Greetings from MBC Chicago!

[kathymbc]

Hi! I'm Kathy Watkins and I've been working with the folks at WIN Media to create the new MBC Chicago web site at www.chicagombc.com/.

Judy Kim, the VP over at WIN Media, asked me to be sure and invite you to visit the site (which is still a work in progress) and share your questions, comments and suggestions.

One of the first things you're probably interested in is the local program schedule. That has been challenging due to a strike at MBC Korea. However, we are doing our best to get a June program schedule loaded on the site within the next week.

Judy also asked me to extend a couple of invitations.

First, she wants you to know that their Arlington Heights headquarters offices are spacious and WIN Media would be delighted to provide space for a Chicago Korean Drama Fan Club gathering.

So Board Admins/Mods, let me know if you're interested, and I'll put you in touch with Judy.

Second, she is looking for some people who would be willing to visit the WIN Media offices to talk about their love of Korea dramas. Let me know if you're interested in that opportunity, and we'll follow up with you.

Again, we invite and encourage you to visit the MBC Chicago site, and take a look around.

I look forward to any questions you might have, and to getting to know you better. Thanks!

Kathy

[ajk]

Well THIS is quite a surprise....Thanks for joining and for giving us all of the new info. We've been kind of scratching our heads waiting for the signal upgrade and hoping for news.

I'm in Arlington Heights myself and haven't been able to get the 24.5 signal except on rare occasions. Getting that signal boosted, that's going to be the big key for you guys. KBS established a solid following in the Chicago area and then just walked out on us, so there's definitely an unmet demand for Korean programming here. Once you get that signal boosted, you'll start getting a good response. It will certainly help boost the activity level here too.

Keeping a current schedule posted, that would be fantastic and we'd all appreciate it. Good luck getting things up and rolling.

[Knov1]

Hello and welcome to the board. Glad to have someone from MBC Chicago here.

Just to give you some background on us, this board has been around since 2003. Most of us started watching K-Dramas thru KBC Chicago. All the board staff is from Chicago and so are many of our regulars but everyone is welcome here. Since the digital transition, we've had to look for other avenues to watch K-Dramas including the internet.

I know Chicago viewers would like to have local outlet that they can watch K-Dramas on. KBC Ch 41 is still around but it hasn't been the same since the digital transition. As ajk stated, I think we're all waiting to see what happens with MBC Chicago's signal upgrade. I live on the north side of the city and don't get 24.5.

Personally, I've been a KPop and K-Drama fan for about 15 years now. There are some here that have been watching K-Dramas far longer than that. Thanks for the invitation to host a gathering. We've gathered in the past but haven't done so in a while. I'm not sure if we'd all be able to make it out to Arlington Heights but the offer is certainly appreciated.

I do have one question. Is the title "MBCD Chicago 24.5" fine or should we change it to something else?

I hope you'll continue to stop by and keep us updated on MBC Chicago.

[kathymbc]

AJK and Knov1, I wanted to respond to your questions.

But first, I want to clarify something. I am not an MBC employee. I am a Korean (not to mention Thai, Taiwanese, Japanese and Singaporean) drama fan, too.

I am a volunteer in helping the folks at MBC get their web site up. For economical reasons, I recently did away with my DISH satellite service, including my KBS station (and don't think it didn't hurt!), and I really want a thriving local Korean drama station for our area.

Anyway...

AJK, right now, MBC is transmitting from around Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. So viewers have to set their antenna direction to the Schaumburg area.

There are plans to more the transmission antenna to to Trump Tower in the very near future, and that should make the signal much easier to capture.

Knov1, I think Chicago MBC 24.5 is just fine.

Also wanted to let you know that we've updated the FAQ at the MBC site. If you guys have additional related questions, please share them with me.

We're still working on the June program scheduled and will get that uploaded as soon as possible.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or other great thoughts!

