Misawashi Cable Television

Misawashi Cable Television (三沢市ケーブルテレビジョン, Misawashi Cable Television, abbreviated MCTV) is a cable television station operated by Misawa City in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It serves the city of Misawa and also operates area broadcasting using white space, introduced as a complement to cable television during disasters following the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The service retransmits terrestrial television channels, BS/CS digital broadcasts (until March 31, 2018), and radio stations. It also provides out-of-area retransmission of Iwate Menkoi Television (mit), a Fuji TV affiliate, as there is no Fuji TV affiliate in the area. The city's one-segment broadcasting was among the first in Japan for a municipality, alongside Kuzumaki Town in Iwate Prefecture. The cable TV's own channel is branded 'Mack TV' (マックテレビ, MCTV), and the area broadcasting carries the same content with remote control key ID '11'. The service has expanded from one-segment to full-segment broadcasting, with 33 full-segment transmitters as of 2024. Misawa City operates the cable television station directly, making it a public service rather than a private commercial entity.

Misawashi Cable Television is operated by Misawa City in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The exact founding date is not specified in the available sources. The service provides cable television to the Misawa area, retransmitting terrestrial television, BS/CS digital broadcasts, and radio. BS/CS digital broadcasting ended on March 31, 2018, with CS digital using JC-HITS. Out-of-area retransmission includes only Iwate Menkoi Television (mit), a Fuji TV affiliate, as there is no Fuji TV affiliate in the region; in the analog era, IBC Iwate Broadcasting (TBS affiliate) and TVI Television Iwate (Nippon TV affiliate) were also retransmitted. There was a request to retransmit AFN Misawa, but permission was not granted by the U.S. military, though citizens strongly desired it; AFN Misawa TV ceased on July 1, 2011. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, Misawa City introduced area broadcasting using white space as a complement to cable television during disasters. This was the first case in Japan for a municipality to introduce one-segment broadcasting, simultaneously with Kuzumaki Town in Iwate Prefecture. The area broadcasting carries the same content as the cable TV community channel 'Mack TV' (MCTV), with remote control key ID '11'. Initially only one-segment broadcasting was offered, but now full-segment broadcasting is provided. In 2013, on January 29, licenses for 16 terrestrial general broadcasting stations were obtained, valid until March 31, 2013. On March 28, one-segment broadcasting began. On April 1, the 16 stations were re-licensed until March 31, 2018. In 2018, on March 5, licenses for 3 full-segment stations were obtained, valid until March 31, 2022. On April 1, the 16 one-segment stations were re-licensed until March 31, 2023. In 2019, on February 28, licenses for 8 full-segment stations were obtained, valid until March 31, 2023. In 2020, on February 27, licenses for 22 full-segment stations were obtained, valid until March 31, 2024. In March, one-segment-only broadcasting was discontinued and full-segment broadcasting began. In 2022, on April 1, 3 stations were re-licensed until March 31, 2024. In 2023, on April 1, 8 stations were re-licensed until March 31, 2024. In 2024, on April 1, 33 stations were re-licensed until March 31, 2029.

• Licenses for 16 terrestrial general broadcasting stations obtained, valid until March 31, 2013.

• One-segment broadcasting began.

• 16 stations re-licensed until March 31, 2018.

• BS/CS digital broadcasting ended.

• Licenses for 3 full-segment stations obtained, valid until March 31, 2022.

• 16 one-segment stations re-licensed until March 31, 2023.

• Licenses for 8 full-segment stations obtained, valid until March 31, 2023.

• Licenses for 22 full-segment stations obtained, valid until March 31, 2024.

• One-segment-only broadcasting discontinued and full-segment broadcasting began.

• 3 stations re-licensed until March 31, 2024.

• 8 stations re-licensed until March 31, 2024.

• 33 stations re-licensed until March 31, 2029.

Public cable television and area broadcasting service for Misawa City residents.

• Cable television service

• Area broadcasting (one-segment and full-segment)

• Mack TV (MCTV) community channel

1. 1Misawashi Cable Television - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2三沢市ケーブルテレビ - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org