When scanning for sports channels using his backyard satellite dish in Canada, engineer Peter Fairlie stumbled onto North Korean state TV.

He now shares it for the world to see.

From news reports to music videos with style, and screen quality seemingly ripped straight from the 1980s, the North Korean state TV clips Fairlie shares on YouTube provide a fascinating glimpse into the isolated dictatorship.

Unsurprisingly, there is heavy emphasis on state propaganda, with praise directed at everything from the country’s military endeavours to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

Just like media everywhere else in the world, Fairlie told CNN the programs “absolutely” have the power to influence people’s minds – but the level of propaganda being pumped out by North Korea had some surprising side effects.

“The videos are all of Kim, how great he is, and everybody crying and loving him,” he said.

“After watching one full day of the North Korean content, for two nights in a row I just had a lot of very bizarre dreams as if I was there.”

Viral videos

Fairlie appears to have a knack for hacking satellites for free channels, with many of his YouTube videos devoted to his hobby.

Contrary to Fairlie’s modest expectations, the North Korean content he shared online went viral, with many of his YouTube clips racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

As much as the jumping and tears that epitomise the reaction of everyday North Koreans meeting Kim might seem over the top, there seems to be plenty of interest from the rest of the world in the extremely private leader.

“Because of Kim, it’s become kind of a cult following,” Fairlie said.

“Whenever Kim comes on, everybody goes crazy … that’s the funny part.

“People kept saying, ‘Give me more, give me more, I want to see more’.”

‘Elusive’ signal

Although Fairlie may have stumbled onto North Korean TV by accident, he has to work to keep his access.

In a video posted to YouTube in June, Fairlie explained the country’s “elusive” satellite signal changes occasionally, forcing him to search for it in order to “spy” on the country.

Global viewers will have a hard time understanding the details of what they are watching, as Fairlie’s videos do not include English subtitles.

North Korean is also not a recognised language on services such as Google Translate, and since North and South Korea have been separated for decades, the countries’ respective languages have evolved to be up to 40 per cent different in everyday life and 60 per cent different in professional settings.

This is not the first time the rest of the world has been given access to North Korean TV content.

North Korea state media aggregator KCNA Watch, originally developed by New Zealand-based computer scientist Frank Feinstein, offers a free live-stream and archive of North Korean TV programs.

Shiwani TV, a Poland-based subscription platform, also live-streams Korean Central Television and state radio for 19 euros ($31) per month.