Turner Launching Oh!K Channel In Southeast Asia

Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific signed a volume deal with Korea’s leading broadcaster, MBC, locking in content for Oh!K, a new general-entertainment channel launching in Southeast Asia.

Ricky Ow, president of Turner Asia Pacific (pictured at left), and Kwang Han Ahn, president of MBC, praised the partnership in a release that said “Oh!K combines the best in content with Turner's proven history in curating some of the most successful channels in Asia Pacific.” A Turner representative said the channel had not announced any carriage deals yet.

Oh!K will have first pick of MBC content, including first-runs and exclusives soon after their initial transmission debut in Korea, with some shows airing within a week. The broadcaster has a proven track record, including the epic royal court series Jewel in the Palace, that have dominated the market over the past five decades, Turner said.

MBC produces 1,400 hours of content each year distributed in more than 100 countries. Current hit shows include drama series Diary of a Night Watchman, You Are My Destiny, Triangle and the long-running variety show, Infinite Challenge, and reality show Dad, Where Are We Going?.

The launch of Oh!K launch follows Turner's April announcement that it will assume full operational and programming control of WarnerTV, the No. 1 English-language entertainment channel in Singapore.