Infinite Challenge, a Korean TV entertainment/reality show featuring various challenge, recently featured a new project in which its hosts were to act as radio DJs for one day. Many radio programs invited the show members to serve as their DJ for a particular timeslot. Competing against each other for more listeners, Infinite Challenge hosts were motivated to entertain their audience by recreating the radio programs to fit their respective styles. In order to listen to these radio broadcasts, there has been a surge in downloads for MBC Mini, the radio app of Infinite Challenge’s broadcasting company MBC.
MBC Mini generally has outstanding sound quality and connection levels; in fact, compared to other radio apps, MBC Mini and MBC Radio Lite have consistently received high ratings. In addition, MBC Radio Lite has well designed covers displayed on the app for each radio program so that users can get a clear sense of what the program is called and who runs it at first sight. Similarly, MBC Mini provided users with information about the specific times and names of the programs that Infinite Challenge members were running on Sept. 11.
Having been downloaded over 15,000 times this year, MBC Mini has constantly been loved and used by Koreans who sought entertainment as they multitasked. As the radio channel plays, MBC Mini enables users to check the channel’s ratings and comments so that they can quickly evaluate its popularity. In addition, users who cannot access their favorite radio programs due to schedule conflicts can always use the replay function—it saves the radio programs for that week so that users can always go back and catch up on anything that they have missed.
Original radio fans were also looking forward to Infinite Challenge hosts’ attempts as radio DJs. The people who listened in on the hosts’ programs were surprised at how touching and entertaining the radio programs were. Show host Myung-Soo Park evoked laughter through his corner “Dancing through laughter”. On the other hand, Hong-Chul Noh, a show host who is generally known for being crazy and wild, touched the audience by talking about his efforts behind the scenes. While the programs were entertaining and successful, MBC Mini proved itself largely incapable on Sept. 11, when it severely lagged for many users due of its weak radio frequency connection.
Although MBC Mini could have anticipated the conflict, the broadcasting company’s lack of planning and programming failed to evade the situation. It is disappointing that a technical issue forced the public to spend time trying to get the app to work, instead of listening to the hosts of Infinite Challenge. Despite the issues regarding broadcasting on that particular day, MBI Mini is still used by a plethora of people, proving its apparent quality.
Photo Source: iTunes, MBC