Cable TV operators are stepping up efforts to strengthen the public role of their regional channels.
SK Broadband said it has established a scheduled news system by introducing its in-house artificial intelligence (AI) broadcasting production solution, "B tv AI-Studio," to its regional channel.
The solution enables a single person to produce news with AI assistance. Local news, which had previously been limited to one or two evening broadcasts, is now offered every hour from 9 a.m. on weekdays through 7 a.m. the following day.
According to the company, the rollout of an online breaking-news system has driven a 50.7% increase in article volume and a 4.6% rise in website visitors compared with the previous year.
The viewership rating of SK Broadband's regional channel "ch B tv" climbed to 0.22% as of May this year from 0.08% last year, an increase of 0.14 percentage point. Its ranking among B tv cable channels also jumped 32 places, from 42nd to 10th.
"Without the large workforce and resources previously required for broadcast news production — including announcers, reporters and staff — we can now immediately respond to urgent on-site situations such as regional disasters, accidents and incidents," a company official said. "We are now able to deliver a wide range of news in real time, including daily life information, traffic, administrative affairs and local issues."
SK Broadband said it plans to continue applying AI and digital technologies to provide faster and more in-depth information to local residents.
"The AI anchors and weather presenters of B tv AI-Studio are natural without any sense of incongruity, and their technical sophistication is very high," said Lee Hwa-haeng, a professor of journalism and communication at Tongmyong University. "The direction is appropriate for the changing news trend of covering hyperlocal content, starting from small subjects such as the everyday lives of local residents."
