St.GIGA
Encyclopedia
is the name of a defunct satellite radio
company that was formed as a subsidiary of satellite television
company WOWOW
and later became semi-independent, forming a keiretsu
with its parent. Using the BS network to broadcast digital radio
via direct broadcast satellite
as a test on November 30, 1990, St.GIGA became the world's first Satellite Digital Audio Broadcast Corporation. Regular broadcasting began March 30, 1991, and by September 1, St.GIGA adopted the commercial-free concept proposed by producer Hiroshi Yokoi and began to charge a broadcasting subscription fee. Following a period of financial difficulties and as part of an agreement with Nintendo
, from between April 1995 and June 2000, St.GIGA broadcast digitally encoded video games to owners of Super Famicoms
with the Satellaview
attachment. Satellaview broadcasts were limited in distribution to Japan alone, however through St.GIGA's services Nintendo broadcast a large number of rare ura- and gaiden
-versions of some of their most popular franchises (e.g. The Legend of Zelda, Mario
, and Kirby
, etc). These games have never been re-released and can only be played today via emulation.
company, WOWOW
, decided to expand their services into the field of satellite radio
. The core management team made the executive decision to create a subsidiary named St.GIGA. The name was selected by a popular poll of the man on the street because the executives agreed that they knew nothing about music. In deciding who to hire as director for the subsidiary, (who had recently designed the successful J-Wave FM
) was selected as an innovator in the field.
Soon after accepting the position, Yokoi crafted a radical proposal for the station concept. The initial reaction at WOWOW
was skeptical, however within a few months of traditional satellite radio broadcasts, Yokoi's concept was given probationary adoption, and Yokoi was subsequently given full discretion to shape the company's future.
's The Sirens of Titan
in which the alien life forms called harmoniums
communicate using only the phrases "Here I am." and "So glad you are." Strongly influenced by the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Kevin W. Kelley's The Home Planet, Yokoi's original concept proposal for St.GIGA would break new ground for broadcast communication methodology.
In accordance with Yokoi's conception, St.GIGA's broadcasts initially followed no externally-fixed (or artificial) timetable. Rather they were based upon the cyclical motif of a 24-hour "tide table
" where broadcast themes were approximately matched to the current tidal cycle according to the rule of twelfths
throughout the 24-hour broadcasting period. Under this innovative schedule, the station broadcast a variety of primarily ambient music programs including , various jazz programs, and (featuring live sound-broadcasts of the ocean shore). The beginnings and ends of programs were not clearly demarcated and instead utilized the unprecedented method where songs of one genre would gradually flow into and intersperse with the songs from the prior genre until the new genre became predominant. The intent, according to Yokoi was to allow the listener to relax in a wave of sound "like a baby sleeps in the womb." "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts operated under a principle of "No Commercials, No DJs, No News Broadcasts
, No Talk
." Unlike most commercial-driven radio broadcasts, this was made possible for St.GIGA due to its reliance on a subscription Digital Audio Broadcasting
(DAB) service. In order to receive this DAB service, the subscriber was required to obtain a special decoder, to pay an initiation fee, and subsequent monthly fees. "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts often took the form of high-quality digital recordings of nature sounds
accompanied by spoken word
narration by an actor
as the "Voice." Throughout the life span of "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts, the part of the "Voice" would be played by a number of notable Japanese poets including Ryo Michiko among others. "Voice" performances often consisted of all new poetry composed specifically for the show.
St.GIGA also broadcast its B-mode audio programming (a series of all classical music
broadcasts) over analog broadcasting frequency bands that were shared with its parent, the satellite broadcasting
company WOWOW
.
Highly artistic and experimental, the St.GIGA sound became extremely popular within certain segments of the population, and the station was recognized for its innovative concept, unique vision, and nonstandard methodology. Fan publications such as BSFan Journal and G-Mania sprang up to publish details of the music and to report on the ambient, mood, and electronic scene that was burgeoning in Japan. To this day numerous fan groups, trading groups, and collectors with an emphasis on St.GIGA's musical products exist online.
