Arirang TV’s viewership has expanded to 103 million households from 188 countries, it reported last week.

The government’s aim of promoting Korea through an international broadcaster proved successful with Arirang TV’s total number of viewers up to 330 million.

Arirang TV reaches 37 million households in Europe, 32 million households in the Americas, and 19 million households in Asia. Arirang TV is accessible to 14 million households in the Middle East and Africa, according to the company.

Countries are increasingly engaged in promoting their agendas and national image on the global stage through international television broadcasts and other broadcasting.

France launched France24 in 2006 in an attempt to compete against established global broadcasters such as CNN, BBC and Aljazeera, while Russia established Russia Today in 2005. China and Japan have also expanded their existing global broadcasters, establishing CCTV News and NHK World, respectively.

Global market research company Ipsos’ 2011 Asia media research PAX (Pan Asia-Pacific Cross Media Survey) showed that Arirang TV’s weekly reach ― the total number of individual people or households exposed at least once to a medium during a given period ― stands at 3 percent while NHK World is 2.7 percent and Russia Today is 1.0 percent. Arirang TV’s monthly reach was also found higher at 5.6 percent compared to NHK World at 4.5 percent or Russia Today at 2.4 percent.

By Lee Hyun-jae, Intern reporter
(lhj137@heraldcorp.com)