Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation

The Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (Korean: 부산문화방송) is MBC's local branch for the city of Busan. The first private radio station in South Korea (older than the main MBC station by two years), the branch operates radio (two stations) and television under the HLKU callsign.

History

On April 15, 1959, the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation opened, creating a network system in the radio sector for the first time. The station's name was chosen in order to protect local culture from Japanese influence. On June 30, 1962, when the founder of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation was taken away by the Central Intelligence Agency right after the May 16 military coup, its ownership was effectively taken away and transferred to the May 16 Scholarship Association (now the Jeongsu Scholarship Association). On March 5, 1965, the company name was changed to Busan Cultural Broadcasting Corporation.

Busan MBC conducted test television broadcasts on December 30, 1969 and started regular broadcasts on January 25, 1970 under the HLAD-TV callsign. The station broadcast on VHF channel 12, with an output of 2kW visual and 500W aural, as well as cameras supplied by British company Pye. It moved to channel 11 on September 30, 1972.

Busan MBC broadcast from the Kukje Building until 1997.