North Korea
It's been a while since anyone in America has seen a test pattern on their TV. However, in North Korea, the pattern in the video is more common on TV than regular broadcasting. The pattern, the accompanying music, and the youtube channel from which they are sourced are from Korean Central Television, the oldest television network in North Korea. This network is government-run and features news programs, political programs, children's programs, and other programming on subjects such as economics, agriculture, and government contests. These programs only run about 5 hours a day, and 17 hours on Sundays. There is no non-government programming on North Korean television.
United States
In the United States, PBS is the closest equivalent to the government-controlled Korean Central Television. PBS is a publicly funded broadcasting company that receives government funding, but abides by the guidelines of the National Program Funding Standards and Practices, which state,
"Public television is a major participant in the great tradition of a free and independent American press. Therefore, public television must protect its journalistic integrity and it must reinforce the accurate perception that it is a free and independent institution."
This promotional video from PBS gives an idea of the children's content on the show. Like Korean Central Television, the network incorporates material aimed toward a wide variety of audiences, including both news and entertainment material.
Broadcasting Law
While the kinds of public broadcasting material may be similar in order to appeal to a wide audience, the laws surrounding public broadcasting differ greatly between the two countries. These regulations become a form of gatekeeping for the media in each country. In North Korea, the propagandist nature of much of the programming provides a form of agenda-setting.The United States Department of State has provided guidelines for the "inalienable right" of freedom of the press, one of which is, "A free press is courageous and will pursue those stories that are important to its readers and viewers, without fear or favor."
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), also guarantees freedom of the press in its statement, "working people have the right to work and rest, the right to education and free medical care and freedom of scientific, literary and artistic pursuits." However, in 2009, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange reported, "Human rights conditions in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, remain dire. There is no organized political opposition, independent labor unions, free media or civil society."
The limitations in the Korean press caused by government regulations are clear. Debates an independent programming that is prominently featured on publicly-funded PBS in the United States would never be allowed on government-controlled Korean Central Television. Because of these, the messages that are permitted to get to the Korean people are far different from those distributed through American media outlets.
Sources
Although North Korea claims to ensure the right of free press similar to the United States, it is undoubtedly very different. The Asian country states that "working people have the right to work and rest, the right to education and free medical care and freedom of scientific, literary and artistic pursuits." The right to "literary" pursuits is incredibly ambiguous and doesn't make the same guarantees as the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Consequently, North Korean would fall under the "authoritarian" media philosophy, under which speech deemed harmful to the regime will be censored. Unfortunately in the case of North Korea (at least outwardly) it appears that the citizens have been scared away from forming any opposition to the regime.
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