Asahi Kokusai

Asahi Kokusai (full name; Asahi Kokusai Terebi, known as Asahi International Television in English, and branded on-air as TV Asahi) is an international offspring of the Japanese TV Asahi television network. Asahi Kokusai is owned and operated by Kabushiki Gaisha ABS in partnership with TV Asahi Corporation.
== History ==
The concept of an international TV Asahi channel was first proposed in September 2004. TV Asahi Corporation then looked to its English-language broadcasting partner, Kabushiki Gaisha ABS. The name "Asahi Kokusai Housou Co, Ltd." ("Kokusai" being a Japanese word for "international") was conceived on the 1st of December 2004, and TV Asahi released a statement confirming that Kabushiki Gaisha ABS would launch the channel under the name "TV Asahi Ch." (which would later be reused by TV Asahi for its own domestic paid subscription channel on Sky PerfecTV and Cable) on February 9, 2005.
At 9:00am JST (00:00am midnight UTC) on February 9, 2005, the channel officially launched.
== Operation ==
Asahi Kokusai Housou Co, Ltd. was created by TV Asahi Corporation and Kabushiki Gaisha ABS, and is responsible for overseeing the network's activities. Kabushiki Gaisha ABS, however, owns a controlling stake in the company and is solely responsible for operating the channel.
== Availability ==
Asahi Kokusai is free-to-air in most countries that it serves, alongside the Aso Broadcasting System. The channel is not transmitted in Japan, as TV Asahi Corporation itself already serves the country with both the TV Asahi terrestrial channel, and its BS Asahi satellite service. In addition, English-subtitled TV Asahi programmes are already carried by the Aso Broadcasting System, and its regional affiliates.
== Branding ==
Asahi Kokusai has very similar, and in come cases near identical, branding to its Japanese counterpart.
The channel launched in 2005 with an all-yellow TV Asahi logo with an encircled "ch." to its right. The watermark was positioned in the bottom-right corner during all its programmes.
On June 21, 2011, the channel was rebranded as "Asahi Kokusai", to reinforce its identity as an international broadcaster. From this point, the name was presented as asahi kokusai, all in lowercase letters.
Another rebrand was initiated in 2016, when the 1st of March brought along a name change to the simple term tv asahi, once again entirely in lowercase. The channel also started using the exact same watermark as its Japanese sister station. The company continues to refer to itself and its international channel within corporate communications as "Asahi Kokusai", but now refers to the overseas channel externally as "TV Asahi".
== Use as an overflow channel for ABS ==
After complaints regarding mass-scale cancellations of popular programmes for the Day of Anpanman in 2013, Asahi Kokusai was used as an "overflow" channel, where ABS programming removed due to the DoA Anpanman lockout on ABS is rescheduled to air on Asahi Kokusai, and is aired as it usually would on ABS.
As the DoA was cancelled in 2015, this is no longer the case. Asahi Kokusai is now used in "overflow" conditions when ABS;
* Runs a program for longer than originally scheduled,
* Is presenting a live event that is not usually on the schedule (such as the Music Station Super Live concerts, 24 Hours of Le Mans or a major newscast), or
* Has ceased broadcasting due to technical problems.
When airing ABS programmes, Asahi Kokusai is still branded "as-is" and uses its own on-screen presentation.
Category:Aso Broadcasting System
Category:TV Asahi
Category:Japan
Category:Television Stations in Japan