The initial popularity of the music funded trips by St.GIGA biomusic
recorders to travel abroad to record at such exotic locations as England
, Canary Islands
, Mikonos, Venice
, Bali
, Tahiti
, Martinique
, Hanson Island (BC
), and Maui
. St.GIGA was also able to release a number of thematic books including the multi-volume St.GIGA Stylebook, (containing the full text of Yokoi's original concept proposal), and (also released on VHS). Later thematic films were sold including Traveling with St.GIGA (1999) and Sound and Vision (2007)
St.GIGA sold a variety of products ranging from program guides to "sound calendars" to fragrances. They also released a number of CDs under St.GIGA's own label as well as a variety of foreign labels such as the Hearts of Space
, and music by Deep Forest
. Unfortunately for St.GIGA, the market for ambient music and its related forms was not as strong as initially anticipated and by 1994 the station was beginning to face serious financial difficulties. These difficulties resulted in the cutting back of "Tide of Sound" broadcasts to be replaced under subcontract by an all new series of Satellite Data broadcasts under the control of Nintendo
.
's Satellaview
peripheral created by Nintendo
. This device bolted onto the underside of the Super Famicom in a manner similar to the later Nintendo 64DD
's attachment to the Nintendo 64
and the Game Boy Player
's attachment to the GameCube. Only released to the Japanese market, the Satellaview acted as a satellite modem
, allowing players to download broadcast data which was then stored on specialized rewritable storage cartridges. The broadcasts ranged from video-game-related Satellaview news and specific interest journals such as to expansion data for popular SNES games (including, for example, Chrono Trigger) and all new video game releases including titles in such flagship series as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Kirby. Additionally, a number of these broadcasts featured an updated version of St.GIGA's earlier "Tide of Sounds" "Voice," now called , with which St.GIGA voice actors
would provide a live vocal track to accompany games, setting plot and describing in-game goals.
Due to the rewritability of the cartridges, the fact that "SoundLink" broadcasts were not downloaded to the game cartridges but rather were streamed live during the noon-2AM Super Famicom Hour broadcasting time, and because the broadcast game data has never been re-released by Nintendo, these games have become extremely rare. The subculture of collectors and enthusiasts that has grown online have exerted much effort engaged in electronic archaeology
by extracting old data from heavily rewritten data cartridges in order to faithfully reproduce the games via emulation.
Aside from St.GIGA's "SoundLink" or broadcasts accompanying the transmission of data for their , St.GIGA also broadcast a wealth of information on talk shows and celebrity idols, including a variety show. Broadcast times were fitted to match the schedules of students, and the station's audience demographics shifted radically much to the disappointment of the station's former ambient music fans. Before long the station had ceased transmissions of all "Time & Tide" programs (those featuring new age
music) including the much-admired , Fan publications such as BSFan Journal became replaced by more populist publications like , and St.GIGA focused all energies on Satellaview transmissions.
Satellaview transmissions continued uninterruptedly with only a single recertification between 1995 and April of 1999 when disagreements between St.GIGA and Nintendo resulted in Nintendo's withdrawal from the station. St.GIGA continued Satellaview broadcasts after this point, however they could only broadcast reruns of games previously transmitted as Nintendo refused to supply them with new original content. Facing economic difficulties again, St.GIGA pulled its Satellaview broadcasts on June 30, 2000 in order to return to music broadcasts as they had prior to the Nintendo deal.
In 2006, WINJ began broadcasting reruns of St.GIGA's original "Tide of Sound" and "Time & Tide" broadcasts during a 2PM-4PM time slot, however on November 1 of the same year these broadcasts were suspended on the pretext of broadcasting equipment maintenance. The program was scheduled to resume in the 2007 fiscal year, however on November 14, 2007, the Minister of Internal affairs revoked the broadcasting certificate under Act 54 of Article 24 of the Japanese General Broadcasting Statute.
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
company that was formed as a subsidiary of satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
company WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
and later became semi-independent, forming a keiretsu
Keiretsu
A is a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings. It is a type of business group. The keiretsu has maintained dominance over the Japanese economy for the greater half of the twentieth century....
with its parent. Using the BS network to broadcast digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
via direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception.A designation broader than DBS would be direct-to-home signals, or DTH. This has initially distinguished the transmissions directly intended for home viewers from cable television...
as a test on November 30, 1990, St.GIGA became the world's first Satellite Digital Audio Broadcast Corporation. Regular broadcasting began March 30, 1991, and by September 1, St.GIGA adopted the commercial-free concept proposed by producer Hiroshi Yokoi and began to charge a broadcasting subscription fee. Following a period of financial difficulties and as part of an agreement with Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, from between April 1995 and June 2000, St.GIGA broadcast digitally encoded video games to owners of Super Famicoms
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
with the Satellaview
Satellaview
The is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
attachment. Satellaview broadcasts were limited in distribution to Japan alone, however through St.GIGA's services Nintendo broadcast a large number of rare ura- and gaiden
Gaiden
is a Japanese-language word meaning "side story" or "tale", used to refer to an anecdote or supplementary biography of a person. This use of gaiden is commonly used in popular Japanese fiction to refer to a spin-off of a previously published work that is neither officially considered a sequel nor...
