January 28, 2008

Report from Telecommunications Council on Arbitration Applications from 11 Cable TV Broadcasters in Chugoku Region pertaining to Agreement on Retransmission

MIC today received a report from the Telecommunications Council (Chair: SHOYAMA Etsuhiko, Chairman of the Board, Hitachi, Ltd.) on the following inquiries of August 31, 2007: Inquiry No. 1180 (arbitration applied from Nihonkai Cable Network Co., Ltd. pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1181 (arbitration applied from Tottori Teletopia Co., Ltd. pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1182 (arbitration applied from Chukai Cable Television System Operator pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1183 (arbitration applied from Tottori Central Cable Broadcasting pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1184 (arbitration applied from Sanin CableVision Co., Ltd. pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1185 (arbitration applied from Izumo Cable Vision Co., Ltd. pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1186 (arbitration applied from Mihara Cable Television pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1187 (arbitration applied from Higashihiroshima Cable Media pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1188 (arbitration applied from Onomichi Cable Television pertaining to agreement on retransmission); Inquiry No. 1189 (arbitration applied from K Vision pertaining to agreement on retransmission); and Inquiry No. 1190 (arbitration applied from Iwakuni Cable Network Corp. pertaining to agreement on retransmission).

1. Background of the deliberation
On May 30, 2007, nine cable TV broadcasters in the Chugoku region (Nihonkai Cable Network Co., Ltd., Tottori Teletopia Co., Ltd., Chukai Cable Television System Operator, Tottori Central Cable Broadcasting, Sanin CableVision Co., Ltd., Izumo Cable Vision Co., Ltd., Mihara Cable Television, Higashihiroshima Cable Media, and Onomichi Cable Television) applied for arbitration of the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications pursuant to Article 13 paragraph 3 of the Cable Television Broadcast Law (Law No. 114 of 1972) pertaining to the agreement on retransmission of terrestrial analog TV broadcasting of TV Setouchi Broadcasting Co., Ltd. operating in Okayama and Kagawa prefectures. On the same day, two cable TV broadcasters in Yamaguchi Prefecture (K Vision and Iwakuni Cable Network Corp.) applied for arbitration of the MIC Minister pursuant to Article 13 paragraph 3 of the Law pertaining to agreement on retransmission of terrestrial analog TV broadcasting of four broadcasters in Hiroshima Prefecture (Hiroshima Home Television Co., Ltd., Shinhiroshima Telecasting Co., Ltd., Hiroshima Telecasting Co., Ltd., and RCC Broadcasting Co., Ltd.).

On August 31, 2007, MIC consulted the Telecommunications Council on the arbitration pursuant to Article 26-2 item (iii3) of the Law. Following its deliberations, the Council today submitted MIC its report.

2. Future schedule
MIC will perform the necessary procedures for arbitration, taking into account the Council report.

+++++++++++++++
For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html

International Policy Division,
International Affairs Department
Telecommunications Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5920 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924