Korea New Network

Korea New Network (KNN) (Korean: 케이엔엔 부산경남방송; RR: Ke-i-En-En) is the biggest regional free-to-air commercial broadcasting station based in Centum City, a high-tech media development complex within Haeundae in Busan, South Korea. KNN is affiliated with SBS. It was originally founded in April 1994 as Pusan Broadcasting Corporation (PSB) (Korean: 부산방송; Hanja: 釜山放送; RR: Busan Bangsong). It had first begun its demo transmissions upon its establishment in April, and later on September 7 the same year it had begun its test transmissions, and then commenced its official broadcasts on May 14, 1995. As of 2011 its own programs make up to 35 percent of all programs.

Stations

Television
- Channel - Ch. 15 (LCN 6-1)
- Launched - May 14, 1995
- Affiliated to - SBS
- Call Sign - HLDG-DTV
FM radio 1 (KNN Power FM)
- Frequency - FM 99.9 MHz (Busan), 102.5 MHz (Changwon), FM 105.5 MHz (Jinju), 96.3 MHz (Gijang, Yangsan, Jeonggwan), 106.7 MHz (Geochang)
- Launched - September 9, 1997 (Busan), December 29, 2010 (Changwon), December 23, 2011 (Jinju), September 16, 2013 (Gijang, Yangsan, Jeonggwan), December 23, 2013 (Yangsan), September 23, 2016(Geochang, Hamyang)
- Affiliated to - SBS Power FM
- Call Sign - HLDG-FM
FM Radio 2 (KNN Love FM)
- Frequency - FM 105.7 MHz (Busan), 88.5 MHz (Yangsan), 89.3 MHz (Gijang, Jeonggwan), 90.9 MHz (Changwon), 98.7 MHz (Jinju)
- Launched - May 10, 2016 (Busan), May 10, 2017 (Gijang, Jeonggwan, Yangsan), October 30, 2017 (Changwon), March 24, 2018 (Jinju)
- Affiliated to - SBS Love FM
- Call Sign - HLDG-SFM

History

In 1994, the Kim Young-sam government issued licenses to three private television operators, to provide SBS programming to other cities in South Korea. Pusan Broadcasting was one of them. PSB started broadcasting on May 14, 1995, before the building was completed (such work ended in 1996). The station operated on UHF channel 19. In December 1999 a Gyeongnam (Changwon) branch office opened. The following month, the main shareholder changed from Hanchang to Nexen (from Yangsan, adjacent to Busan). PSB made history in 1997 by being the first broadcaster outside of Seoul to set up offices in the national capital, producing its Entertainment Park program from its purpose-built Seoul studios, and sent to Busan using ENG systems.

On October 28, 1999, PSB's Song Seop's Together 999 was broadcast on China Radio International as Beijing Arirang. PSB accepted the sale of the program to the Chinese network for a period of one year.

On December 11, 2001, Nexen Tire acquired 2,112 million shares in PSB, or 22% of the total shares. The Heung-A Tire company was the second largest shareholder with 8% (768,000 shares). Nexen's total acquisition price was 31.68 billion won.

PSB changed to its present name in May 2006.

In June 2013, Nexen Tire increased its shares in KNN from 34.24% to 37.91%.

International co-operation

The station signed an agreement with Television Nishinippon Corporation in December 1999.^: 297 In 2004, it was part of a three-way meeting between TNC, PSB and Dalian Television, all of which were TNC's sister stations.^: 321