-versions of some of their most popular franchises (e.g. The Legend of Zelda, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, and Kirby
Kirby (series)
The series is a fantasy video game series developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, and produced by Nintendo. The gameplay of a majority of the games in the series consists mainly of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements...
, etc). These games have never been re-released and can only be played today via emulation.
Satellite history
Broadcast between March 11, 1990 and November 28, 2007 St.GIGA has undergone a number of changes of both carrier satellite and broadcast band. The following is a condensed history of these changes:- Apr. 2, 1990 - St.GIGA is founded.
- St.GIGA began broadcasts on BS-3ch in 1990 via the BSAT-2a satellite.
- In August 1991, St.GIGA switched to the BSAT-3a, and in September it began broadcasting on BS-5ch
- April 23, 1995 - SNES add-on SatellaviewSatellaviewThe is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
broadcasts begin. - April 1999 - Nintendo withdraws support.
- June 30, 2000 - Last Satellaview broadcast.
- On December 1, 2000, St.GIGA began simultaneous broadcasts on Radio 333ch (broadcasting Satellaview data via 633636ch)
- March 21, 2003 - St.GIGA becomes Club COSMO.
- October 1, 2003 - Club COSMO sold to WINJ
- In 2005, Club COSMO's 5ch broadcasts became analog (March 31) and the switch to 333ch was completed (May 10)
- 2006 - WINJ begins St.GIGA rebroadcasts
- On November 28, 2007 all affiliated broadcast bands are terminated and the satellite broadcast certificate is revoked.
The St.GIGA concept
In 1990 the established Japanese satellite televisionSatellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
company, WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
, decided to expand their services into the field of satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
. The core management team made the executive decision to create a subsidiary named St.GIGA. The name was selected by a popular poll of the man on the street because the executives agreed that they knew nothing about music. In deciding who to hire as director for the subsidiary, (who had recently designed the successful J-Wave FM
J-Wave
J-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broadcasts in Tokyo, and has surprised the radio broadcast...
) was selected as an innovator in the field.
Soon after accepting the position, Yokoi crafted a radical proposal for the station concept. The initial reaction at WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
was skeptical, however within a few months of traditional satellite radio broadcasts, Yokoi's concept was given probationary adoption, and Yokoi was subsequently given full discretion to shape the company's future.
Yokoi's "Tide of Sound"
Under Hiroshi Yokoi's direction, the St.GIGA station motto became "I'm here. — I'm glad you're there. — We are St.GIGA." This is a reference to Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's The Sirens of Titan
The Sirens of Titan
The Sirens of Titan is a Hugo Award-nominated novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., first published in 1959. His second novel, it involves issues of free will, omniscience, and the overall purpose of human history...
in which the alien life forms called harmoniums
Harmonium (fictional creature)
Harmoniums are, according to The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, the only form of life on the planet Mercury. Harmoniums are paper-thin cave-dwellers that feed on nearly undectable vibrations in the planet, described as "Mercury's song" which are caused by the temperature difference between the...
communicate using only the phrases "Here I am." and "So glad you are." Strongly influenced by the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Kevin W. Kelley's The Home Planet, Yokoi's original concept proposal for St.GIGA would break new ground for broadcast communication methodology.
In accordance with Yokoi's conception, St.GIGA's broadcasts initially followed no externally-fixed (or artificial) timetable. Rather they were based upon the cyclical motif of a 24-hour "tide table
Tide table
A tide table, sometimes called a tide chart, is used for tidal prediction and shows the daily times and height of high water and low water for a particular location...
