Television Nagasaki

Television Nagasaki, commonly identified by the abbreviation KTN and the Japanese name テレビ長崎, is a regional commercial television broadcaster based in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Its terrestrial digital station uses the call sign JOWH-DTV and broadcasts on channel 8. The station is affiliated with the Fuji News Network for news programming and the Fuji Network System for general programming, making it part of the national Fuji television network while retaining a strong local identity focused on Nagasaki audiences. The company was created during the expansion of Japanese commercial television in the late 1960s. After the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications opened additional UHF broadcasting opportunities, several competing groups sought authorization for a second commercial station in Nagasaki. Through government-mediated consolidation, the competing proposals were combined into a single company. Television Nagasaki received a preliminary license in November 1967, held its founding general meeting in March 1968, and was formally registered shortly afterward. The station began test transmissions in March 1969 and commenced regular broadcasting on April 1, 1969. KTN's ownership and affiliation structure initially reflected the interests of several major Japanese newspaper and broadcasting groups, including the Nishinippon Shimbun, Kansai Television and Yomiuri Shimbun spheres. This contributed to an early relationship with both Fuji Television and Nippon Television. As Nagasaki's commercial television market developed, KTN carried programming associated with both networks for a period. The launch of additional commercial broadcasters in the prefecture changed that environment. In preparation for Nagasaki International Television's opening, KTN ended its Nippon Television affiliation agreement in 1990 and subsequently concentrated its network relationship around Fuji Television. The broadcaster has invested steadily in local reporting, production facilities and transmission technology. It acquired an outside-broadcast vehicle in its first year, introduced electronic news gathering in the 1970s, and replaced a conventional news-reading presentation with a more visual, camera-facing format in 1980. Its coverage of severe flooding in July 1982 relied on repeated news bulletins and special programs despite communications difficulties. KTN also played a major role in reporting the 1991 Mount Unzen eruption; three of its reporters died while covering the disaster, a tragedy that remains part of the station's history and of the region's journalism history. The company expanded its physical facilities through a new headquarters completed in 1979 and an annex completed in 1997. It launched an official website in 1996, introduced the K-tan mascot in 2001, and began digital terrestrial broadcasting in December 2006. Analog broadcasting was subsequently ended in stages, including a pilot shutdown in Tsushima in January 2011 and the prefecture-wide shutdown in July 2011. In addition to conventional television, the station has used digital broadcasting capacity for local news with simultaneous Mandarin interpretation. Television Nagasaki produces and carries local news, information and entertainment programming alongside Fuji network content. Its locally originated programs have included Hello! Nagasaki, the wide-format weekday program Terebi Myuude, and the afternoon information program Yojimaru!, which began in 2014. In 2019, KTN introduced KTN Live News it! as a weekday evening news program. The station has also pursued international programming cooperation, including a relationship with Shanghai Television, now part of Shanghai Media Group. For its fortieth anniversary, it co-produced the drama Moonlight with SMG's Dragon Television in 2008. Today, KTN remains an active regional broadcaster whose principal business is free-to-air television service, local journalism, program production and participation in the Fuji national network.

