • China’s CCTV interviews Ri Chun Hui

    China’s CCTV interviews Ri Chun Hui

    China Central Television (CCTV) scored something of a scoop on Monday when it interviewed North Korea’s most influential news anchor woman, Ri Chun Hui, as part of its Lunar New Year programming. The piece, which ran on the CCTV news channel, saw the station’s Pyongyang reporter go inside the Korea Central Television news studio to meet…

  • Kim Jong Il’s death – monitoring North Korean TV and radio

    Kim Jong Il’s death – monitoring North Korean TV and radio

    The news of Kim Jong Il’s death has all eyes focused on the Asian nation. Unlike many other countries, there’s only a handful of official news outlets and getting direct access can be difficult. North Korean TV (KCTV) can be watched live through the Thaicom 5 satellite throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa and some…

  • KCTV live stream down, more on SPTV

    KCTV live stream down, more on SPTV

    The live stream of North Korea’s KCTV, reported here last week, is currently down. Seoul-based Unification Broadcasting apparently took it offline after a flood of traffic prompted by a South Korean media report on the service. That report was triggered by the posting here. The stream has apparently been available for sometime but the address…

  • North Korean TV currently live streaming

    North Korean TV currently live streaming

    North Korea’s main television propaganda mouthpiece is currently available over the Internet. The live stream of Korean Central Television appears to be originate from a South Korean web site — something that puts the site operator in potential violation of South Korea’s National Security Law. Korean Central Television broadcasts nationwide to North Korea and is relayed…