TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo was established by the Japan Science Foundation in 1951 and started broadcasting, as Science TV Tokyo Channel 12 Television (科学テレビ東京12チャンネルテレビ, Kagaku Terebi Tōkyō Jūni-channeru Terebi) on April 12, 1964. It took its name from its VHF frequency channel 12. It almost went bankrupt in 1968; on 1 July that year, a limited liability company, Tokyo Channel 12 Production was established with the help of the Nikkei and Mainichi Broadcasting System.

In 1969, the Nikkei and MBS signed a memorandum of understanding which stipulates that Tokyo Channel 12 should share programs with Nihon Educational Television (NET, now TV Asahi). This forms a de facto alliance that lasts until 1975.

Logo of Tokyo Channel 12 (1973-1981)

In October 1977 Tokyo Channel 12 Production was renamed Tokyo Channel 12, Ltd. (株式会社東京12チャンネル, Kabushiki-gaisha Tōkyō Jūni-channeru); and shortened the channel's name to Tokyo Channel 12 (東京12チャンネル, Tōkyō Jūni-channeru), dropping "Science TV" from its name. At the same time, the station moved to Shiba Park. A month later, it became a general-purpose TV station along with NET. On April 1, 1978, Tokyo launched a new production company, Softx.

TV Tokyo logo used between 1981 and 1985. This is the first variation of the テレビ東京 wordmark styling above, which was used between 1981 and 1998 when it was replaced completely with the current logo due to incidents related to an episode of Pokémon. At its final incarnation, the wordmark is accompanied by a red-colored halo with a stylized "チュッ!" below it, placed before the wordmark.

In 1981, it was again renamed, this time to Television Tokyo Channel 12, Ltd. d/b/a TV Tokyo; the current Japanese name of the company was also assumed in the same year.

In 1983, TV Tokyo formed the Mega TON Network (now TX Network) with TV Osaka, and Aichi Television Broadcasting. The company shifted its head offices from Shiba Park to Toranomon in December 1985. On October 4, 1999, Tokyo's production company Softx was renamed TV Tokyo MediaNet. In 2004, TV Tokyo MediaNet was shortened to MediaNet. On June 25, 2004, the company assumed its current English name TV Tokyo Corporation. After the digital transition, the channel began broadcasting on digital channel 7. On November 7, 2016, TV Tokyo moved its headquarters to the new building at Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower from its old studios in Toranomon. The network initially used a Circle 7-style logo to broadcast animated programs. The station mascot is a cartoon banana with eyes, a nose, and a mouth which is bent into a 7, named Nanana (ナナナ).

The network is part of the Japan Consortium, which covers the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.

Signage in former Toranomon headquarters, called the Nikkei Denpa Kaikan

• TV Tokyo Holdings (株式会社テレビ東京ホールディングス)
• BS TV Tokyo (株式会社BSテレビ東京)
• TV Tokyo Production (テレビ東京ブロードバンド株式会社)
• TV Tokyo Music (株式会社テレビ東京ミュージック)
• PROTX (株式会社テレビ東京制作)
• AT-X (株式会社エー・ティー・エックス)
• FM Inter-Wave Inc. (エフエムインターウェーブ株式会社)
• IntaracTV (株式会社インターラクティーヴィ)
• Nikkei CNBC (株式会社日経CNBC)
• TV Tokyo America Inc.
• MediaNet (formerly TV Tokyo MediaNet & Softx)
• Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd. (formerly Shogakukan Productions Co., Ltd.)

Entrance

• Television in Japan
• AT-X

Wikimedia Commons has media related to TV Tokyo.

• Official website - (in Japanese)
  • Corporate Information - (in English)
• TV Tokyo at Anime News Network's encyclopedia