November 10, 2004

Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications


MIC receives report concerning provisional license for terrestrial digital television broadcasting stations




The MIC received on November 11, 2004, a report from the Radio Regulatory Council (chaired by Prof. YASUDA Yasuhiko, Waseda University) concerning the applications for provisional licenses for terrestrial digital television broadcasting stations that had been made by NHK as well as six commercial broadcasters in Shizuoka Prefecture, Mie Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture. The report stated that it was appropriate to grant the provisional licenses as per the inquiry.

MIC plans to grant the provisional licenses with regard to this matter on November 11, 2004.

With this round of provisional licenses granted, the number of provisional license holders reaches 27 operators for 49 key stations (including relay stations aligned with NHK's key stations for educational broadcasting). Of these 28 stations have already started broadcasting.

For details refer to the Japanese web site
http://www.soumu.go.jp/s-news/2004/041110_4.html

For further information about this press release, please contact:

International Policy Division, International Affairs Department
Telecommunications Bureau
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Tel: (03) 5253-5920 Fax: (03) 5253-5924

Or visit
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html to fill in the inquiry form.