KBS Cool FM (Korean: KBS 쿨FM), also known as KBS 2FMKBS 제2FM방송) is a 24-hour Hot AC music and entertainment radio station of the Korean Broadcasting System. It plays mostly older K-pop Music from the 90s compared to KBS Happy FM which plays the latest K-pop tracks.[1] Notable shows include Popular Plaza, Volume Up and Kiss the Radio.
27 June 1965: Radio Seoul Broadcasting (라디오 서울 방송) HLCD 639 kHz Started broadcasting.
1966: Renamed as TBC Radio. 89.1 MHz FM Repeater (Standard FM) launched. Callsign changed to HLKC/HLKC-SFM
1970: TBC Radio Started South Korea's First Stereo FM Broadcast.
1 December 1980: TBC Radio forced to be merged into KBS Radio by the special law of Chun Doo-hwan as president of military authorities.
KBS 2FM Era
25 December 1980: Relaunched as KBS 2FM (KBS 제2FM) with a Trot and Popular Music format. Callsign changed to HLKC-FM and 639 kHz AM Repeater stopped broadcasting with the frequency used to form KBS Radio 3. Airing of advertisements where abolished and started airing selected shows nationwide through Cross-Broadcast with the KBS Local FM Network (composed of former provincial TBC Radio stations.) along with KBS 1FM.
24 December 1988: KBS 2FM Started Partial 24-hour Broadcast (Monday~Friday 24-hours and Saturday~Sunday 18-hours).
30 May 1990: Transmission power increased (TPO:1 kW ERP:173.5 kW → TPO:10 kW ERP:350 kW)
1 October 1994: 24-hour Broadcast started.
Cool FM Era
1 January 2002: Commercial advertisements resume broadcast on 2FM and nationwide cross-broadcast with the Local FM network where abolished.
10 October 2003: Relaunched as KBS Cool FM (KBS 쿨FM)
3 March 2005: KBS Cool FM Opened its studio to the public along with KBS Radio 2.
2006: Started visual radio (BORA) broadcasts on the internet.
2016: KBS 2FM Resumed national broadcasting of select programs through Cross-Broadcast with Local Radio 2 Stations with Park Myeong-su's Radio Show being the first show to be heard nationally.
Accessibility
FM Radio
Cool FM is available terrestrially in select cities including Seoul, Incheon, Chuncheon, Wonju, Hongcheon, Hoengseong, Cheorwon, Cheonan, Asan, Yesan, Hongseong, Dangjin, Seosan, Taean, Jincheon, Eumseong and Chungju.
Outside of the main station's coverage area, Cool FM can be heard through local Happy FM stations at these times: 5:00~7:00AM KST, 11:00AM~2:00PM KST, and 6:00~8:00PM KST.
DMB Radio(U-KBS Music)
In other areas not reachable terrestrially, Cool FM's programs can be heard via U-KBS' DMB channels.
Seoul : CH 12B
Chuncheon : CH 13B
Daejeon/Cheongju : CH 11B
Gwangju/Jeonju: CH 12B/CH 8B/CH 7B
Daegu : CH 7B/CH 9B
Busan/Ulsan : CH 12B/CH 9B
Jeju : CH 13B/CH 8B
Trivia
Despite being South Korea's No.10 Radio Station 2FM Program Volume Up became the highest-rated radio program in its timeslot across both AM and FM bandwidths in Seoul.[2][3]
Slogans
대한민국 뉴스, 드라마, 대중음악 라디오 방송국 89.1 메가 사이클 TBC 동양방송 (South Korea's News, Drama, Popular Music Station 89.1 Megahertz TBC Tongyang Broadcasting TBC Era Slogan until 1980)
젊은 채널, 감성 채널 2FM (The Youth channel, The Emotional channel 2FM 2003~2014)
대중음악 89.1 (Popular Music 89.1 1980~1999 2010~2014)
^This was a result of the reformat of KBS Radio 2 back again as a pure popular music radio station in 2013.
^Hong, Grace Danbi (February 19, 2013). "Yoo In Na Becomes Queen of the Radio with #1 Radio Show". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
^"For Actress Yoo In-na, 'Wobbles' Are Just Part of Finding the Way". The Chosun Ilbo. June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
