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New TV Channel, OBS, Opens

By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

OBS, a new broadcast channel, opens at 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 28, Friday. The station will broadcast a 9-hour special to celebrate the opening of the new channel.

The name of the channel, OBS, stands for O Broadcasting System. The "O" means many things ― One, Our, Open, Opportunity and Orient. OBS, Gyeonggi Incheon TV, is a commercial broadcasting company servicing approximately 24 million viewers in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon and Seoul. In 2004, iTV, the predecessor of present OBS, had to close down because the Korean Broadcasting Commission refused to renewal their permit. It now reopens with more competent programming.

OBS will rival SBS, another private terrestrial broadcast station, in drawing audience. Both stations are based in the metropolitan area and make contracts with local broadcasting stations to air their programs nationwide.

Joo Cheol-hwan, president of OBS, is former producer-director (PD) of MBC and professor of Ewha Womans University, Dept. of Mass Communication. This PD-turned CEO of OBS emphasizes that OBS' objective is the viewers.

"OBS News 800", the station's main news, which will air at 8:00 p.m. everyday, competes with SBS.

OBS offers high-quality dramas as well. "Legend of Hope" is a soap opera series depicting life of the frontiers of Korea. The first 50 episodes will feature renowned Korean designer Andre Kim.

Talk shows feature famous actors and comedians such as "Choi Bool-am's Joyful World" and "Park Myoung-soo Meets the CEO".

Continuing the boom of announcers becoming more entertaining, OBS filmed the process of employing their new announcers to make "Real Story: Making of an Announcer".

A special five-episode documentary "The Land of Hope DMZ" will track young experts crossing 155 miles of the DMZ.

Viewers can participate in programs like "Time for Shows and Movies", which are aired on Saturday afternoons. This shows OBS' aim on interactive communication with the audience.

OBS is available on channel number 21 on analog televisions and channel 8 on digital ones. Check out the local cable/satellite broadcast service provider or OBS homepage (http://www.obs.co.kr) for more information.

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