Korean Broadcasters Start "Closed-Captioned Broadcasting"

Television was created for the masses, but in Korea a sizeable segment of the population has been excluded from enjoying TV.
However, that situation has now been rectified. The hearing-impaired will be able to enjoy or disparage TV programs like normal viewers because all three Korean network broadcasters have decided to start 'Closed-Captioned Broadcasting'. Closed captioning displays subtitles on the bottom portion of the TV screen.
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation(MBC) will be the first to offer this service. MBC decided to broadcast 10 programs including 'News Desk' 'Theme Game' and various cartoons from February 12. MBC will broadcast 18.6 hours of closed-captioned broadcasting programs per week.
The state-run Korea Broadcasting System(KBS) will introduce this service to its KBS-1 channel from March 3 to celebrate the anniversary of its foundation.
Progams which run from 7 to 10 p.m. including news programs will be broadcasted in this format but the service will be enlarged to include all programs by 2001.
The privately-owned SBS will start this service with the 'Dialog with President' on February 21.
Broadcasters will ask for a subsidy for the makers of a special decoder that when attached to TV sets can receive this service at home.