Sales 2023: JPY 368.130 billion (€ 2.422 billion)

Overview

Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc. (TBS) includes an extensive news network, radio stations and the liberal daily newspaper Mainichi Shimbun.

An updated, complete company profile will be published shortly.

General Information

Headquarters
5-3-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-8006
Japan
Telephone: 0081 3 3746 1111
website: www.tbsholdings.co.jp/s

Branches of trade: television, newspapers, radio, multimedia
Legal form: Stock Company
Founding year: 1951
Financial year: April 1st – March 31st

Basic economic data (amounts in million yen)

	2024	2023	2022	2021
Revenue	394.309	368.130	358.269	325.682
Profit (ordinary income)	27.653	35.086	30.707	19.233

 

Executives and Directors

• Hiroshi Inoue, Honorary Chairman & Director
• Toshichika Ishihara, Chairman & Director
• Shinji Takeda, President & Representative Director
• Takashi Sasaki, senior managing director
• Toshiaki Kawai, Managing Director
• Tatsuo Sugai, Director
• Akio Tsumura, Director
• Yasushi Yoshida, Director
• Mikio Kokubu, Director
• Ken Sonoda, Director
• Hiroyuki Aiko, Director
• Masashi Nakao, Director
• Hideki Isano, Director
• Shouei Utsuda, Director
• Yutaka Asahina, Director
• Tadashi Ishii, Director
• Keiichi Mimura, Director
• Takafumi Kannari, Standing Statutory Auditor
• Tatsuo Tanaka, Standing Statutory Auditor
• Yasushi Akashi, auditor
• Teisuke Kitayama, auditor
• Mie Fujimoto, auditor

History and Profile

With financial and personnel support from the "Mainichi Shinbun" - Japan's third largest daily newspaper - the radio station "Tokyo Hoso KK" was founded in 1951, which is called "Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc." (TBS) in English. In 1955 TBS also entered the television business, and since 1960 TBS shares have been traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. TBS built up nationwide network systems with other stations, for radio under the name "Japan Radio Network" (JRN), for television under the name "Japan News Network" (JNN). In foreign reporting, TBS TV was an early participant in experiments with satellite transmission. The first attempt at a link from the USA on November 23 (22 US time) 1963 unexpectedly brought a shocking news sensation, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On the Japanese side, in addition to TBS, the public broadcaster NHK and the forerunner of today's private broadcaster TV Asahi were involved in the experiment. In the 1970s, the "Mainichi Shinbun" temporarily ran into financial difficulties and had to give up its direct financial interest in TBS (in 1975 still through 5%). However, a certain level of personnel - and indirectly also financial - ties still exist. In 1994, TBS moved into its new broadcasting center, a 110-meter high-rise building equipped with the latest technology in the Akasaka district of central Tokyo. In 1998, the digital 24-hour news channel "JNN NEWSBIRD" began operations, supplying the channels "Sky PerfectTV!" and "DirecTV".

Since December 2000, "Japan Digital Communications KK", which was set up in 1998 by TBS together with the electronics companies NEC and Matsushita, the trading company Mitsui & Co. and the advertising agency Dentsu, has been broadcasting TBS/JNN television programs under the logo "BS-i" via BS broadcast satellites. In July 2002, the new digital studio "C-TBS" began broadcasting. Six program channels and three data channels are broadcast via communications satellites (CS). TBS is also investigating the possibilities of using broadband technology in a joint project with two other private television stations - "Fuji TV" and "TV Asahi". For this purpose, "Toresola KK" was founded in February 2002 together with other interested companies.

In June 2007, the online retailer Rakuten, Inc. attempted to acquire 20% of TBS's shares. This attempt has been repelled by TBS for the time being. However, Rakuten is sticking to these plans and is preparing for lengthy negotiations with TBS.

At the beginning of 2009, Tokyo Broadcasting System Holding, Inc. was founded, under whose umbrella TBS continues to operate.

management

TBS grew up in the liberal tradition of the "Mainichi Shinbun" and remains true to this basic political stance. Outside of prime time, left-liberal views are also represented, for example in the late-night TV news magazine "News 23" under the direction of the well-known TV commentator Tetsuya Chikushi.

Business segments

print
The "Mainichi Shinbun" celebrated its 150th anniversary in February 2022. Its daily circulation reached an average of 4.001 million copies in 2007 (morning edition only). Since mid-2008, the Mainichi Shimbun has been expanding its English-language online offering.

television and radio
The JNN television network currently includes 28 private television stations in all parts of the country, and the JRN radio network even includes 34 private radio stations nationwide, each including the Tokyo headquarters TBS. JNN has 13 studios or correspondent offices abroad. Eleven of these are on TBS TV, the rest on other JNN partner stations.

TBS has outsourced many of its activities to subsidiaries. The consolidated TBS balance sheet now includes a total of 29 companies. Major subsidiaries are “TBS Service KK” (program distribution, production of audio-visual materials, 100%), “TBS Vision KK” (production and distribution of television programs, 100%), “NichiOn KK” (music production and distribution, 100 %), “TBS Entertainment KK” (planning and production of dramas, entertainment, music and other programs, 100%), “TBS Sports KK” (planning and production of sports programs, 100%), “ACS KK” (design, production and procurement of studio equipment and costumes, 100%), “TBS Radio & Communications KK” (planning and production of radio programs, 100%), “TBS Live KK” (planning and production of infotainment programs, news magazines, scientific and cultural programs, share 100%), “TBS Kaikan KK” (real estate, 100%), “Midoriyama Studio City KK” (operation and management of studios and buildings, 77%).

The foreign distribution subsidiary “Tokyo Broadcasting System International, Inc.” is based in New York.

Current developments

Author(s): Collaboration: Gebhard Hielscher / Daniela Rechenberger