Kazamaura Village Cable Vision

Kazamaura Village Cable Vision (風間浦村営共聴システム, Kazamaura Son'ei Kyōchō System) is a non-profit cable television operator run by Kazamaura Village in Shimokita District, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The village is located at the northernmost tip of Honshu, where steep cliffs drop directly to the Tsugaru Strait, making terrestrial television reception by ordinary antennas difficult for many households. To ensure television access, all households in the village subscribed to the village-run community antenna system. Because every household was connected to this system, no digital relay station was established, and the village's analog relay stations were eventually abolished. The system retransmits terrestrial television channels, including both Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido stations. In October 2008, the village newsletter 'Kōhō Kazamaura' announced the completion of facility renovation work, with a fiber-optic cable connection to each household. Paid channels WOWOW and Star Channel require individual subscription contracts (Star Channel is applied for directly through Sky PerfecTV!). During the analog era, commercial broadcasters initially only retransmitted signals from Hokkaido stations broadcasting from the Hakodate transmitter. Later, Aomori television stations were also retransmitted, but ABA (Asahi Broadcasting Aomori) was not retransmitted because its analog relay station in the village had not opened. ABA's relay station was initially planned as a new digital station in 2010, but ABA began broadcasting in early 2010 by transmitting the signal from the Kinoppu relay station via cable, including other stations. Terrestrial digital broadcasting began in early 2010, initially retransmitting only Aomori Prefecture stations; no Hokkaido stations were retransmitted. Therefore, receiving Hokkaido digital terrestrial broadcasts required individual high-performance UHF antennas for direct reception. In July 2011, the village newsletter announced that consent had been obtained for retransmission of NHK Hakodate, UHB (Fuji TV affiliate), and TVh (TV Tokyo affiliate), which have no affiliated stations in the prefecture, enabling digital retransmission of Hokkaido stations. Subsequently, HBC (TBS affiliate, ATV in the prefecture), STV (Nippon TV affiliate, RAB in the prefecture), and HTB (TV Asahi affiliate, ABA in the prefecture) were also retransmitted, making all Aomori and Hakodate stations receivable without installing a television antenna. The service area is Kazamaura Village, Shimokita District, Aomori Prefecture. The system is a vital infrastructure for the village, ensuring television reception for all residents in a geographically challenging area.

Kazamaura Village is located at the northernmost tip of Honshu, facing the Tsugaru Strait, with steep cliffs approaching the coastline. In the analog television era, although there were television relay stations within the village, many areas had difficulty receiving television broadcasts with ordinary antennas. Consequently, all households in the village subscribed to the village-run community antenna system (共聴システム, kyōchō system) to enable television reception. Because all households were connected to this system, no digital relay station was established, and the village's relay stations were abolished. In October 2008, the village newsletter 'Kōhō Kazamaura' announced the completion of facility renovation work. The system was upgraded to a fiber-optic cable connection to each household. Paid channels WOWOW and Star Channel require individual viewing contracts (Star Channel is applied for directly through Sky PerfecTV!). During the analog broadcasting era, commercial broadcasters initially only retransmitted signals from Hokkaido stations broadcasting from the Hakodate transmitter. Later, Aomori television stations were also retransmitted, but ABA (Asahi Broadcasting Aomori) was not retransmitted because its analog relay station in the village had not opened and could not be received. The opening of ABA's relay station was initially planned as a new digital station in 2010, but ABA began in early 2010 by transmitting the signal from the Kinoppu relay station via cable, including other stations. Terrestrial digital broadcasting began in early 2010, initially retransmitting only Aomori Prefecture stations; no Hokkaido stations were retransmitted. Therefore, receiving Hokkaido digital terrestrial broadcasts required individual high-performance UHF antennas for direct reception. In July 2011, the village newsletter announced that consent had been obtained for retransmission of NHK Hakodate, UHB (Fuji TV affiliate), and TVh (TV Tokyo affiliate), which have no affiliated stations in the prefecture, enabling digital retransmission of Hokkaido stations. Subsequently, HBC (TBS affiliate, ATV in the prefecture), STV (Nippon TV affiliate, RAB in the prefecture), and HTB (TV Asahi affiliate, ABA in the prefecture) were also retransmitted, making all Aomori and Hakodate stations receivable without installing a television antenna. The system remains a vital infrastructure for the village, ensuring television reception for all residents in a geographically challenging area.

• Completion of facility renovation work announced in the village newsletter 'Kōhō Kazamaura'; fiber-optic cable connection to each household introduced.

• Terrestrial digital broadcasting begins, initially retransmitting only Aomori Prefecture stations.

• ABA begins broadcasting via cable transmission from Kinoppu relay station.

• Consent obtained for retransmission of NHK Hakodate, UHB, and TVh; digital retransmission of Hokkaido stations realized.

• HBC, STV, and HTB also retransmitted, making all Aomori and Hakodate stations receivable without a TV antenna.

Non-profit, village-operated cable television ensuring universal TV access in a remote, mountainous coastal area.

• Cable television retransmission service

  Retransmission of terrestrial television channels from Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido.

• Community antenna system

  Village-run community antenna system connecting all households.

• Fiber-optic television distribution

  Fiber-optic cable connection to each household for television distribution.

1. 1青森県風間浦村kazamaura.jp
2. 2風間浦村営共聴システム - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Kazamaura Village Cable Vision - Wikidatawikidata.org