Television Nagasaki emerged from Japan's late-1960s expansion of commercial television. When the government made additional UHF frequencies available, six groups submitted competing proposals for a second commercial station in Nagasaki Prefecture. The proposals represented interests associated with the Nishinippon Shimbun, Kansai Television, Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, agricultural cooperatives and local business groups. With mediation by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the applicants consolidated their plans into Television Nagasaki, commonly abbreviated as KTN. The company received a preliminary license on November 14, 1967, held its founding general meeting on March 10, 1968, and was registered two days later. The company acquired land for its headquarters in April 1968. The building was constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on a site formerly associated with the residence of Gotō Shōjirō. KTN selected its abbreviation and first logo in June 1968. Test broadcasts began on March 9, 1969, and regular broadcasting commenced at 7 a.m. on April 1. In its first year, the station acquired an outside-broadcast vehicle and used it to cover the National Sports Festival. In 1970, it participated in a Youth Ship event connected with the four-hundredth anniversary of the Port of Nagasaki, traveling to destinations including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Okinawa. The early 1970s brought both operational challenges and commercial development. KTN experienced two signal interruptions in one week in 1970 because of infrastructure problems at the Inasayama and Eboshi facilities. The station's labor union was established that year. It recorded its first profit in 1971 and continued to strengthen its business position during the decade. Electronic news gathering was introduced in 1976, improving the station's ability to report local events and contribute material to national network coverage. KTN announced a new headquarters in 1977. Completed in February 1979, the building had two basement levels, six floors above ground and a larger studio area than the previous facility. In 1980, the station changed its news presentation from a conventional announcer-reading format to a more visual style with presenters appearing directly before the camera. During the major flooding of July 23 and 24, 1982, KTN provided repeated news flashes and late-night special coverage despite communications problems. The station established an international cooperation relationship with Shanghai Television in 1986 and introduced the logo it continues to use in 1988. During Japan's asset-price bubble, KTN benefited from a strong advertising environment and reached a high point in revenue and profitability in 1989. Competition intensified soon afterward. Nagasaki Culture Telecasting began service in 1990 as an ANN affiliate, followed by Nagasaki International Television in 1991 as an NNN/NNS affiliate. The arrival of these stations gave the prefecture four commercial broadcasters and increased competition for advertising and audiences. KTN ended its Nippon Television contract on October 1, 1990, in advance of Nagasaki International Television's opening, and increasingly operated as a Fuji network station. The 1991 Mount Unzen eruption became a defining and tragic episode. Three KTN reporters were killed while covering the volcanic disaster, making Television Nagasaki the only commercial broadcaster in the prefecture to suffer fatalities among its reporting staff during the event. The station later expanded its facilities by constructing an annex between 1995 and 1997. The seven-level annex included one basement floor and six floors above ground and provided additional operational space. KTN launched its official website in October 1996. The station continued modernizing its brand and programming. It introduced the K-tan mascot in 2001 and recorded strong audience performance in the mid-2000s. Digital terrestrial broadcasting began on December 1, 2006. For its fortieth anniversary in 2008, KTN collaborated with Shanghai Media Group's Dragon Television on Moonlight, a drama shown by both broadcasters. Analog service was tested for shutdown in Tsushima on January 24, 2011, before ending throughout the rest of Nagasaki Prefecture on July 24 of that year. KTN's programming history includes long-running local information shows and a substantial news operation. Hello! Nagasaki, launched in 1976, was the station's first daily non-news production and remained on air for fifteen years. Terebi Myuude began in 1995 as a weekday afternoon wide-format program and was described as the first major show of its type produced by a commercial broadcaster in Nagasaki. Yojimaru! became the station's afternoon information program from 2014. KTN later introduced KTN Live News it! in 2019. The station has also used digital subchannels to carry local news with simultaneous Mandarin interpretation. It remains an active prefectural broadcaster headquartered in Nagasaki and affiliated with the Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System.

• 2011

  Analog television service ends

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  Following a Tsushima pilot, analog transmission ended across Nagasaki Prefecture on July 24.

• 2006

  Digital terrestrial broadcasting begins

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  KTN began digital terrestrial television broadcasting on December 1.

• 1996

  Official website launched

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  Television Nagasaki launched its official website in October.

• 1986

  International broadcasting cooperation begins

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  KTN established a cooperation agreement with Shanghai Television, later associated with Shanghai Media Group.

• 1979

  New headquarters completed

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  The station moved into a larger headquarters building completed in February.

• 1976

  Electronic news gathering introduced

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  KTN adopted electronic news-gathering equipment to improve field reporting and network news contributions.

