Satellite TV in Japan: Chart of Events

2003.
February 14 Fuji TV and TBS increase their ownership in Wowow to 6.7% and 4.9%, respectively. Fuji becomes the largest shareholder in Wowow.
March 6 Wowow experiences broadcast outage of 1 hour, caused by error in maintenance operations.
March 31 Belle Maison TV and BB TV terminate broadcasting on Plat-One.
June 2 SkyPerfecTV establishes Opticast, a venture aiming to provide retransmission of digital TV via FTTH.
June 6 Peace Channel begins broadcasting on SkyPerfecTV. (Broadcast folds on December 31.)
June 12 BSAT-2c backup satellite for digital Bsat launched successfully.
June 30 Bloomberg Television cancels broadcast on Plat-One. Eco Music TV launches July 1 as a replacement channel.
August 28 News Corporation divests ownership in SkyPerfecTV by selling stock to Fuji TV, Sony, and Itochu, whose ownership each increased to 12.651%.
October 1 JSAT and PanAmSat successfully launch Horizon-1, their first co-owned satellite.
December 1 Digital terrestrial broadcasting starts in the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka markets.
December 18 SkyPerfecTV and Plat-One announce plans to merge on March 1, 2004.
2002.
February SkyPerfecTV attains over 3 million subscribers.
March 1 Plat-One launches DTH service on N-SAT-110 at 110 degrees E., the same look angle as digital Bsat. NTV meets launch with six TV channels.
March 1 NTV Networks acquires 5% interest in SkyPerfecTV in stock purchase from Softbank.
March 24 Softbank affiliate ClubiT loses sales agency to sign up SkyPerfecTV subscribers shortly after its IPO. Softbank repurchases floated stock in TOB.
May 19 Sports-i ESPN becomes the first program channel to gain 1 million DTH subscribers.
June 27 Animax attains 1 million DTH subs through SkyPerfecTV.
July 1 SkyPerfecTV "2" at 110 degrees E. launches official broadcast service. Tohukushinsha assumes uplinking operations.
October 1 TBS Channel begins broadcasting on original SkyPerfecTV platform.
October 1 Premium Hollywood movies network Start Channel begins broadcasting two channels on SkyPerfecTV "2" as part of a multiplex with Star Channel BS.
October 10< Hughes Electronics (parent of DIRECTV) sells its interest in SkyPerfecTV, leaving the industry in Japan.
2001.
March 31 NNN24 signs off from SkyPerfecTV.
April 20 WOWOW completes IPO.
April 24 epF-Net (now known as 'ep') launches commercialization effort for stored download programming on digital Bsat service.
July 2 JSAT announces acquisition of controlling 66.7% stake in Satellite Network (SNET), and increased stake from 4.9% to 7.0% in SkyPerfecTV.
July 13 JSAT-2b launches, but fails to reach correct orbit altitude and does not recover.
September 25 BSAT-2A experiences transmission fault. Digital Bsat services moved to BSAT-1a.
October SkyPerfecTV acquires 80% stake in Samurai TV, professional wrestling and fighting sports premium network.
October 1 B-SAT signs contract for BSAT-2c, replacement of failed satellite BSAT-2b.
November 1 SkyPerfecTV rolls out new basic packaging scheme of 29 core channels with a choice from among five add-on sets, creating the Orange, Yellow, Red, Blue, and Green Packs.
November 7 BSAT-2a malfunctions again.
December Industry monthly Satellite Magazine folds.
2000.
February 9 Movie network Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting established.
February 18 SuperBird 4 launched.
March 1 NHK Bsat service tops 10 million registered subscribers.
March 2 DIRECTV Japan and SkyPerfecTV announce consolidation of subscriber base.
March 31 NTT Communications and JSAT integrate satellite operations businesses.
April 1 Sky Sports and Jupiter Sports merge to form JSky Sports.
June 6 SkyPerfecTV tops 2 million subscribers.
September 30 DIRECTV Japan terminates broadcast service.
October 20 SkyPerfecTV completes initial public offering on Mothers Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
November 3 Pay-Per-View Japan expands to 21 channels on its PerfecChoice service broadcasting on SkyPerfecTV.
December 1 Digital Bsat ('BS Digital') broadcast service starts.
1999.
January 25 Satelllite-based internet MegaWave trial service starts.
February 16 JCSAT-6(4A) launched.
April 20 DIRECTV Japan initiates first 480p broadcast.
August 1 SkyPerfecTV offers soccer pack with Italian League Serie A and J League games.
December 17 Digital Bsat data broadcast licenses awarded to eight companies: Nippon BS Broadcasting, Media Serve, Megaport Broadcasting, Weather News, Japan MediArk, Digital Cast International, Nippon Data Broadcasting, and the Association for Promotion of Satellite Broadcasting.
1998.
