Music programs of South Korea
Music programs of South Korea are broadcast weekly, with different artists performing on the shows to promote their music.
South Korea's largest broadcasting companies each have their own show, which are broadcast on different channels. SBS has Inkigayo, KBS has Music Bank, MBC has Show! Music Core, Mnet has M Countdown, MBC Music has Show Champion and SBS MTV has The Show.
Artists commonly pre-record performances and appear live on the show for interviews and the ending of the show, where the week's winning artist is announced.
They also use music programs to promote. 'Debut stage' is the term used for artists who perform on the shows for the first time, usually serving as their first live performance when they debut as an artist. On the other hand, a 'comeback stage' is the term used for the first performance of the artist on the shows with their new songs and the start of a new promotional cycle, after the end of their debut cycle.
Fans are also allowed to attend pre-recordings and live shows to support the artists for free if they apply for tickets on each of the show's websites, with the condition that they don't record or take photos during the recording. Fans who disobey these rules will be banned from the show, along with fellow fans who came to support the group.
During an interview with 'Music Core' CP Park Hyun Suk on July 1, 2014, he was reported to have told Munhwa Ilbo, "We will not allow people who are not equipped with the basics as a singer to perform on stage. Even if one's individual part is short, that is fine. The singers who perform on stage must sing." He argues that this is to discourage groups who record almost 100% of their music for the shows, to determine the truly talented idol groups.
Each music program of the different networks have different systems that they use to decide the winning artist of the week. For instance, KBS' Music Bank's K-Chart includes the song's physical sales in their computation, while SBS' Inkigayo's chart does not.
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