# Gifu Broadcasting System

Gifu Broadcasting System (岐阜放送株式会社, Gifu Hōsō Kabushiki-gaisha, GBS) is a regional radio and television service serving Gifu prefecture, Japan. Its radio service is an independent AM station and its television service is a member of the JAITS. The station is branded as Gifu Chan (ぎふチャン).

## Capital composition

As of March 31, 2021:$^{:377}$：
| Capital | Value per share | Total number of shares issued | Number of shareholders |
| 3,000,000,000 yen | 5000 yen | 600,000 shares | 100 |
| 股東 | 持股數 | 比例 |
| Gifu Shimbun | 284,460 shares | 47.41% |
| Gifu Prefecture Government | 102,000 shares | 17.00% |
| 16th Bank [ja] | 24,400 shares | 4.06% |
| Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank [ja] | 12,800 shares | 2.13% |
| Chunichi Shimbun | 12,000 shares | 2.00% |
| Gifu City | 10,926 shares | 1.82% |
| Gifu Bank [ja] | 10,000 shares | 1.66% |

## History

The first commercial broadcasting company in Gifu Prefecture was Gifu Broadcasting (GHK), which opened in 1955 (the call sign is JOOF, which is not the same company as the company introduced in this article). However, the company was later renamed Tokai Radio, merged with Kinki Tokai Broadcasting in Mie Prefecture, and was shut down in March 1960.$^{:7}$ After that, Yamada Husband, then president of Gifu Nichichin Shimbun, launched a movement to establish a Gifu prefectural radio station, and held a meeting of sponsors to establish the "Gifu Radio Co., Ltd." on September 20, 1960.$^{:7}$ On October 4 of the same year, Gifu Radio officially applied to obtain a broadcasting license, and cooperated with Ibaraki Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, etc. in a similar situation to petition the Ministry of Postal Affairs.$^{:8}$ On May 9, 1962, the Postal Ministry approved Gifu Prefecture to obtain a broadcasting license. Radio frequency bands used by county radio stations.$^{:9}$ On July 10 of the same year, Gifu Radio Co., Ltd. obtained a preliminary license for this frequency band.$^{:9}$ On September 7, Gifu Radio Co., Ltd. held a founding meeting at the Gifu Nichichi News Agency and was officially established.$^{:10}$ Afterwards, Gifu Radio purchased land in Sogaya in the northwest of Gifu City to use as a signal transmitting station.$^{:10–11}$ At 12:30 on December 4, 1962, Gifu Radio began trial broadcasting.$^{:11}$ After obtaining the official broadcast license on December 15, Gifu Radio officially started broadcasting at 9:30 on December 24.$^{:12}$ In 1963, Gifu Radio completed the third and fourth recording studios.$^{:15}$ On December 24, 1964, Gifu Radio Takayama Broadcasting Bureau began broadcasting programs, symbolizing Gifu Radio’s coverage of the Hida area.$^{:18–19}$ The next year, Gifu Radio opened the Ena Broadcasting Bureau in Ena City, covering the Tono area.$^{:19}$ In January 1968, Gifu Radio changed its company name to Gifu Broadcasting. And on April 1 of the same year, the Gero Hagiwara Broadcasting Bureau was opened, and the broadcast scope was expanded to southern Hida.$^{:20}$
Gifu Radio decided to apply for a television broadcast license the year after it started broadcasting. It initially planned to obtain a broadcast license for VHF channel 7.$^{:15}$ On August 23, 1963, Gifu Radio submitted an application to open a UHF TV channel.$^{:21}$ However, this idea did not become a reality until 1965, when the Postal Ministry agreed to open UHF radio waves for television broadcasting.$^{:22}$ On October 2, 1967, the Postal Ministry issued the first UHF television frequency allocation plan, Gifu being among one of the first 18 regions to obtain UHF frequencies.$^{:23}$ At that time, in addition to Gifu Radio, two other companies in Gifu Prefecture applied for television broadcasting licenses. Later, with the mediation of Saburo Hirano, the then governor of Gifu Prefecture, the three companies agreed to integrate the application. Gifu Broadcasting also increased its capital in order to prepare for broadcasting.$^{:23}$
At 9:00 on July 20, 1968, Gifu Broadcasting began test television broadcasts.$^{:25}$ At 8:50 on August 12 of the same year, Gifu Broadcasting officially started broadcasting its television station. The first program broadcast was Gifu Nichinichi Shimbun News. Gifu Broadcasting thus became Japan's first commercial UHF television station.$^{:26}$ Gifu Broadcasting purchased a piece of land adjacent to the Gifu Nichibana News Agency in Imakomachi, Gifu City in 1977, and started building a new headquarters on November 1, 1979.$^{:29}$ On September 30 of the following year, Gifu Broadcasting's new headquarters was completed. On October 1, Gifu Broadcasting began broadcasting programs from the new headquarters.$^{:31}$
Starting in 1992, Gifu Broadcasting Television has implemented full-day broadcasting from 9am.$^{:34}$ Gifu Broadcasting began broadcasting digital TV on April 1, 2005, and the remote control number was changed to channel 8.$^{:37}$ At the repeated invitation of the Gifu City Government, Gifu Broadcasting moved to Gifu City Tower 43 in front of Gifu Station in 2007, and began broadcasting programs from City Tower 43 on November 11 of the same year.$^{:39–40}$ July 2011 On the 24th, Gifu Broadcasting stopped broadcasting analog TV signals.$^{:42}$ Gifu Broadcasting celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. As part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the broadcast, Gifu Broadcasting held the Marc Chagall exhibition$^{:44–45}$ at the Gifu Prefectural Museum of Art. In June 2020, Gifu Broadcasting opened the news website "Gifu Chan DIGITAL" to provide information to all over Japan Introducing news from Gifu Prefecture.$^{:48–49}$

## Programming

When Gifu Broadcasting started broadcasting radio programs, it broadcast 18 hours of programs every day from 6 a.m., broadcasting eleven 10-minute news bulletins every day, and its own programs made up 10 hours a day.$^{:13}$ In September 1997, Gifu Broadcasting began broadcasting its first nightly information program "LoveLove Wide Gifu TODAY", which was broadcast for 8 years.$^{:36}$ Currently, Gifu Broadcasting's main evening news program is "Gifu Sate!", which has been broadcast since 2019 and is broadcast for 10 minutes every Monday to Friday at 18:15.