I'm very happy with jTBC's dramas Padam and Fermentation Family. They're very unique dramas, and I don't know if the main stations would pick them up because of that.

Love OCN, tvN, and jTBC's dramas (well, some of them). Tuned in Padam Padam (sadly, I must admit) soley because there's Kim Bum, OCN just killed me with a certain sexy Vampire Prosecutor, and tvN is giving me crack every Mondays and Tuesdays (oh hey, that's today! And it rhymed. hee.) Other channels I'm not to familiar with, but I'm definitely looking forward to watching (on my ever-growing list) Operation Proposal and Fermentation Family. :) Hope they're promising shows!

no mention of "I Live in Chungdamdong"? (JTBC) :(
its HILARIOUS.
not to mention loads better than high kick

i hope that these ratings go up!

Very informative! I have a strange fascination with drama ratings for some reason.

I'm happy that vampire idol is popular. Hopefully operation proposal gets even more ratings because the first two episodes were amazing and very cute. In not suprised that padam padam is popular and that Japan is going to air it because it's an awesome show.

i love vampire idol!

Very interesting accounting, even if i don't consider ratings when i chose a drama to watch. I believe that those new channels are still undecided about their strategy when it comes to dramas : All around, niche targeted, family or teenager, sitcom or 24 or 12 episodes. They will naturally come to exploit different time slots : Nobody said than all dramas must be programmed between 9pm and 11pm isn't it ?
What i see is that shows seriously produced ( solid script and acting even if with no Big Stars and big budget ) find their audience. For those i watch who disappoint in terms of ratings :
- Bachelor veggie store : The cast is great ( all of them, seriously ), but the story hesitates between rom-com, makjang and documentary / biography film. I think viewers are just surprised by that mix by now.
- Color of Woman : Nice love triangle, but that's all. The story is almost non-existent when you take out the cute scenes ( very cute indeed, but cute is not lacking on our screens ). 16 eps would have been enough.
Now, i have 3 questions to ask :
- Do koreans use recording devices, because if you like 2 shows that air at the same time, how do they deal with that ? If yes, is it counted in the ratings ?
- I assume a lot of people in Korea watch dramas on PCs like us, but also on tablets or mobile phones. After all, they are the most connected people on this planet, right ? Is there stats for that ?
- How dramas are financed exactly ? Advertisement, sponsoring and product placement ? Special budgets allocated by the channels, or independent drama market for buyers ?
I find that little world fascinating indeed, and it's nice to see how that huge Seoulwood machine works.

I'm so happy to hear the Fermentation Family has been doing well in the ratings by staying within the 1%, perhaps fluctuating above and below it. And I know from the tiny whispers here and there over the internet that there's quite a following for it. It may not be a following rivaling those that watch the other more popular Cable and mainstream shows, but we're out there, and we're supporting F-Fam. Before it's done airing, I hope we can summon enough followers and manage to give our verbal thanks and encouragement to the stars of the show. X)

And glad to hear Vampire Idol is doing well for itself. Hopefully, when the English Subs come out or I learn Korean - whichever is first - I'll be sure to pick it up. Cable fighting!

This situation reminds me of the old Bruce Springsteen song "57 Channels and Nothing's On." There's too many offerings at once, and it's my opinion that the Korean viewing public is going batty trying to figure out what to watch and when. BVS's airing time was pushed up to 8:50 PM KST when Channel A found out that two weeks after its premiere, "Moon/Sun/Fluffernutters" was going to air opposite it at its originally-scheduled time of 9:50 PM. A pretty smart move on behalf of their programmers, but 8:50 PM is considered the "Golden Hour" for many dramas, with several more airing at that time so you're going to get dilution of your product regardless.

How I understand the process is that no matter what media device you're using to view, the Ratings Police know what you're looking at during that point in time. AGB Nielsen and TmNs takes readings at various points throughout the country during the airing of said drama and then those numbers are averaged for the official tally -- "Moon/Sun" was reaching upwards of 49% in a past episode, but then bottomed out at the end by people turning off their sets (probably going to bed since it's on so late) and only garnered a 39% for that date (but that was for the Seoul-only numbers; they also sample a nationwide aggregate as well).

