CGNTV: Edit history

Overview

CGN is a Protestant mission broadcaster operated by the Onnuri Mission Foundation, an incorporated foundation established chiefly by Onnuri Church. At its launch it was called CGNTV; today it mainly uses the name CGN. It was founded to provide spiritual support to missionaries serving abroad and their families, and to deliver faith-based content to the Korean diaspora, that is, Koreans living in countries around the world. CGN states that it operates without commercial advertising and relies solely on donations.

Founding and History

Under the leadership of Pastor Ha Yong-jo of Onnuri Church, CGNTV held a thanksgiving service for its launch in Seoul on March 29, 2005, and began broadcasting. It started as a satellite broadcaster that could be viewed anywhere in the world with a satellite dish. At the same time, it ran the "Dream On" campaign to install satellite dishes in mission fields. On August 26 of that year, it officially launched its North American service in Los Angeles, establishing its North American transmission base at Duranno in Los Angeles. It subsequently established branches in Japan in 2006, in Taipei, Taiwan (serving the Chinese-speaking world), in 2008, and in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2014. It also carries out local broadcasting in Thailand. In South Korea, it launched cable and IPTV services in 2008. In February 2021 it released "Pongdang," a Christian over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform for mobile devices.

Major Activities

• It broadcasts live worship services, sermons and Bible expositions by pastors from various denominations, and quiet time programs.
• It produces Christian cultural content such as testimony and talk programs, documentaries, children's programs, and worship concerts.
• Its overseas branches produce and broadcast content in local languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian. CGN states that its broadcasts are available 24 hours a day in some 170 countries.
• It broadcast the 2007 Love Sonata rally in Tokyo live, and it served as the host broadcaster for the Fourth Lausanne Congress, held in Seoul and Incheon in 2024.

Organization

CGN is not an interdenominational association with member denominations; it is a broadcaster operated by a foundation established by a single church. The representative of the Onnuri Mission Foundation, its operating body, is listed as Pastor Lee Jae-hoon of Onnuri Church. Although Onnuri Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), pastors from a range of denominations appear as preachers on CGN programs.

Characteristics and Assessment

Among Korean Christian broadcasters, CGN is distinctive in having been founded from the outset with overseas missionaries and the Korean diaspora as its primary audience. Because it was established by a single church, its live broadcasts of Sunday worship and early morning prayer meetings are known to carry Onnuri Church services. Although it initially centered on satellite broadcasting, with the growth of the internet most of its viewers now watch via IPTV and mobile devices.