Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) will celebrate its 80th anniversary with various special programs ranging from documentaries to movies.
On Feb. 26, KBS 1TV will air a concert by legendary trot singer Lee Mi-ja, who will perform some 30 songs that set milestones in the 80-year history of Korea's oldest pop genre of trot. Presided over by announcers Kim Dong-geon and Jeon In-seok, the concert will last 80 minutes accompanied by an 80-member KBS Orchestra and 80-member Choir.
On Feb. 27, "80 Years of Broadcasting, 80 Years of People" will be aired, introducing broadcasters and entertainers who have made notable achievements in the company's 80-year history. They were selected through a nationwide survey of viewers. It will be followed by "80 Years of Broadcasting, 80 Years of Programs", which will show best programs chosen by viewers through the survey.
On March 3, the five-part annual program, "Relay of Hope", will be aired. Beginning with "KBS Spreads Wings to the World", it will show "Love Request" in the fourth part, which aims to help children suffering from cancer by holding a joint campaign with China and Japan to encourage the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, and "Mobile Concert" in the fifth part, in which the KBS Traditional Korean Music Orchestra will visit a fish village in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
Programs examining the future and tasks of KBS as a state-run broadcaster are also planned. "The Future of Public Broadcasters in Age of Multimedia" scheduled to be aired on March 2 will be an open forum for the public, and "KBS Special-Why Are Public Broadcasters Needed?" will examine the roles of public broadcasting companies and case-studies in different nations.
As for documentaries, the environmental documentary "UNESCO World Natural Heritage" and "Art" will be aired. Special dramas based on literature works will also be aired. They include "Sponge Cake", "A Ball Shot by a Midget", and "Time for Lobster".
KBS 2TV will air Korean movies that set a viewership record in every decade of Korean film history from the 1960s onward, including "Love Me Once Again" (Feb. 28), "Home of Stars" (March 1), "Lady of Charm" (March 3), "Seopyeonje" (March 4) and "Shiri" (March 5). This will provide an opportunity to look back on past eras and review works that served as the foundation for the development of the modern Korean film industry.
The recent film "Radio Star" starring Ahn Seong-gi and Park Joong-hoon will also be aired on March 3. The story about a forgotten once-famous singer who ended up working as a disc jockey at a local radio station, the film is specially planned to mark the significance of the 80th anniversary of KBS, which began as a radio station.
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