Kathy

[ajk]

No fun to have your KBS yanked, is it! Boy were we sore when they bailed on the broadcast station. We were in the middle of watching several series here in the forum and then POOF, no warning. Iron Empress had fifteen episodes left and I ended up having to scrounge up tapes and find any other way to see them and summarize them here. Anyway, it's awfully nice of you to be helping them out like that. The Kims will have plenty of grateful viewers here if they can fill the void that KBS created.

Somebody did tell us the antenna location a while ago and told us about the Trump Tower move, and we've been waiting eagerly. We have a member in Skokie who has some sort of monster multidirectional antenna setup and I think he had good success picking up the current signal. Not me, and I'm within four miles of the signal with a decent rooftop antenna. But no matter--as soon as Trump Tower happens, problem solved. Looking forward to it.

[dreamie]

I actually live in Arlington Heights now and have been enjoying the MBC programs -- but there aren't enough with sub-titles. I look forward to any get togethers or fan base groups that come up.

[ginnycat5]

This is exciting news! (The thread started June 1 and I just found it.)

These new television sets have to be introduced to channels somehow, if the signal isn't strong. It's a struggle sometimes. My tv hops over channels that I know it can get (or has gotten), if the rabbit ears point in the right direction and if it isn't too windy or something. I just wrote them to ask for a map of their signal strength, in case that helps us to watch.

Oh, boy, oh, boy!!

[kathymbc]

Hi, Ginny. I saw the question you submitted on the MBC Chicago web site and wanted to let you know that we have now posted a coverage map here: www.chicagombc.com/program-schedule/.

I am told that I will have the program schedule in my hot little hands this weekend, which I know is later than I indicated earlier. Once I get it, I'll get it posted asap.

Let me know if you have any other questions or comments.

Thanks!

Kathy

---
Thanks, Kathy, sorry to butt in here, but here's the direct link to coverage map: www.chicagombc.com/coverage-map/
My area is on the map, too! Yay! Ginny

[kathymbc]

Hi, Dreamie!

Please check out the MBC Web Site at www.chicagombc.com/, which has been updated with FAQs that may your question about subtitles.

Regarding get-togethers, MBC Chicago has said that they would love to provide space for a fan get together in their headquarters offices.

I know that they are also interested in having some fans volunteer to participate in an interview about their love of Korean dramas. I didn't get any takers when I mentioned that before. Is there a better place to post that information?

Kathy

[kathymbc]

Hi, everyone. I am delighted to report that we have added the July programming schedule to the site here: www.chicagombc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MBC-Chicago-June-July-2012-Schedule1.pdf.

Right now, it's set up as a monthly schedule, but in future I'll try to provide it as a weekly schedule, including episode numbers and indicating whether or not the program features English subs.

Let me know if you have any questions. And thanks for your patience!

Kathy

[TheBo]

Kathy, I would suggest you post your request in the following two forums:

General Forum

and

Other Shows

Normally, we do not suggest double posting in two different forums, but we've been rather scatty lately, many of our posters don't even look in the generals forum but a few don't look at "Other Shows," so we'll allow it. LOL.

Bo

[kathymbc]

Thanks for the suggestions, Bo. And for the temporary double-post dispensation!

I posted in both places. Thanks!

Kathy

[ajk]

Thanks for the update, Kathy--I appreciate the work you're doing on this.

dreamie, where in AH do you live that you can get the signal? Your post floored me. Are you south of the tracks? I'm up near BG and I just cannot get proper reception. There's a signal, but it's not strong enough to trigger the digital picture. I'm wondering if you're down closer to Schaumburg than I am, or if I just happen to have bad antenna position or some such thing. (Hopefully this will all be moot soon enough with the upgrade.)

[dreamie]

ajk -- I do live south of the tracks, but just one block. I'm by the old Daily Herald building, which is now Molon Motor & Coil. MBC is actually one of the channels I get in strongest on my TV.

kathy, thanks for posting the schedule -- very helpful.