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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Seoul, South Korea -- Two of the largest Buddhist news network in the world signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently to formalize news exchange and syndication. With the MOU, Buddhist Television Network (based in Seoul, South Korea) and the Buddhist Channel (based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) will now have a combined media outreach of more than 20 million viewers.
To highlight the collaboration, the Buddhist Channel have established a joint news site called “BTN-Buddhist Channel” (http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?korea) which will be hosted under the ambit of www.BuddhistChannel.tv. This English Language site is specifically dedicated to Buddhist related news and features from Korea.
According to Mr Lim Kooi Fong, Founder and Managing Director of The Buddhist Channel, the aim of the collaboration is to create a platform to dedicate and showcase Korean Buddhist news, principally in the English Language for the global audience.
“The Buddhist Channel has 75% of its readers coming from the west, principally from North America, Western Europe and Australasia. By having a dedicated news site on Korea, we hope Buddhists elsewhere will get to know our friends in Korea better,” says Lim.
The make-up of the “BTN-Buddhist Channel” Korean News site will not just be about news and issues emanating from the Korean peninsula. According to Lim, Korean Buddhism offers a rich trove of knowledge and experiences which are by itself, unique.
“There are features and traits of Buddhism only Korea can offer, such as her colorful culture, history and novel temple stays,” explains Lim.
“For instance, Buddha’s Birthday (????? - Seokga tansinil) is celebrated in grand style. Both in and outside of every temple, monks and lay people hang colorful lanterns. During these celebrations you’ll see throngs of people dressed in brightly colored hanboke, Korea’s traditional dress. Buddha’s Birthday offers a peek into the contrasts between the old and the new, providing a glimpse into some of Korea’s oldest cultural and religious traditions and how they are still practiced today,” Lim elaborates.Apart from the special section on “Arts and Culture”, the site also highlights features on Korea’s rich Buddhist history.
“Not many people know that Korea probably invented the first movable metal type printer. The technology was first used by Buddhists to print the “Jikji”, which is a Zen text compiled by the Korean monk Baegun in 1372,” says Lim.
“When we begin to appreciate the rich symbiosis between the Korean people and Buddhism, we will understand why Korea today is such an innovative and successful country,” he adds.
According to Ms Emi Hayakawa, Buddhist Television Network’s Chief of Overseas Operations, the collaboration offers an avenue for both organizations to tap on their captured markets.
Visit the BTN-Buddhist Channel for Korean Buddhist Newshttp://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?korea
Ms Hayakawa says that “BTN is the world's only non-sectarian Korean Buddhist TV channel which focuses on spreading the dharma through the media. Through this venture, we hope to widen our audience to include viewers from outside of Korea.”
“This fits in very nicely with our aim of producing and broadcasting the finest Buddhist video contents for the purpose of Buddhist propagation and advancing the Buddha Dharma across the globe,” she adds.
According to Lim and Emi, the formation of BTN-Buddhist Channel is just a start.
In the long term, both organizations will explore avenues to strengthen fellowship and communications among Buddhists, such as exchanging ideas on Buddhist media development, exploring ways and means to enhance skill and knowhow in media exchange, especially with the advent of mobile platforms and social media.
The BTN-Buddhist Channel officially launches today. Please visit:
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?korea
About BTN
The Buddha dharma and Buddhist practices put emphasis on compassion and loving kindness as the principle means whereby we transform ourselves and our world. We truly believe that the Buddha dharma and Buddhist practices have the power to transform the human mind for a much more honest, truthful and warm-hearted society. BTN(Buddhist Television Network) began operation in 1994 for the purpose of Buddhist propagation through the use of media.
Based in Seoul, Korea, BTN is the parent company of BTN WORLD and is the world's only non-sectarian Korean Buddhist TV channel which focuses on spreading the dharma through the media, warming the hearts and minds of viewers, and stimulating a healthier society.
By producing and broadcasting the finest Buddhist video contents for the purpose of Buddhist propagation, BTN will continue to cultivate and advance the Buddha Dharma across the globe.
About BTN WORLD
During BTN’s 15 year venture, we have acquired most video contents from all different sources as BTN continues to lead the paradigm in Buddhist media as we began our globalization plan and the development of Asian Buddhist propagation and simultaneously promote the traditional Asian philosophy and tradition to the West. Thus, in 2008, BTN established BTN WORLD (www.btnworld.org), a 501(c)(3) Status Non Profit Organization in Los Angeles, California.
BTN WORLD is an English language Buddhist dedicated TV channel NPO that has its mission to:
Preserve, nurture and teach the Buddha Dharma through the use of media.Unify the diverse Buddhist traditions of the world into a global Buddhist community.Realize and respect all diversities, and to share the teaching of the Buddha to the mainstream of American and Western lives.To organize dialogue and interfaith services and broadcast them to create greater harmony and understanding amongst different religions.Visit: www.btn.co.kr | www.btnworld.org
About The Buddhist Channel
The Buddhist Channel (BC) began operations in May 8, 2001, initially as the"Buddhist News Network" (BNN). Using the latest web technologies on content publication and news syndication, BC remains the world's largest web-based English Language Buddhist news services, providing daily updates and in-depth coverage. To date, it has a media outreach of 10.7 viewers.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and with technical and editorial support located in Berlin, Colombo, Bangkok, London, Singapore and San Francisco, the Buddhist Channel has become a global media platform dedicated to enhance cross-cultural understanding between adherents of the Buddha Dharma all over the world. For more than 10 years, the BC has been able to provide sustained momentum for individuals and groups to voice out their aspirations and contribute towards the strengthening of the Buddha Sasana.
Visit: www.BuddhistChannel.tv
