SK Broadband said on Wednesday it has introduced its in-house artificial intelligence (AI) broadcast production solution, B tv AI Studio, to its local channel ch B tv to establish an hourly news system.

B tv AI Studio has been in use since early this year. The channel shifted local news from 1 to 2 evening broadcasts to an hourly weekday schedule from 9 a.m. to 7 a.m. the next day. The system allows one person to produce news, enabling real-time coverage of emergencies such as disasters and accidents, as well as daily-life information, traffic and local issues without multiple staff such as anchors, reporters and crew.

After the hourly news system was introduced, ch B tv ratings rose to 0.22 percent in May from 0.08 percent last year, an increase of 0.14 percentage points. Its channel ranking within B tv cable also climbed 32 places, to 10th from 42nd.

SKB is also expanding beyond TV platforms. It established a breaking news system on its website and mobile service, increasing article volume by 50.7 percent, website visitors by 4.6 percent and page views by 3.1 percent from a year earlier. It is also pursuing a plan to link local information with major portals such as Naver and Daum.

Kim Hyuk (김혁), head of SKB's media business division, said, "With the introduction of the hourly news system, the speed and frequency of delivering local information improved." He added, "We will create a new heyday for local channels through continuous innovation such as expanding digital-focused platforms."