NHK

NHK (日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai; official English name: Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK was founded in 1926, modelled on the BBC of the United Kingdom. NHK evolved from the amalgamation of the three regional broadcasting corporations. This merger and reorganisation was carried out under the auspices of the pre-war Ministry of Communications. NHK’s second radio network began in 1931, and the third radio network (FM) began in 1938. In 1935 NHK began a shortwave radio service for listeners overseas known as ’’‘Radio Japan’’’ until the 1940s. In November 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army nationalised all public news agencies and coordinated their efforts via the Information Liaison Confidential Committee.[citation needed] All published and broadcast news reports became official announcements of the Imperial Army General Headquarters in Tokyo for the duration of World War II. The famous Tokyo Rose wartime programs were broadcasts by NHK. In 1950, three post-war radio rules were enacted including the Broadcast Law (“Hōsō Hō”), replacing the pre-war Radio Telegraph Law. Under this law, NHK started afresh as a special corporation to be supported by its viewers. NHK started General TV in 1950 and its Educational TV in 1959. In 1960, it began broadcasting in colour. In the 1980s, NHK BS TV broadcasts started, and in 1995 NHK launched its international arm, "NHK World TV". In 2000, NHK started satellite digital TV broadcasts, while in 2003, terrestrial digital TV broadcasts came for three megacity areas.