• 1969

  Regular broadcasting begins

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  After test transmissions began on March 9, KTN commenced regular broadcasting on April 1.

• 1968

  Company founded and registered

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  Television Nagasaki held its founding general meeting on March 10 and was registered two days later.

• 1967

  Preliminary broadcasting license granted

  [1]Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org

  The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications approved the consolidated Television Nagasaki proposal on November 14 after several competing groups merged their plans.

A regional Japanese commercial broadcaster combining locally produced news and information programming with content and network services from Fuji Television.

• Local television news · 2019

  KTN Live News it!

  A weekday evening news program introduced in 2019. It presents local Nagasaki reporting within the broader branding and news framework associated with the Fuji News Network, combining regional stories with wider national coverage.

• Regional information program · 2014

  Yojimaru!

  An afternoon information program that has served as one of KTN's principal locally oriented offerings since 2014. Its role is to provide Nagasaki viewers with regional information and entertainment during the daytime schedule.

• Local daily program · 1976

  Hello! Nagasaki

  Television Nagasaki's first daily program produced outside the news department. It began in 1976 and had a fifteen-year run, helping establish KTN's capacity for regular locally originated daytime programming.

• Wide-format information program · 1995

  Terebi Myuude

  A weekday program launched at 5 p.m. in 1995. It was described as the first major wide-format show produced by a commercial television station in Nagasaki Prefecture and represented an expansion of KTN's local information programming.

• Television drama · 2008

  Moonlight

  A drama co-produced by Television Nagasaki and Dragon Television, a Shanghai Media Group service, for KTN's fortieth anniversary in 2008. The program was broadcast by both partner broadcasters and reflected KTN's international programming cooperation.

• 2008Fortieth-anniversary Moonlight co-production

  Japan · China

  For its fortieth anniversary, KTN worked with Shanghai Media Group's Dragon Television on the drama Moonlight.

  Outcome. The drama aired on both broadcasters and extended the station's existing Shanghai cooperation into jointly produced television content.

  Source
• 1970Youth Ship event

  Japan · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Okinawa

  KTN participated in a Youth Ship event connected with the four-hundredth anniversary of the Port of Nagasaki, supporting a maritime and international exchange initiative that visited several East Asian destinations.

  Outcome. The event expanded the station's public and international profile during its early operating years.

  Source

• 2019

  Launch of KTN Live News it!Product launch

  Background

  The station continued to refresh its local news presentation within the Fuji network's contemporary news branding.

  Action taken

  KTN introduced KTN Live News it! for weeknight broadcasting.

  Aftermath

  The program became part of the station's local news offering.

  Source

• 2011

  Completion of analog-to-digital transitionOther

  Background

  Japan's national television transition required broadcasters to end analog terrestrial transmissions.

  Action taken

  After a pilot shutdown in Tsushima on January 24, KTN ended analog transmission across the remainder of Nagasaki Prefecture on July 24.

  Aftermath

  Television Nagasaki became a fully digital terrestrial broadcaster in the prefecture.

  Source

• 2006

  Launch of digital terrestrial televisionOther

  Background

  Japan was transitioning from analog terrestrial television to digital broadcasting.

  Action taken

  KTN began digital terrestrial broadcasting on December 1.

  Aftermath

  The station later participated in the phased shutdown of analog broadcasting, completing the transition in 2011.

  Source

• 1990

  Withdrawal from Nippon Television affiliationStrategy

  Background

  The opening of Nagasaki International Television was expected to create a dedicated Nippon Television affiliate in the prefecture and intensify competition among commercial stations.

  Action taken

  KTN withdrew from its Nippon Television contract on October 1 and prepared to operate primarily within the Fuji network structure.

  Aftermath

  Television Nagasaki became more clearly aligned with Fuji Television, the Fuji News Network and the Fuji Network System.

  Source

1. 1Television Nagasakien.wikipedia.org
2. 2Television Nagasaki official websitektn.co.jp