The front image of Busan English Broadcasting's YouTube channel
Starting its service last year, BeFM has been offering programs in English as well as in Chinese and Vietnamese. The number of its subscribers rapidly grew from 4,600 to over 100,000 in just about a year and it now boasts the highest number of YouTube subscribers among local radio stations there.
Despite being based in Busan, about a quarter of the radio station's listeners or 32.4 percent are residents of Seoul, compared to a mere 7.3 percent from Busan.
With nearly 90 percent of its subscribers from South Korea, the remaining 10 percent come from English-speaking countries such Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
The channel's recent interviews with prominent figures and celebrities have garnered attention, further boosting its popularity. Included among them are American biologist Victor Ambros who won the Nobel Prize last year for discovering the first known microRNA (miRNA), writer Paige Aniyah Morris who translated Han Kang's novel "I Do Not Bid Farewell," and Korean-American chef Edward Lee who appeared on Netflix's hit cooking survival show "Culinary Class Wars."
To stay connected with listeners while promoting Busan as an English-friendly city, BeFM has launched programs like "Young Power" recently, featuring singer Kim Jo-han and comedian Lee Sang-hoon.
Another popular program "All-Star English" offers an enjoyable and accessible way to learn English.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
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