82. Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc.

Revenues 2022: JPY 358.269 billion (€ 2.596 billion)

Overview

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Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc. (TBS) is a Japanese media company based in Tokyo. The company includes a comprehensive news network, radio stations and the Mainichi Shinbun daily newspaper.

General Information

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Headquarters:
5-3-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8006, Japan
Telephone: 0081-3-3746-1111
Telefax: 0081-3-5571-2019
Website: www.tbs.co.jp

Branches: TV, Radio, Multimedia
Legal Form: Public Company
Financial Year: 04/01 – 03/31
Founding Year: 1951

Table I. Economic Performance (¥ Mio.)
2016201520142013201220112010200920082007
Revenues355,363348,539347,817354,388352,351342,754351,262372,306315,175318,700
Profit (after taxes)19,87817,17912,8119,664¹9,173¹11,671¹(2,313)1,65519.02213.299

 *only TBS
¹Net income

Executives and Officers

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  • Hiroshi Inoue, Honorary Chairman & Director
  • Toshichika Ishihara, Chairman & Director
  • Shinji Takeda, President & Representative Director
  • Takashi Sasaki, Senior Managing Director
  • Toshiaki Kawai, Managing Director
  • Tatsuo Sugai, Director
  • Akio Tsumura, Director
  • Yasushi Yoshida, Director
  • Mikio KOkubu, Director
  • Ken Sonoda, Director
  • Hiroyuki Aiko, Director
  • Masashi Nakao, Director
  • Hideki Isano, Director
  • Shouei Utsuda, Director
  • Yutaka Asahina, Director
  • Tadashi Ishii, Director
  • Keiichi Mimura, Director
  • Takafumi Kannari, Standing Statutory Auditor
  • Tatsuo Tanaka, Standing Statutory Auditor
  • Yasushi Akashi, Auditor
  • Teisuke Kitayama, Auditor
  • Mie Fujimoto, Auditor

History

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With financial and personnel support of the 'Mainichi Shinbun' – Japan's third largest newspaper – the Tokyo Hoso KK radio station was founded in 1951, the English name of which is 'Tokyo Broadcasting Systems, Inc.' (TBC). In 1955, TBS also entered the television business and the TBS stocks have been traded on the stock market of the Tokyo stock exchange since 1960. TBS created nationwide communication networks with other stations, the 'Japan Radio Network' (JRN) for radio and the 'Japan News Network' (JNN) for television. As far as foreign correspondence and coverage is concerned, TBS TV began to experiment with satellite transmission from very early on. The first attempt to undertake a live broadcast via satellite with the USA on the 23rd (22nd by US-American time) in November 1963 unexpectedly delivered the shocking news sensation of the assassination of president John F. Kennedy at the same time. On the Japanese side and apart from TBS, the public broadcaster NHK and the precursor of the contemporary private station TV Asahi had also been part of the satellite transmission experiment. In the 1970s, the Mainichi Shinbun had to circumnavigate some treacherous waters due to financial difficulties and had the give up its financial involvement in TBS (more than 5% in 1975). Yet, a certain personnel and indirectly financial intertwining continues to exist. In 1994, TBS moved into its new broadcasting centre, a 110 metre high skyscraper located in the Akasaka quarter of Tokyo, equipped most advance technologies. In 1998, the 24 hours news channel 'JNN NEWSBIRD' launched. It does provide the 'Sky PerfectTV!' and 'DirecTV' channels with content, which broadcast their program via communication satellites (CS), but as an program provider, it also available via broadcasting satellites (BS) and other telecommunication services (data transmission, Internet).

Since December 2009, the 'Japan Digital Communications KK' under the Logo 'BS-i' has been transmitting TBS/JNN television programs via BS satellites. It has been created by TBS in cooperation with the electronics companies NEC and Matsushita, the Mitsui trading company and the Dentsu advertising company. In July 2002, the new digital studio C-TBS started broadcasting, sending on six program channels and three data channels, all via communication satellites (CS). Furthermore TBS explores the possibilities of broadband technology in a collaborative project with two other private television stations – Fuji TV and TV Asahi.

For this purpose, the 'Toresola KK' was founded in 2002 in cooperation with other interest companies.

In June 2007,the online mail order service Rakuten, Inc. attempted to acquire 20% of share of TBS. However, the attempt was fended off by TBS for the time being. Rakuten has its sights still firmly set on the goal and is ready and willing to enter in long negotiations with TBS.

In early 2009, the Tokyo Broadcasting System Holding, Inc. was founded, under the roof of which TBS continues to operate.

Management

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TBS developed under the liberal tradition of the Mainichi Shinbun and stays faithful to this political core philosophy. Apart from the prime time programs, left-wing liberal perspectives are prominently featured in the program, such as in the late evening TV news magazine 'News 23', led by the famous TV-commentator Tersuya Chikushi.

Business Fields

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Print
The Mainichi Shinbun celebrated it's 130-year anniversary in 2002. Its daily circulation is approximately four million copies on average (morning issue only). Since 2008, the Mainichi Shinbun has extended its English-language based online range in order to reach more viewers and readers from abroad.

Television and broadcasting
The television network JNN encompasses 28 private television stations as of today, covering all parts of the nation and the radio broadcasting network JRN even includes 34 private radio stations, including the Tokyo HQ TBS respectively. On foreign territory, JNN operates 13 studios or correspondents' offices, of which eleven are associated with TBS TV and the others with JNN partner-stations.

TBS has outsourced many of its activities into subsidiaries. The consolidated TBS report includes a total of 29 companies. Important subsidiaries are  „TBS Service KK“ (Program distribution, production of audiovisual Materials, 100%), „TBS Vision KK“ (Production and distribution of TV programs, 100%), „NichiOn KK“ (Music production and –distribution, 100 %), „TBS Entertainment KK“ (Planning and production of Drama, Entertainment-, Muslin- and other Programs, 100%), „TBS Sports KK“ (Planning and production of Sports programs, 100%), „ACS KK“ (Design, Production and acquisition of Studio props and costumes 100%), „TBS Radio & Communications KK“ (Planning and Production of Radio programs, 100%), „TBS Live KK“ (Planning and production of Infotainment - Program, News magazines, scientific and cultural Programs, share 100%), „TBS Kaikan KK“ (Real Estate, 100%), „Midoriyama Studio City KK“ (Operation and Administration of Studios and Buildings, 77%).

The foreign distribution subsidiary 'Tokyo Broadcasting System International, Inc' is based in New York.

Activities in Germany/Europe

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In Europe, TBS TV disposes of its own correspondents in Paris, London and Moscow. The German region is covered by the NNN partners  „Mainichi Hoso KK“ (Berlin) and „Chubu Nippon Hoso“ (Vienna). The Mainichi Shinbun's European HQ are located in London and other European correspondents are based in the following cities:  Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Geneva, Rome, Vienna and Moscow.