Country Japan Picture format 1080i (HD) Owner TV Tokyo | Availability National Founded 1982 | |
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Type Broadcast television network Official website TXN Official Website (Japanese) Callsign meaning JOTX-DTV (TV Tokyo) Network Former callsigns Megalopolis; Tokyo; Osaka; Okayama; Nagoya TV shows Naruto Shippūden, Mr Osomatsu, Yo‑kai Watch, Gintama, Oha Suta | ||
TX Network or TXN is a commercial television network in Japan. The network is affiliated with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun group. The "TX" is taken from TV Tokyo's callsign. It is also known as TV Tokyo Network.
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History
Tokyo 12 Channel almost went into bankruptcy in 1968. At the time, a television production company was established, with two companies, business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Mainichi Broadcasting System having a central role in the investment. At this time, MBS was affiliated to NET TV (now TV Asahi), which carried out a "key station declaration" at the request of Nikkei, in the form of cross-networking with Tokyo 12 Channel and NET, in October 1969. Both channels either signed a network, or launched a co-production program, by, for example, each other to supply the programs from both stations, to strengthen the relationship. However, the relationship involving MBS and Tokyo 12 Channel disappeared on March 31, 1975, when MBS and ABC swapped their affiliations. Tokyo 12 Channel became an independent channel and remained that way until the start of the 80s.
Then, on March 1, 1982, TV Osaka (TVO) became the first affiliate stations of what came to be TV Tokyo's network of stations. The new network was named Mega TON Network. Although "Mega TON" initially stood for "Megalopolis Tokyo-Osaka Network", the "N" also meant Nagoya, to which a third station was planned. TV Aichi (TVA) began broadcasting on September 1, 1983. Also, the "Megalopolis Song Festival" was once broadcast featuring the name of the network.
On October 1, 1985, a fourth station covering Okayama and Kagawa (the Setouchi quasi-Wide Area), named TV Setouchi (TSC), started broadcasting. Because of the expansion, the network changed names on April 1, 1989 to TX Network (TXN). At the same time, TV Tokyo gained the TX abbreviation from the station's calls. Television Hokkaido in Hokkaido and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting in Fukuoka began broadcasting in 1989 and 1991, respectively. The network gained their current shape of six stations.