Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations
Encyclopedia
The , is a group of Japan
's reception fee-free commercial
terrestrial television
stations which are not members of the major national networks that has flagship in Tokyo and Osaka.
Its members sell to, buy from and co-produce programs with other members. While a few of them, namely Sun Television and Television Kanagawa sell more than the others, it does not mean the former control the others in programming. It forms a loose network without exclusivity. They form permanent and ad-hoc subgroups for production and sales of advertising opportunity.
Its Japanese name have the word UHF
because all of the member stations broadcast in the UHF in analog, in contrast to major networks primarily broadcast in the VHF
in analog. All the Japanese terrestrial television is switching to UHF digital. In 2011 all the analog television (both VHF and UHF) transmission is planned to shutdown.
, which produces almost all its programs in-house.
The JAITS and the Japanese public take for not being members of large networks, in which the Tokyo's stations almost control other members' programming. Those networks are also affiliated with large national newspapers. On the other hands, the JAITS stations are often affiliated with prefectural or metropolitan newspapers and prefectural governments, whose degree of influence may vary.
Here is the description of characters of the independent commercial terrestrial television stations in Japan. Currently all such stations are members of the JAITS.
, Chūkyō
and Kansai regions which are the most urbanised in Japan. Their reachable population is large. If the population was too small they could not have number of viewers and sponsorship to sustain the station. However their coverage are within major network stations' official coverage, except TXN
network members TV Osaka's, TV Aichi
's and TV Setouchi
's which are adjacent to. Multi-channel cable television
may cover significant parts of the areas. Externally sourced popular contents are often too expensive to buy therefore they are very difficult to beat major networks in viewing rates.
) of single episode or short series are broadcast and are called "UHF anime
". They broadcast brokered programming
such as religion and infomercials. Some stations also run their own shopping programs.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's reception fee-free commercial
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
stations which are not members of the major national networks that has flagship in Tokyo and Osaka.
Its members sell to, buy from and co-produce programs with other members. While a few of them, namely Sun Television and Television Kanagawa sell more than the others, it does not mean the former control the others in programming. It forms a loose network without exclusivity. They form permanent and ad-hoc subgroups for production and sales of advertising opportunity.
Name
The title is supposed / provisional. The Japanese documents for the association refer to the acronym JAITS but the fully spelt English name has not been disclosed yet.Its Japanese name have the word UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
because all of the member stations broadcast in the UHF in analog, in contrast to major networks primarily broadcast in the VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
in analog. All the Japanese terrestrial television is switching to UHF digital. In 2011 all the analog television (both VHF and UHF) transmission is planned to shutdown.
Independent UHF Stations
| | Broadcasting station | | Call sign | | Broadcasting area (Prefectures) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| tvk Television Kanagawa is an independent television station in Japan serving Kanagawa Prefecture and parts of the Greater Tokyo Area with favorable reception. The station was founded on April 20, 1971 and began broadcasting on April 1, 1972... |
TV Kanagawa / テレビ神奈川 | JOKM-DTV | Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period... |
| MX Tokyo Metropolitan Television thumb|Tokyo Metropolitan Television old headquarters : Telecom Center Building is the only commercial television station in Tokyo, Japan that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon Television, TV Asahi, Tokyo Broadcasting System, TV Tokyo, and Fuji Television, all of which are... |
TOKYO MX / 東京MX | JOMX-DTV | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
| SUN | SUN-TV / サンテレビ | JOUH-DTV | Hyogo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :... |
| KBS Kyoto Broadcasting System is a commercial broadcasting station headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It is doing business in Kyoto Prefecture as and in Shiga Prefecture as Its radio station serves Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures and is a member of National Radio Network . Its television station serves Kyoto Prefecture and is a... |
KBS Kyoto / KBS京都 | JOBR-DTV | Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro.... |
| TVS Television Saitama abbreviated TVS, doing business as is a Japanese fee-free terrestrial commercial television broadcasting company headquartered in Urawa-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its intended coverage is Saitama Prefecture but with some spill-overs in surrounding prefectures... |
Teletama (TV Saitama) / テレ玉 (テレビ埼玉) | JOUS-DTV | Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History... |
| CTC | Chiba TV / チバテレビ | JOCL-DTV | Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture... |
| GBS | Gifu Hoso / 岐阜放送 | JOZF-DTV | Gifu Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō... |
| GTV | Gunma TV / 群馬テレビ | JOML-DTV | Gunma Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until... |
| MTV | Mie TV / 三重テレビ | JOMH-DTV | Mie Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province.... |
| TVN | Nara TV / 奈良テレビ | JONM-DTV | Nara Nara Prefecture is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture.... |
| BBC Biwako Broadcasting is a fee-free commercial terrestrial television station serving Shiga Prefecture of Japan.It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations .Popular name Independent UHF Station .-Offices:... |
Biwako Hoso / びわ湖放送 | JOBL-DTV | Shiga Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established... |
| GYT | Tochigi TV / とちぎTV | JOGY-DTV | Tochigi Tochigi Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture... |
| WTV | TV Wakayama / テレビ和歌山 | JOOM-DTV | Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :... |
How much are they independent?
In the strict (North American) definition of "not affiliated with any networks", the only independent terrestrial television station in Japan would be The Open University of JapanOpen University of Japan
is a distance learning university which has students all over Japan; it accepted its first students in 1985.Although founded by the national government initiative with a single-issue law and heavily subsidised by the government, it was established by as a , the University classified as a private...
, which produces almost all its programs in-house.
The JAITS and the Japanese public take for not being members of large networks, in which the Tokyo's stations almost control other members' programming. Those networks are also affiliated with large national newspapers. On the other hands, the JAITS stations are often affiliated with prefectural or metropolitan newspapers and prefectural governments, whose degree of influence may vary.
Here is the description of characters of the independent commercial terrestrial television stations in Japan. Currently all such stations are members of the JAITS.
Market
Their areas of coverage are located in KantōKanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
, Chūkyō
Chukyo Metropolitan Area
, sometimes called the Chūkyō region , is the name of a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urban part of the Tōkai region...
and Kansai regions which are the most urbanised in Japan. Their reachable population is large. If the population was too small they could not have number of viewers and sponsorship to sustain the station. However their coverage are within major network stations' official coverage, except TXN
TXN
- TV Tokyo Network stations :-External links:*...
network members TV Osaka's, TV Aichi
Aichi Television Broadcasting
Aichi Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is a TV station in Nagoya. It is known as "TV Aichi"...
's and TV Setouchi
TV Setouchi
is a TV station in Japan.It is one of the TX Network stations, broadcasting in Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture, and it is an only TXN's TV station in Chugoku-Shikoku region....
's which are adjacent to. Multi-channel cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
may cover significant parts of the areas. Externally sourced popular contents are often too expensive to buy therefore they are very difficult to beat major networks in viewing rates.
Programming
Compared with major network stations, the JAITS stations have the lower average ratings (meaning the cheaper sponsorship fee) in the large reachable population. The later beginning and the earlier ending hours of live and / or scheduled programs allow flexible programming. Some Japanese animations (animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
) of single episode or short series are broadcast and are called "UHF anime
UHF anime
refers to the anime broadcast by independent stations generally located in the Kanto, Chukyo and Kansai regions of Japan, who are members of the Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations . Other common names for UHF anime include and...
". They broadcast brokered programming
Brokered programming
Brokered programming is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot commercials...
such as religion and infomercials. Some stations also run their own shopping programs.
See also
- Independent station (North America)
- Independent stationIndependent stationAn independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
(other parts of the world)