" where broadcast themes were approximately matched to the current tidal cycle according to the rule of twelfths
Rule of twelfths
The Rule of Twelfths is a rule of thumb for estimating the height of the tide at any time, given only the time and height of high and low water...
throughout the 24-hour broadcasting period. Under this innovative schedule, the station broadcast a variety of primarily ambient music programs including , various jazz programs, and (featuring live sound-broadcasts of the ocean shore). The beginnings and ends of programs were not clearly demarcated and instead utilized the unprecedented method where songs of one genre would gradually flow into and intersperse with the songs from the prior genre until the new genre became predominant. The intent, according to Yokoi was to allow the listener to relax in a wave of sound "like a baby sleeps in the womb." "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts operated under a principle of "No Commercials, No DJs, No News Broadcasts
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
, No Talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
." Unlike most commercial-driven radio broadcasts, this was made possible for St.GIGA due to its reliance on a subscription Digital Audio Broadcasting
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
(DAB) service. In order to receive this DAB service, the subscriber was required to obtain a special decoder, to pay an initiation fee, and subsequent monthly fees. "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts often took the form of high-quality digital recordings of nature sounds
Biomusic
Biomusic is a form of experimental music which deals with sounds created or performed by non-humans. The definition is also sometimes extended to included sounds made by humans in a directly biological way...
accompanied by spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
narration by an actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
as the "Voice." Throughout the life span of "Tide of Sounds" broadcasts, the part of the "Voice" would be played by a number of notable Japanese poets including Ryo Michiko among others. "Voice" performances often consisted of all new poetry composed specifically for the show.
St.GIGA also broadcast its B-mode audio programming (a series of all classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
broadcasts) over analog broadcasting frequency bands that were shared with its parent, the satellite broadcasting
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
company WOWOW
WOWOW
WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
.
Highly artistic and experimental, the St.GIGA sound became extremely popular within certain segments of the population, and the station was recognized for its innovative concept, unique vision, and nonstandard methodology. Fan publications such as BSFan Journal and G-Mania sprang up to publish details of the music and to report on the ambient, mood, and electronic scene that was burgeoning in Japan. To this day numerous fan groups, trading groups, and collectors with an emphasis on St.GIGA's musical products exist online.
The initial popularity of the music funded trips by St.GIGA biomusic
Biomusic
Biomusic is a form of experimental music which deals with sounds created or performed by non-humans. The definition is also sometimes extended to included sounds made by humans in a directly biological way...
recorders to travel abroad to record at such exotic locations as England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Mikonos, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, Hanson Island (BC
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
), and Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. St.GIGA was also able to release a number of thematic books including the multi-volume St.GIGA Stylebook, (containing the full text of Yokoi's original concept proposal), and (also released on VHS). Later thematic films were sold including Traveling with St.GIGA (1999) and Sound and Vision (2007)
St.GIGA sold a variety of products ranging from program guides to "sound calendars" to fragrances. They also released a number of CDs under St.GIGA's own label as well as a variety of foreign labels such as the Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space is a United States weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient, New Age and electronic genres, while also including classical, world, Celtic, experimental, and other music selections...
, and music by Deep Forest
Deep Forest
Deep Forest is a musical group consisting of two French musicians, Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet. They compose a style of world music, sometimes called ethnic electronica, mixing ethnic with electronic sounds and dance beats or chillout beats...
. Unfortunately for St.GIGA, the market for ambient music and its related forms was not as strong as initially anticipated and by 1994 the station was beginning to face serious financial difficulties. These difficulties resulted in the cutting back of "Tide of Sound" broadcasts to be replaced under subcontract by an all new series of Satellite Data broadcasts under the control of Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.
Satellite Data broadcasting
Beginning on April 23, 1995, St.GIGA began broadcasting video-game-related data to owners of the Super FamicomSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
's Satellaview
Satellaview
The is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
peripheral created by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. This device bolted onto the underside of the Super Famicom in a manner similar to the later Nintendo 64DD
Nintendo 64DD
The is a peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console. It plugged into the N64 through the EXTension Port on the Nintendo 64's underside, and allowed the N64 to use proprietary 64 MB magneto-optical discs for expanded data storage...
's attachment to the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and the Game Boy Player
Game Boy Player
The is a device made by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube which enables Game Boy , Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on a television. It connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware...
's attachment to the GameCube. Only released to the Japanese market, the Satellaview acted as a satellite modem
Satellite modem
A satellite modem or sat modem is a modem used to establish data transfers using a communications satellite as a relay.There is a wide range of satellite modems from cheap devices for home internet access to expensive multifunctional equipment for enterprise use.A "modem" stands for...
