Title: The decline of BMTV: socio-technical factors that influence the failure of mobile TV in Korea

Authors: Yongwoon Shim; Daeho Kim; Heejin Lee

Addresses: Future Industry Research Office, SK Research Institute, 3FL. Seoul Finance Center, 36, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-768, South Korea ' Department of Communications and Information, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro Nam-gu, Incheon, 22212, South Korea ' Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemin-gu, Seoul 03722, South Korea

Abstract: The paper contributes by providing a comprehensive assessment of the decline of DMB in Korea from a socio-technical perspective. The results highlight a number of factors accounting for the decline of Broadcast mobile TV (BMTV). These factors are summarised in terms of policies, markets, and technologies. In the initial and development stages, policies and business models were set mainly by the Korean government, making it difficult for the DMB market to sustain itself. However, the most profound impact in the long term has come from technological advances. The case of Korea's BMTV demonstrates how technological advances have influenced BMTV markets and caused profound consequences on mobile TV. Due to the generic characteristics of disruptive technologies, the Korean case will not be limited to a particular country. Overall, this paper contributes by providing implications for the future mobile TV and by adding another case to the literature of failure studies in the media industry.

Keywords: BMTV failure; broadcast mobile TV; South Korea; DMB; digital multimedia broadcasting; OTT; over-the-top; TV applications; standards; mobile television; socio-technical factors; media industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAMC.2016.080981

International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication, 2016 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.295 - 316

Accepted: 18 Aug 2016
Published online: 13 Dec 2016 *

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