As to budgets, it's the drama's Production Company that comes to the networks with hats in hand; most times, they usually get what they ask for. The channels make up for the monies spent through a combination of advertising, product placement and sometimes even private money from their financiers. Of course, the channels are hoping that any syndication rights eventually come through to balance any shortfalls in a less-than-ratings-grabber production. Channel A should be jumping up and down, because in only its second week of airing, the rights to BVS were already sold to the same Japanese ConHugeCo that had previously bought the rights to "Boys Over Flowers."

And granted, the Big Three (KBS/MBC/SBS) still pretty much have their stranglehold on the viewers, because they're terrestrial over-the-air stations and not pay-for-play cable channels. I think as the Korean folks get more used to the idea of cable and the offerings therein, the viewers and ratings will increase exponentially. The television landscape there has grown in leaps and bounds, but it's still baby steps for the folks who watch... :)

I hope it's economically viable for most of the cable stations to continue to produce original programming indefinitely. It wasn't that long ago that we were experiencing a drama drought-- now we've got a deluge of dramas. (That's great for me, but I feel sorry for our recappers. I also miss the days when it seemed like most of us on DB were watching the same dramas and we could joke about the Hand Towel or pine for Kang Ahhhhh together.) I'm really happy about the proliferation of cable-produced shows because I love having more dramas to choose from, but also because cable can include content that wouldn't be allowed on a network show.

I'm glad that Queen Insoo is doing quite well around 1% (that is not bad for cable shows right?) - but i watch it for eunjung and chae sira will be stepping in the next episode so i might stop afterwards hahaha. i watch fermentation family too when i have nothing else to do, and the food makes my mouth water everytime!

oh and just as a sidenote, any information about MCB's strike?

All I know is that I tuned in for every episode of PADAM PADAM.

I have been pleasantly surprised by Kimchi Family (Fermentation Family), and watch it consistently. I have to say, though, I've not been as consistent with Bachelor's Vegetable Shop, which is good, but just doesn't have that same oomph as K.F. does for me. I'm really happy to see all the different shows coming out, though. It means competition, and lots more for the viewers to chose from.

it really is hard broadcasting on cable channels..but with time, hopefully many people will tune into those shows. i absolutely loved padam padam and was glad it passed the 1% mark each time. though many suspected it'd go over 5%, to me, just going over 1% is success. besides the ratings, the drama was beautiful <3

Kim Bum's abs are definitely worth more than 2.2million dollars. Just saying ;)

Ratings aside some of the cable offerings recently have been a welcomed relief from the dramas of the big 3 channels. I like the diversity of the offerings and some of the cable shows are my favorite. tvN and JTBC have the best cable programming. I'm currently enjoying Fermentation Family and I'm sooooo glad the show is done airing so I don't have to wait to see the next episode!

Fermentation Fam is solid, though it's more like a family drama, and lotssss of kimchi, yummy!

Veggie boys, I sticked thru thick and thin just for CJW. Just this recent ep that I finally gave up on this writer, excessive tears, the female lead cried in every ep I watched and now it's the male lead's turn to cry. It would be fun if just tell the story of the boys building the enterprise but why the mom, mom, mom, whyyyyy?

Operation Proposal , two eps and love! YSH as Kang Baek-ho was amazing, though he tended to think a lot, aka VoiceOver. Checked the J- version and love too, but Ken in J was somehow cooler, YSH fighting! Also the chemistry of the boys in K-version needs improving IMO cuz YSH stands out, others need to step up.

I know this is off topic....but I'm currently addicted to Feast of the Gods. I know JB & GF have an aversion to makjang, but I don't have a problem with it as long as it doesn't go overboard.

Feast of the Gods gives off vibes that rrrrrreally similar King of Baking Kim Tak Goo and Shikgaek (aka Gourmet). I don't find the Feast of the Gods' plot as ridiculously angsty and contrived as Bachelor's Vegetable Store. I think it FotG did a good job of laying down all the makjang elements in the first 2 episodes, building a premise for the drama, so that the next episodes don't have to be riddled with angst. The makjang in FotG is more "organic" and handled better than it was BVS.

