St.GIGA
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WOWOW (1990–2003) | |
Subsidiaries | Studio St.GIGA |
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Website | www.stgiga.co.jp (Archive) |
Satellite Digital Audio Broadcast Co., Ltd. (株式会社衛星デジタル音楽放送,
In 1995, St.GIGA partnered with
St.GIGA is credited as being the world's first digital satellite radio station. The Satellaview has received praise for being ahead of its time, particularly for St.GIGA's method of distributing and broadcasting high-quality audio and recordings. Its music has also inspired other Japanese radio stations and musicians, such as Yoshio Ojima.
History
Broadcast between 11 March 1990 and 28 November 2007, St.GIGA has undergone a number of changes of both carrier satellite and broadcast band. The following is a condensed history of these changes:
- 2 April 1990 – St.GIGA is founded.[2]
- 1990 – St.GIGA began broadcasts on BS-3ch via the BS-2asatellite.
- August 1991 – St.GIGA switched to the BS-3bsatellite, and in September it began broadcasting on BS-5ch.
- 23 April 1995 – Broadcasts begin to the Super Famicom add-on, Satellaview.
- April 1999 – Nintendo withdraws support.
- 30 June 2000 – Last Satellaview broadcast.
- 1 December 2000 – St.GIGA began simultaneous broadcasts on Radio 333ch (Data broadcasting via 633 and 636ch).
- 21 March 2003 – St.GIGA becomes Club COSMO.
- 1 October 2003 – Club COSMO sold to WINJ.
- 2005 – Club COSMO's 5ch broadcasts became analog (31 March) and the switch to 333ch was completed (10 May).
- 2006 – WINJ begins St.GIGA rebroadcasts.
- 28 November 2007 – All affiliated broadcast bands are terminated and the satellite broadcast certificate is revoked.
Origins and early success (1990–1994)
In 1990, the Japanese
In accordance with Yokoi's conception, St.GIGA's broadcasts initially followed no externally fixed (or artificial) timetable. Rather, they were based upon the cyclical motif of a 24-hour "
St.GIGA also broadcast its B-mode audio programming (a series of all classical music broadcasts) over analog broadcasting frequency bands that were shared with its parent, the satellite broadcasting company WOWOW. Highly artistic and experimental, the St.GIGA sound became extremely popular within certain segments of the population, and the station was recognized for its innovative concept, unique vision, and nonstandard methodology.
The initial popularity of the music funded trips by St.GIGA
. St.GIGA was also able to release a number of thematic books including the multi-volume St.GIGA Stylebook, Current of dreams: An introduction St.GIGA programming (Yume no choryu: St.Giga hensei soron) (containing the full text of Yokoi's original concept proposal), and Trends in Dreaming - St.GIGA's Hiroshi Yokoi's General Office (夢の潮流 -St.GIGA編成総論横井宏著 発行所).St. Giga and other satellite radio broadcasters found it hard to attract paying subscribers as Japan's recession made consumer reluctant to invest in the expensive antennas and tuners needed to pick up satellite broadcasts.
Billboard Magazine, July 23, 1994[6]
St.GIGA sold a variety of products ranging from program guides to "sound calendars" to fragrances. The company also released a number of CDs under St.GIGA's own label as well as a variety of foreign labels such as the Hearts of Space, and music by Deep Forest.
Nintendo relationship and Satellaview (1994–2000)
Unlike St. Giga's regular programming, the new data service will feature paid advertising. Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi [said] that Nintendo expects to sell 2 million adapter/cassette packages a year.
