JTBC

JTBC (제이티비씨; short for Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network launched on December 1, 2011. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, the media group behind JoongAng Ilbo, one of South Korea's major daily newspapers. The network's roots trace back to 1964, when JoongAng Ilbo -- then part of Samsung -- founded the Tongyang Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). That channel ran for 16 years before being forcibly merged into state broadcaster KBS by the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan in 1980. When media law deregulation in 2009 reopened the market, JoongAng moved to re-enter broadcasting, and JTBC launched in 2011 alongside three other new generalist cable networks: Channel A, TV Chosun, and MBN. Within a few years of launch, JTBC's drama output had begun consistently outpacing the terrestrial networks in cultural impact. SKY Castle (2018-2019) reached 23.8% ratings; The World of the Married (2020) hit 28.4%, the highest rating ever recorded by a Korean cable drama; Itaewon Class (2020) reached 16.5%. Other major titles include My Mister, Reborn Rich, Doctor Cha, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Crash Course in Romance. The network's news division earned credibility comparable to the three terrestrial networks, particularly during the 2016-2017 political crisis that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. JTBC's production subsidiary SLL (formerly JTBC Studios) co-produces and distributes content internationally. In 2021, JTBC acquired a majority stake in US production company Wiip from CAA. The network holds Korean broadcast rights to the Olympic Games from 2026 to 2032, acquired in June 2019. In 2026, JTBC premieres Still Shining, the romantic drama starring Jinyoung and Kim Min-ju.