, allowing players to download broadcast data which was then stored on specialized rewritable storage cartridges. The broadcasts ranged from video-game-related Satellaview news and specific interest journals such as to expansion data for popular SNES games (including, for example, Chrono Trigger) and all new video game releases including titles in such flagship series as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Kirby. Additionally, a number of these broadcasts featured an updated version of St.GIGA's earlier "Tide of Sounds" "Voice," now called , with which St.GIGA voice actors
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
would provide a live vocal track to accompany games, setting plot and describing in-game goals.
Due to the rewritability of the cartridges, the fact that "SoundLink" broadcasts were not downloaded to the game cartridges but rather were streamed live during the noon-2AM Super Famicom Hour broadcasting time, and because the broadcast game data has never been re-released by Nintendo, these games have become extremely rare. The subculture of collectors and enthusiasts that has grown online have exerted much effort engaged in electronic archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
by extracting old data from heavily rewritten data cartridges in order to faithfully reproduce the games via emulation.
Aside from St.GIGA's "SoundLink" or broadcasts accompanying the transmission of data for their , St.GIGA also broadcast a wealth of information on talk shows and celebrity idols, including a variety show. Broadcast times were fitted to match the schedules of students, and the station's audience demographics shifted radically much to the disappointment of the station's former ambient music fans. Before long the station had ceased transmissions of all "Time & Tide" programs (those featuring new age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
music) including the much-admired , Fan publications such as BSFan Journal became replaced by more populist publications like , and St.GIGA focused all energies on Satellaview transmissions.
Satellaview transmissions continued uninterruptedly with only a single recertification between 1995 and April of 1999 when disagreements between St.GIGA and Nintendo resulted in Nintendo's withdrawal from the station. St.GIGA continued Satellaview broadcasts after this point, however they could only broadcast reruns of games previously transmitted as Nintendo refused to supply them with new original content. Facing economic difficulties again, St.GIGA pulled its Satellaview broadcasts on June 30, 2000 in order to return to music broadcasts as they had prior to the Nintendo deal.
Later years and current status
By 2001, St.GIGA was nearly bankrupt and entered into merger talks with with which it became associated for the remainder of its lifespan. On March 21, 2003, following the death by cancer of director Yokoi, St.GIGA was rechristened under the leadership of . Broadcasts continued until October 1st, when the company was forced to sell their licensing rights to World Independent Networks Japan Inc. (WINJ). WireBee immediately began bankruptcy procedures, and all recording instruments and 241 tapes of nature sounds were auctioned off at open market for a total divided sale price of ¥5 million. Discussions concerning Club COSMO's involvement under WINJ's oversight in a new reality show were circulated briefly at this time, however to date no such show has been produced.In 2006, WINJ began broadcasting reruns of St.GIGA's original "Tide of Sound" and "Time & Tide" broadcasts during a 2PM-4PM time slot, however on November 1 of the same year these broadcasts were suspended on the pretext of broadcasting equipment maintenance. The program was scheduled to resume in the 2007 fiscal year, however on November 14, 2007, the Minister of Internal affairs revoked the broadcasting certificate under Act 54 of Article 24 of the Japanese General Broadcasting Statute.
See also
- SatellaviewSatellaviewThe is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The...
- The Nintendo peripheral that allowed player to download BS Games directly to their Super FamicomsSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short... - WOWOWWOWOWWOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...
- Parent satellite broadcastingSatellite televisionSatellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
TV Station. - Broadcasting Satellite System CorporationBroadcasting Satellite System CorporationThe Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation is a Japanese corporation established 1993-04-13 to procure, manage and lease transponders on communications satellites. Its largest stockholder, owning 49.9%, is NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation...
- The company that controlled the satellites from which St.GIGA broadcast, and their current fleet of Japanese broadcasting satellites.
External links
- St.GIGA Forever - St.GIGA homepage
- www.stgiga.co.jp at the Internet Archive
- St.GIGA program director, Yoshihiro Kawasaki's personal website
- ja.wikipedia article on "Voice" performer Ryo Michiko
- Harmonia - Ryo Michiko's personal website
- "Tide of Sound" performer, Robert Newcomb's page
- Revival of St.GIGA's "tidal sound"