Q78 What is the makeup of the 4-trillion-yen broad-casting industry?

A78 In 1989, NHK supplemented its terrestrial broadcasting ser-vices by launching a service using a broadcast satellite (BS) and, in 1996, a private commercial service using a communications satellite (CS) was set up. Cable television (CATV)-initially started as a service targeting regions with poor reception, such as mountainous areas that were hard for terrestrial broadcasts to reach-has grown into a service with more than 500 stations.

Many other types of broadcasting have also been introduced in Japan. As of 2005, of the 4-trillion-yen industry, NHK accounted for 747.1 billion yen, private commercial terrestrial broadcasters for about 2.6 trillion yen, private commercial satellite broad-casters for some 320 billion yen, and CATV channels for about 350 billion yen. When analyzed at the individual company level, Fuji Television Network Inc., was the largest private commercial broadcaster, with sales of 476.7 billion yen, followed by Nippon Television, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc., and TV Asahi Corporation with sales ranging from 200 billion yen to 400 billion yen.