TV Japan

TV Japan
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNorthern America
HeadquartersNew York City
Programming
Language(s)Japanese
English (via SAP; selected programs)
Picture format480i SDTV (widescreen)
1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerNHK Cosmomedia America Inc.
History
LaunchedApril 1, 1991
ClosedMarch 31, 2024
Replaced byJme

TV Japan (テレビジャパン) was a 24-hour Japanese-language television channel geared towards the Japanese diaspora in the United States and Canada. It was the North American carrier of the NHK World Premium service. The channel was owned by NHK CosmoMedia America Inc., a subsidiary of NHK Enterprises, the commercial arm of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Japan's national public broadcaster, and was available on many cable providers in the United States and Canada, and through U.S. satellite provider DirecTV.

While there are a handful of local and regional channels in the United States with primarily Japanese programming, TV Japan was, for much of its history, the only such channel available nationwide in both the U.S. and Canada. (A modified version of Nippon Television launched through DirecTV in 2019, and on Telus Optik TV in western Canada in 2020.)[1]

The TV Japan linear channel ceased broadcasting on March 31, 2024. After the closing date, NHK Cosmomedia continues to serve the North American market through its Jme streaming platform.[2]

History

TV Japan launched on cable systems in 1991, broadcasting for five to six hours a day.[3] Since its beginning, it also had nationwide distribution on the Primestar satellite service.[4] On March 12, 1996, it was removed from Cablevision's Long Island system due to its low number of subscribers.[5] On Primestar, it moved to a higher slot (401/402) in 1997, as part of the provider's new line-up.[6] It received CRTC approval in July 1997.[7]

The channel was added to Dish Network on May 1, 1998, increasing the provider's offer of international channels.[8] At the time, the channel was carried in 100,000 hotel rooms, using Primestar to deliver its signals. Not all hotels cleared out a full day's line-up (23 hours) due to limitations with certain cable networks.[9] In January 1999, the channel's roll-out in Canada began following its CRTC approval, being launched on Shaw's digital service.[10] By March 2000, it was added to Rogers.[11] In early 2000, its English audio track was temporarily switched off, causing complaints from Shaw subscribers during sumo tournaments over the loss of English commentary.[12]

On March 15, 2000, TV Japan moved to a new facility in Manhattan's Broadway, with digital equipment. This enabled TV Japan to carry quicker connections to the NHK satellite feed in case breaking news coverage happened.[3] In June, it signed a distribution agreement with International Channel Networks to include the channel in its package of foreign networks for US cable companies.[13]

Programming

Further information: List of programs broadcast by TV Japan

TV Japan aired various programs from Japan including news coverage from NHK, dramas, movies, children's programs, and entertainment shows. Programming was provided mainly by NHK, but some entertainment programs originated from commercial Japanese broadcasters including TBS, Nippon TV, TV Tokyo, Fuji Television and TV Asahi. Some programming was subtitled or dubbed into English, while NHK's main news programs were available with English translation on SAP, with the original Japanese presentation on the main audio channel. TV Japan also featured extensive sports coverage including coverage of the Grand Sumo tournaments (with English commentary on SAP), Nippon Professional Baseball games and J-League soccer matches.

TV Japan did no news production. As of 2000, its facilities had a fiber-optic link to NHK's General Bureau for the Americas in New York.[3]

Free previews

TV Japan typically provided a free preview through most carrying service providers for approximately two weeks in April each year.[14]

In response to the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the Northern area of Japan on the afternoon of March 11, 2011, cable and satellite TV providers across the United States and Canada provided a free-to-air broadcast giving viewers who may have friends and family in Japan with the latest news and information via a live simulcast from parent NHK.[15] The channel offered a one-week free preview between November 14 and November 21 to support earthquake relief funds.[16]

Closure

In early 2024, cable and satellite service providers began to inform customers that the channel would be discontinued on March 31.[17] The network's website confirmed the closure on February 17, with programming to transfer to Dlibrary Japan, a service which would rebrand as Jme on March 20.[2] Jme then added live feeds of NHK World Premium and NHK World-Japan, NHK's English-language news channel. Jme Select, a linear streaming channel with programs scheduled at appropriate times for North American audiences similar to the outgoing TV Japan channel, launched as part of the service on April 1.[18]

The service is intended to be more flexible for viewers than the former channel, which was often offered alone as a premium offering, usually priced at about $20-25 a month in local currency depending on the provider (on top of any base service fees for that provider), without any alternate out-of-home streaming or on-demand options. At launch, Jme was priced at US$25 per month, or about C$34 at then-current exchange rates.

References

  1. ^ Nippon Television Network Corporation (May 29, 2019). "NIPPON TV Channel launched!" (PDF) (Press release). Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Termination of TV JAPAN Service". NHK Cosmomedia America. February 2024. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Carrying news of Japan. (2000). Broadcasting & Cable, 130(16), 27.
  4. ^ Hall, M. (1992). A Bird? A Plane? No, Satellite TV! Business First, 8(27), 13.]
  5. ^ FROM NEWS, S. R. (1996, Mar 12). NEWS AND NOTES: [ALL EDITIONS.=.3 STAR. 2 STAR P. 2 STAR B. 1 STAR, LATE. 1 STAR EARLY]. The Record
  6. ^ Elkin, T. (1997). Primestar prepares for 'The Big Switch'. Dealerscope Consumer Electronics Marketplace, 39(3), 9.
  7. ^ Dalglish, B. (1997, Jul 23). Foreign channels approved for Canadian launch. Financial Post (Index-Only)
  8. ^ Editors, B. (1998, Mar 18). EchoStar Announces DISH Network's New International Programming. Business Wire
  9. ^ Selwitz, R. (1998). TVs tuned to needs of Japanese. Hotel and Motel Management, 213(7), 32.
  10. ^ Editors, B. (1999, Jan 13). SHAW Expands Cable Line-up With the Addition of New Digital Cable Services. Business Wire
  11. ^ Rogers launches new digital channels: [1]. (2000, Mar 02). Canada NewsWire
  12. ^ Hyatt, L. (2000). Putting their money where their hearts are: It's expensive, but ethnic Canadians are willing to pay, to a point, to watch their own shows. Cablecaster, 12(3), 70.
  13. ^ International expansion. (2000). Cable World, 12(23), 32.
  14. ^ "テレビジャパン" [TV Japan]. TVJapan.net (in Japanese). Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  15. ^ Programming. (2011). Cablefax Daily, 22(48)
  16. ^ Cable Operators Show Overwhelming Support for TV JAPAN Free Preview, November 14-21: MSOs offer special access to premium Japanese network & help drive nonprofit donations. (2011, Nov 15).
  17. ^ "Charter Communications". City of Carlyle, Illinois. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  18. ^ "Jme". NHK Cosmomedia America. Retrieved March 7, 2024.


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