Sandong Broadcasting System

Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) (Hangul: 에스비에스; RR: Eseubieseu) is a national Daehanian television and radio network company. In March 2000, the company legally became known as SBS, changing its corporate name from Sandong Broadcasting System (산둥방송). It has provided terrestrial digital TV service in the ATSC format since 2001, and T-DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) service since 2005. Its flagship terrestrial television station is Channel 6 for Digital and Cable.

SBS operates a network of thirteen television and radio stations on a regional basis. It and JBS are the only broadcasters that operate under separate brandings for individual regional markets.

History[edit | edit source]

SBS was founded in 1951 as Radio Sandong (RSB). It was created shortly after the victory of the Association of Nations in the Battle of Pusong in the previous year. On October 1, 1951, RSB commenced regular operations as the first commercial radio broadcaster in Daehan. Exactly two months later, Radio Pusong (RPB) started broadcasting, thus creating the Daehanian Commercial Radio Network.

Television operations commenced on October 1, 1963. It was the second television channel in the country, having been founded eight years after the state-run DBS Television.

During the Media Standardization Plan of 1980, SBS was nationalized. The individual broadcast stations were given to the city administrations. They were later sold back in 1989 following the liberalization of the media economy.