BBC Japan was a short-lived subscriptiontelevision channel co-owned byBBC Worldwide andSKY PerfecTV! subsidiary Japan Mediarc that was available viasatellite inJapan. The channel's aim was to showcase the BBC's programming to the Japanese market, but it suffered from financial issues from its co-owner that led to the channel's closure a year later.
The channel was announced by the BBC on 8 October 2004 for a launch on 1 December.[1] The channel launched as planned on that day, broadcast onSky PerfecTV! satellite channel 110.[2] The channel launched with solid figures, with reports at the BBC citing that the audience was mainly Japanese.[3] On 14 June 2005, the channel was added to Online TV Company'sIPTV service.[4]
On 20 March 2006, BBC Worldwide announced that the channel would cease operations in April, citing that financial problems at Japan Mediarc meant they could no longer honour contractual commitments to distribute the network.[5] On 24 April 2006, the closure date of 30 April was announced, and the channel closed as planned on that day.[6]
Being the Japanese counterpart toBBC Prime, BBC Japan aired programmes normally sourced fromBBC Worldwide or the mainstreamBBC archives, as well as third-party content from companies likeGranada Media. With BBC Japan being a commercial network; programs were edited to fit the time slot, meaning a normal hour-long production would be shortened to 42 minutes on the channel.
