The government on Friday announced its decision to lift a decades-long ban on late-night broadcasting of terrestrial television broadcasters to put them on an equal footing with cable TV channels.

The decision was made during a plenary session of the Korea Communications Commission, which oversees the government's broadcasting policies, according to the commission.

Currently, the nation's three terrestrial TV broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- can air programs for 19 hours a day (from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day) while paid TV channels are free from the regulations. They had to seek permission from the commission in order to broadcast sports games or other special programs after 1 a.m. 

The decision will allow the broadcasters to operate for 24 hours a day for the first time since TV broadcasting began in the country in 1961, the commission said.

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