Billboard Magazine, July 23, 1994[6]
By 1994, St.GIGA's financial difficulties resulted in the cutting back of "Tide of Sound" broadcasts.[6] The company's portion of the subscription-funded audio broadcasts were to be replaced under subcontract by an all new series of advertising-funded Satellite Data broadcasts, managed under the "rescue" and executive control[7] of Nintendo, St.GIGA's largest shareholder at 19.5%.[6]
Beginning on 23 April 1995, St.GIGA broadcast video-game-related data to owners of the
The broadcast content ranged from video-game-related Satellaview news and specific interest journals such as Game Tiger's big House (ゲーム虎の大穴, Gemu Tora no OoAna) to expansion data for popular Super Famicom games (including, for example,
Due to the rewritability of the cartridges, the fact that "SoundLink" broadcasts were not downloaded to the game cartridges but rather were streamed live during the noon–2 a.m. Super Famicom Hour broadcasting time, and because the broadcast game data have never been rereleased by Nintendo, these games have become extremely rare. The subculture of collectors and enthusiasts that has grown online have exerted much effort engaged in electronic archaeology by extracting old data from heavily rewritten data cartridges in order to faithfully reproduce the games via emulation.[9]
Aside from St.GIGA's "SoundLink" or broadcasts accompanying the transmission of data for its "Soundlink Games" (サウンドリンクゲーム), St.GIGA also broadcast a wealth of information on talk shows and celebrity idols, including a variety show. Broadcast times were fitted to match the schedules of students, and the station's audience demographics shifted radically much to the disappointment of the station's former ambient music fans. Before long the station had ceased transmissions of all "Time & Tide" programs (those featuring
Carrying a "cumulative debt of 8.8 billion yen" as of March 1998, a Reuters report on 21 August 1998 indicated St.GIGA's rejection of Nintendo's debt management proposal as well as the broadcaster's failure to apply for renewal of its governmental satellite license.[11] This resulted in the withdrawal of Nintendo's five executive staff, and the withdrawal of all current and proposed programming plans by Nintendo, Kyocera, and "many content providers", that had been intended for launch in 2000; though Nintendo's 19.7% ownership portfolio remained intact.[7] St.GIGA continued Satellaview broadcasts after this point; however, the company could only broadcast reruns of games previously transmitted as Nintendo had discontinued its supply of new original content as of March 1999. Facing economic difficulties again, St.GIGA discontinued its Satellaview broadcasts on 30 June 2000 in order to return focus to music broadcasts as had been done prior to the Nintendo deal.[7]
Decline and dissolution (2000–2006)
By 2001, St.GIGA was nearly bankrupt and entered into merger talks with WireBee Inc. (株式会社ワイヤービー, Kabushikigaisha Waiyabi) with which it became associated for the remainder of its lifespan.[12][13] St.GIGA was rechristened Club COSMO (クラブコスモ, Kurabukosumo) under the leadership of Shinichi Matsuo (松尾信一). Broadcasts continued until 1 October, when the company was forced to sell its licensing rights to World Independent Networks Japan Inc. (WINJ).[1] WireBee immediately began bankruptcy procedures,[14] and all recording instruments and 241 tapes of nature sounds were auctioned off at open market for a total divided sale price of ¥5 million. Discussions concerning Club COSMO's involvement under WINJ's oversight in a new reality show were circulated briefly at this time, however to date no such show has been produced.[citation needed]
In 2006, WINJ began broadcasting reruns of St.GIGA's original "Tide of Sound" and "Time & Tide" broadcasts during a 2–4 p.m. time slot; however, on 1 November of the same year, these broadcasts were suspended on the pretext of broadcasting equipment maintenance. The program was scheduled to resume in the 2007 fiscal year. However, on 14 November 2007, Hiroya Masuda the Minister of Internal Affairs revoked the broadcasting certificate under Act 54 of Article 24 of the Japanese General Broadcasting Statute.[15]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b "どうした?どうなる?WINJ [メディア情報]". Radio Nikkei (in Japanese). Nikkei. 1 October 2006. Archived from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "BSラジオ放送のセント・ギガ、民事再生法申請". Nikkei News Media. Nikkei, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 July 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "BSラジオ放送のセント・ギガ、民事再生法申請". Nikkei News Media. Nikkei, Inc. Archived from the original on 26 July 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ ISBN 2-84162-048-4
- Am. U. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y273, 289, 295-7 (1992).
- ^ a b c d e McClure, Steve (23 July 1994). "Japan's St. Giga to Broadcast Nintendo Games". Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Billboard. pp. 78–84. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ a b c "Nintendo Drops Satellite Plan, Video-Game Company Halts Plan To Deliver Games Directly To Homes". CNN. WarnerMedia. 21 August 1998. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- Future Publishing. Next Generation. May 1995. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ a b Kemps, Heidi (9 September 2015). "Nintendo's Forgotten Console". Vice. Vice Media. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- Future Publishing. Retro Gamer. March 2011. pp. 82–83. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ IGN Staff (21 August 1998). "Giga Bites the Dust". IGN. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "St.GIGA,民事再生手続きが終了,ディジタルBS放送専業で再出発". Nikkei News Media. Nikkei, Inc. 10 June 2002. Archived from the original on 19 June 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "ワイヤービー、セント・ギガを子会社化――ワンコンテンツ・マルチユースによるストリーミング配信を展開". ASCII (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. 9 May 2002. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ Tadayuki, Mitani 2-4(2)160 衛星デジタル音楽放送(株) Archived 25 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Mitani Tadayuki Law Office. 18 January 2010.
- ^ Iwanaga, Shinichi (13 September 2007). "メディアの興亡 / BSラジオ局WIN-Jに総務省が引導?". ITmedia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2020.