CTS Christian TV

Overview

CTS Christian TV is a Protestant broadcaster headquartered in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak District, Seoul, South Korea. It launched in 1995, when cable television service first began in South Korea, and is known as the country's first Protestant television broadcaster. It is commonly called "CTS Christian TV" to distinguish it from Christian Broadcasting System (South Korea), which began as a radio broadcaster. It now broadcasts 24 hours a day via cable, satellite, IPTV (television delivered over internet networks), the internet, and mobile platforms. A distinctive feature of the company is that numerous denominations hold shares in it and the leaders of major denominations serve as its co-representative directors.

Founding and History

In December 1994, the company received a license to supply Christian cable television programming. In January 1995, Kim Deok-sin, Kim Ki-su, and Kim Sun-do took office as the first co-representative directors, and regular broadcasting began on December 1 of that year.

• July 2000: Kam Kyung-chul took office as the fifth president. He was named chairman in April 2010.
• January 2001: An internet broadcasting service was launched.
• December 2002: Satellite transmission began.
• 2003–2006: Regional stations were launched in succession, beginning with South Gyeongsang Province (Changwon) and followed by Gwangju, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, and others.
• 2004: The channel name was changed from "CTS Christian Television" to "CTS Christian TV," and in November the company moved into its new headquarters building in Noryangjin.
• 2010: A smartphone app service began in July, followed by IPTV service in August.
• Overseas, CTS America was established in Southern California in 2006, and a New York station was launched in 2007.
• March 2026: Kim Do-young, who had been acting president, was appointed president for a two-year term.

Major Activities

CTS produces and broadcasts programs in the areas of mission and education, culture and the arts, and lifestyle and information. Its official programming guidelines call for programming that plants the culture of Christ in society, programming that restores God's created order, and programming that fosters the growth, unity, and fellowship of the Korean church. According to the Encyclopedia of Dongjak Culture (Digital Dongjak Munhwa Daejeon), it maintains 21 branches in South Korea and 3 overseas.

CTS also organizes church-related events beyond broadcasting. It held the first Seoul International Christian Expo in 2001 and broadcast the Korean churches' Union Easter Service live in 2014. It has also been responsible for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in front of Seoul City Hall and for the Easter parade. In addition, it stages musicals at the CTS Art Hall in Noryangjin, runs the CTS National Boys and Girls Choir, and carries out projects such as training for pastors of financially unself-sufficient churches and a campaign to address the low birth rate.

Shareholder Denominations and Organization

The Encyclopedia of Dongjak Culture states that 43 Protestant denominations are shareholders in CTS. The company is managed by its chairman and president. By custom, the co-representative director positions are held for one-year terms by the general assembly moderators and the presiding bishop of three denominations: the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), the Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap), and the Korean Methodist Church.

According to denominational newspaper reports, in November 2023 the board of directors elected Oh Jeong-ho, moderator of the HapDong denomination, and Kim Eui-sik, moderator of the TongHap denomination, as the 27th co-representative directors, while Lee Cheol, presiding bishop of the Korean Methodist Church, was reappointed. In November 2024, Kim Jong-hyeok, moderator of the HapDong denomination, and Kim Young-geol, moderator of the TongHap denomination, took office as the 28th co-representative directors. Kim Jeong-seok, presiding bishop of the Korean Methodist Church, was reportedly expected to be appointed in March of the following year, after his term as a CBS board member ended.