Anyways, the MAIN reason I'm OBSESSED with FotG is because of my attachment to the characters Sung Yuri, Joo Sang Wook, and LEE SANG WOO play. This leads me to become emotionally invested in this drama and eagerly anticipate seeing the evil biatch go downnnn in flames >:3

Please skip the first 2 makjang episodes. Just read the recaps. And then plunge right into the story with the wonderful adult leads <333!!!!

I liked Vampire Prosecutor, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, Padam Padam and Shut Up Flower Boy Band. I’m glad there are more choices for us viewers. However, most of my main drama obsessions are still the ones that air on the main channels: History of the Salaryman, Moon that Embraces the Sun, Ojakkyo Brothers, and Feast of the Gods. While cable dramas are quite good, the big 3 station dramas are still generally much better. It will be hard for the smaller stations to compete with them. I feel like one in every ten, twenty cable dramas will be as addicting to me as the ones on the major stations. Basically, we have more choices, and they're surprisingly good, but they're generally not as good as the ones that air on the major stations~~~

After watching so many kdramas, it is a breathe of fresh air to get a break from the typical storylines. I think cable dramas give better options for fresh approach to scripts. There is always that extra hmph! that most of the more famous dramas lack. I don't want to be able to predict how a story will progress. I want gut wrenching surprises, I want genuine life lessons. I want maturity. I can't get that with some of the cheesier dramas. I hope cable stations hang in there and continue to produce dramas for those of us who want something different. Like everyone else, I love kimchi family and padam padam. I will have to try vampire prosecutor now that so many ppl have vouched for it (although I am not really into all the recent wizardry/ werewolf/ vampire craze)

I love Fermentation Family (heh) but also love Dowager Queen InSoo - I wish someone was doing English subs so other people can enjoy a wonderful drama. It has another interesting portrayal of King Sejo who seizied power from his nephew. Also, I love the young ambitious In Soo.

does anyone know if channel A is airing (or aired) a drama called heaven's garden? there was some information about it back in december when it was supposed to premiere, but nothing since then.
and could you please add the other cable dramas in the currently airing section on this page-Syndrome, 12 men in a year, go!mrs go!, for the emperor and maybe others? it's nice to have a general view of all these dramas...

jTBC, TV Chosun, Channel A and MBN are still young and has a potential to become big networks someday. The only problem when.

In the first place, they aren't just competing with KBS, SBS and MBC, they are also competing with established Cable networks which are NOT general broadcasters, and airs more entertainment programs than these channels (YTN , which is a news channel, rated higher than these 4 channels last December....Hahaha!).

Also, they aren't still available in regional parts of South Korea, and if they are, there's a little chance that they tune-in to these channels since they are more exposed to Free-To-Air TV.

Lastly, these channels may get more than 1% in dramas, but how about in other genres, like news? because as far as I know, these networks are being criticize for their bias towards Lee Myung Bak.

How many times must we say that it's all about the writing? Sure, not every script can be perfect, but the ratings don't lie. The reason that some of these shows do better than others is...the writing. I agree that I watched "The Color of Woman" and found it light-hearted and breezy in the beginning and had high hopes for it, like the series "I Need a Romance". However, in the 6th episode and beyond, it just draaaaaaaged all the way through and I started to lose interest in the storyline. It's as if the writers lost inspiration and decided to just throw in anything, hoping the chemistry between the actors would make up for it. It didn't. If you watch the shows that ARE doing well, like "Saving Go-Bong Shil", you understand why audiences are tuning in. Great acting PLUS the sharp writing make it irresistible . It doesn't take rocket science to get that...although one wonders.

Can anybody tell me if Color of woman is worth the time? I want to start watching a new drama,but I am not sure about it..

Well, there's still time for Operation Proposal...not only did it start last week (ranked 3rd place among its general programming as stated above), but this week's episode 4 already finished first among those competing w/ it. It is a very good drama (so far) w/ a very talented cast (Yoo Seung Ho, of course! ...among others). I just hope SK audience continues to tune in, since many of us in the international market would like to continue seeing him work in more projects.