“Possible to Research Candidate Information Through Satellite Broadcasting”

Skylife, Korea’s major satellite broadcast service, will kick off its two-way election coverage.

In two-way election broadcasts, viewers can express their support for a specific political party or a candidate using remote control and research relevant information on them while watching the program. On Election Day, the system permits viewers to examine real-time information about voting and ballot counting. Also, the service will accompany voters to the polls to keep up with changes in voter-support rates of candidates.

The satellite broadcast service has named its election broadcast system “Touch 2004.” To use the service, subscribers need a set-top MHP receiving apparatus. Approximately 40 percent of Skylife subscribers, 450,000 out of 1,150,000, are equipped with this tool.

Earlier subscribers who do not have the MHP receiving apparatus have to purchase it, which costs 44,000 to 66,000 won. For new subscribers, the apparatus will be given without additional payment.

According to Skylife, each subscriber will be given three identification names for polls, so three persons in each family can express their own opinions.

On their service’s opening day, “Touch 2004” will air a discussion program featuring professors from Hanyang University, Kyounggi Univerisity, Inha Univerisity, and Hansung Digital University, and do polls. The broadcasting service is planning to hold two more discussions and air candidate speeches from April 2 to April 14.

“Touch 2004” can be watched on channel 100 before the election on April 14. On the voting day, channel 209 will replace the two-way broadcast of the election by airing the Korea Broadcasting Company’s election coverage.

“Touch 2004 was planned to provide the electorate with more diverse information featuring two-way election broadcasting and utilizing the strong points of satellite broadcasting service,” explained Yoo Hui-rak, the head of the company’s cooperation and development department,

Sun-Woo Kim sublime@donga.com