III. Broadcasting Policy:  New Developments





A. Promotion of Broadcasting Industry Policy



In April 1993 the MPT convened a Round-Table Meeting on the Status of

the Broadcasting Industry in the New Age, which engaged in a

multifaceted investigation of the broadcasting industry in general

from the standpoint of operations, with the aim of ensuring its

harmonious development. The ministry is also promoting deregulations

to ensure the development of new broadcast media and the creation of

an environment in which healthy competition can occur.





B. Internationalization of Broadcasting



To promote the international exchange of information through

broadcasting, the MPT has arranged for NHK to take charge of having

international broadcasts made via satellite. The ministry is also

investigating revisions of the Broadcast Law that will allow expansion

of the domestic broadcasting consignment system so that general

broadcasters will be able to direct broadcasting overseas.





C. Diversification of Broadcast Media



During the year, the MPT engaged in

a number of activities to encourage the diversification of broadcast

media. These include (1) the mapping out of the Basic Broadcasting

Plan based on a report of the Radio Regulatory Council on how

satellite broadcasting should proceed when the successor to the

currently used Broadcasting Satellite No. 3 goes into orbit; (2) the

implementation of policies relative to the popularization of

broadcasting via communications satellite; (3) the designation of one

additional city and one additional town as Hi-Vision Regions; (4) the

release of "New Business Promotion Policy for Developing CATV," a

compilation of various promotion measures relative to cable TV; and

(5) overseeing the establishment of five new community broadcasting

stations.



A studio set-up at a community broadcasting station 





D. Broadcast Programming



As of fiscal 1994 the MPT has begun promoting a

Broadcast Programming Materials Usage Advancement Project to make it

easier for broadcast program producers to obtain tapes and other media

with recorded images for use in their programming. The ministry will

also make a grant to the Broadcast Program Center Foundation, which

will use the funds to gather and store written and image information

on broadcast programs and construct a broadcast program information

database. In view of the importance of dealing with

intellectual-property rights issues to ensure the smooth production

and distribution of broadcast programming and other visual software in

January 1993 the MPT called together a Visual Software Intellectual

Property Rights Conference to investigate the relevant issues.





E. Eliminating Bad Reception



Existing efforts to improve reception

include the Project to Eliminate Poor Reception of Commercial TV

Broadcasting and the Project to Eliminate Poor Reception of Commercial

AM Broadcasting. In fiscal 1993 the MPT added the Project to Eliminate

Poor Reception in Urban Areas, as a new facet of its Project for

Minimizing Differentials in Telecommunications Benefits.





F. Digitization of Broadcasting



In May 1993 the MPT established a

Broadcasting Digitization Study Group to conduct a comprehensive

investigation relative to the introduction of digital technology in

all areas of broadcasting. The ministry is also promoting the

development of digital sound broadcasting technology and broadband

television using broadcasting satellites.