March 31 CS-BAAN terminates analogue service.
May 1 JSkyB merges with PerfecTV before broadcasting any channels. SkyPerfecTV! established.
July 1 SkyPerfecTV starts combined service.
September 30 Skyport terminates analogue service.
October 27 Digital Bsat platform broadcast licenses awarded to NHK, Wowow, Star Channel, BS Nippon, BS-i, BS Fuji, BS Asahi, and BS Japan.
December 27 Sky PerfecTV tops 1 million subscribers.
1997.
February 17 JCSAT-4(1A) launched.
July 28 SuperBird C launched.
November 1 DIRECTV Japan starts trial (free) broadcasting with 63 channels.
December 1 DIRECTV Japan rolls out full (pay) broadcast service.
December 3 JCSAT-5(1B) launched.
1996.
February 2 PerfecTV! platform name announced.
February 5 N-STARb launched.
June 30 PerfecTV starts trial (free) broadcasting with 57 video and 103 audio channels.
July 22 The Golf Channel awarded Csat broadcast license.
October 1 PerfecTV rolls out full (pay) broadcast service.
December 17 JSkyB established as Japan's third digital Csat platform.
1995.
February 3JSAT obtains international telecommunications business licence.
April 3 NHK begins international satellite broadcasting of programs to Europe and U.S.
April 3 TNT and Cartoon Network via PAS-2, and Star TV via ASIASAT-1 authorized as Japan's first foreign sat TV broadcasts.
April 28 SCC obtains international telecommunications business licence.
August 29 JCSAT-3 launched, and NTT's first wholly-owned N-STARa launched.
September 1 Playboy Channel (Japan) established, and begins transmission of programming.
September 28 DIRECTV Japan established as Japan's second digital Csat platform.
November 17 Super Channel and Family Theater awarded Csat broadcast licenses.
1994.
March 25 Satellite Magazine becomes a monthly, independent publication. Satellite Magazine, Inc., established.
June 20 BBC World awarded Csat broadcast license.
June 22 Broadcast Law amendment passes, and foreign satellite TV reception is deregulated.
October 1 Green Channel starts test delivery as Csat's first telecommunications network.
November 10 DMC Planning Co., predecessor to PerfecTV, established. Japan's first digital Csat platform company.
November 25 Analogue HDTV programming on Bsat service starts test broadcasting.
1993.
July 20 Four networks awarded Csat broadcast licenses: Let's Try, GAORA, Asahi Newstar, and Channel O.
August 17 JCSAT and SAJAC merge. The combined entity becomes JSAT.
September Cable Soft Network receives private placement from United Artists B.V. (affiliated with Liberty Media) and changes network name to CSN1 Movie Channel.
1992.
January 22 Satellite Broadcast Center (CS-BAAN) established.
February 4 Six networks authorized as the very first consignor broadcast businesses for Csat broadcasting: CNN, Star Channel, MTV, SpaceShower TV, and Eisei Gekijo.
February 27 SuperBird B launched.
April 23 Establishment of CS Service Center (Skyport Center) announced in press conference.
May 14 Establishment of Satellite Broadcast Center (CS-BAAN) announced in press conference.
December 2 SuperBird A launched.
1991.
April 1 Wowow starts official broadcast service as Japan's first premium television network.
1990.
January 1 JCSAT-2 launched.
February 23 SuperBird B (original) and BS-2X launches fail.
April 30 Japan Sports Channel starts satellite delivery of its network "Sports-i ESPN."
August 28 BS-3a launched.
November 30 Wowow starts free (test) broadcast service.
December 23 SuperBird A (original) terminates operations. SuperBird broadcast and telecommunications businesses temporarily shift to JCSAT.
1989.
March 7 JCSAT-1 launched as Japan's first private-enterprise comsat.
May 2 CANDY becomes the first cable network to deliver programming via satelite.
June 3 NHK channel BS2 starts broadcasting 24 hours a day, and NHK begins test broadcasting of analogue high-definition TV programs.
June 6 SuperBird A (original) launched.
July 4 Skyport Center established as Japan's first Csat telecommunications service for individual subscribers.
July 17 CNN starts programming distribution via SuperBird A. All six Skyport networks on board by October 1989.
August CSN Entertainment Channel (now known as CSN1 Movie Channel) of Cable Soft Network Co. starts satellite delivery.
December Space Shower begins satellite delivery of its music video network to cable operators.
1987.
July 4 NHK channel BS1 starts broadcasting 24 hours a day as Japan's first satellite television service.
1986.
February 12 BS-2b launched.
December 25 Test broadcasting of NHK analogue Bsat service starts.
November 1 Satellite Magazine publishes first issue.
1985.
February 8 JCSAT (predecessor to JSAT) established.
March 22 SCC established.
April 5 Satellite Japan (SAJAC) established.
 
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