KBS1

KBS 1TV is a South Korean free-to-air television channel and is considered the first private company in South Korea launched on 31 December 1961 and owned by Korean Broadcasting System. The channel offers serious fare compared to KBS2, and is devoid of commercials.

History
KBS1 was not the first television channel in South Korea. DBC (Daehan Broadcasting) was established on May 12, 1956 to a limited television audience. The channel was owned by the Korean RCA Distribution Company (KORCAD) and initially took on its name, as well as the calls HLKZ.TV. The station broadcast on the same frequency KBS1 would operate on in Seoul, channel 9. An audience of hundreds of viewers watched the inaugural broadcast on 32 television sets installed in street corners, 25 in newspaper buildings and on school playgrounds throughout Seoul. It was the only television station in Korea before the start of AFKN TV on September 15, 1957.

On February 2, 1959, a fire broke at the DBC facilities, causing the station to go off the air.

The government took over the station and KBS TV started in its place on December 31, 1961. It was determined that KBS TV would broadcast 4 1/2 hours a day. In December 1962, it was announced that commercial advertising would be introduced on KBS and on Korean television as a whole from January 1, 1963, but KBS refrained from carrying commercial advertising from May 1, 1969, after a decision taken three weeks in advance.

In 1980, after the shutdown of TBC and its integration with KBS, the channel was renamed KBS1. Commercial advertising was reintroduced on its networks on March 7, 1981, but was relinquished from KBS1 in 1994.

At the start of cable television networks in South Korea in the early 90s, KBS2 was included in the must-carry package, which initially excluded the commercial channels MBC and SBS.

KBS1 started digital terrestrial broadcasts on November 5, 2001, with the LCN fixed at 9.

Programming
The main news programs are KBS News Plaza (morning, inherited from TBC), KBS News 12 and KBS News 9. The channel also airs dramas, primarily in the 8pm timeslot.

KBS1 also airs dramas, but the use of external writers is strictly forbidden.