TX Network
TX Network (TXN) is a commercial television network in Japan owned by Nikkei, Inc.[1] The "TX" is taken from the callsign of its flagship station, TV Tokyo. It is also known as TV Tokyo Network.
 | |
| Type | Broadcast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Affiliates | TV Tokyo and others; see #TXN stations |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i (HD) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Nikkei, Inc. (owns shares outstanding in every member station) |
| History | |
| Founded | September 1, 1983 (as the Megalopolis Tokyo-Osaka-Okayama-Nagoya Network - MegaTON) |
| Former names | Mega TON Network |
| Links | |
| Website | TXN Official Website (in Japanese) |
History
Tokyo Channel 12 almost went into bankruptcy in 1968. At the time, a television production company was established, with two companies, business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Mainichi Broadcasting System having a central role in the investment. At this time, MBS was affiliated to NET TV (now TV Asahi), which carried out a "key station declaration" at the request of Nikkei, in the form of cross-networking with Tokyo Channel 12 and NET, in October 1969. Both channels either signed a network, or launched a co-production program, by, for example, each other to supply the programs from both stations, to strengthen the relationship. However, the relationship involving MBS and Tokyo Channel 12 disappeared on March 31, 1975, when MBS and ABC swapped their affiliations. Tokyo Channel 12 became an independent channel and remained that way until the start of the 80s.
Then, on March 1, 1982, TV Osaka (TVO) became the first affiliate stations of what came to be TV Tokyo's network of stations. The new network was named Mega TON Network. Although "Mega TON" initially stood for "Megalopolis Tokyo-Osaka Network", the "N" also meant Nagoya, where a third station was planned. TV Aichi (TVA) began broadcasting on September 1, 1983. Also, the "Megalopolis Song Festival" was once broadcast featuring the name of the network.
On October 1, 1985, a fourth station covering Okayama and Kagawa (the Setouchi quasi-Wide Area), named TV Setouchi (TSC), started broadcasting. Because of the expansion, the network changed names on April 1, 1989 to TXN Network (TXN). At the same time, TV Tokyo gained the TX abbreviation from the station's calls. Television Hokkaido in Hokkaido and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting in Fukuoka began broadcasting in 1989 and 1991, respectively. The network gained their current shape of six stations.
TXN stations
| Station abbreviation | Station | Call sign | Channel | LCN | Prefecture(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | TV TOKYO / テレビ東京 | JOTX-DTV | 23 | 7 | Kantō |
| TVO | TV Osaka / テレビ大阪 | JOBH-DTV | 18 | 7 | Osaka |
| TVA | TV Aichi / テレビ愛知 | JOCI-DTV | 23 | 10 | Aichi |
| TVQ | TVQ Kyushu Hoso / TVQ九州放送 | JOTY-DTV | 26 | 7 | Fukuoka |
| TVh | TV Hokkaidō / テレビ北海道 | JOHI-DTV | 14 | 7 | Hokkaidō, Tōhoku |
| TSC | TV Setouchi / テレビせとうち | JOPH-DTV | 18 | 7 | Kagawa and Okayama |
| BS-TX | BS TV TOKYO / BSテレ東 | N/A | Nationwide via Broadcasting Satellite | ||
There are no affiliate stations in Ryukyu, Shikoku and Tohoku regions.
Except for TV Aichi, all TXN member stations use the virtual channel number 7 (TV Aichi uses virtual channel number 10)