U Sat

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U Sat (styled U SAT) was an Ishigakian subscription television platform operated by United Ishigaki Satellite Television Holdings K.K. between 2000 and 2009.

History[edit | edit source]

In September 1998, the Ishigakian government conceded bids for a second satellite operator. The companies that bid for it were:

  • Comtam
  • United Ishigaki Satellite Television Holdings
  • SA Television

UISTH won the license and U Sat started operations on September 13, 2000. However, before it started operations, and due to measures initiated by its competitor (ISB), Comtam and SA had to be part of the ownership structure. The company aimed for a basic package of 60 channels, however, it launched with less than half.

The initial benchmark for the end of 2000 was to attain 500.000 subscribers, but the initial ideologies were perceived as "megalomaniacal" by its competitor ISB and the cable operators. The year ended with only 260.000 subscribers nationwide - a sharp contrast to the initial plan.

Bankruptcy and shutdown[edit | edit source]

In 2007, Comtam left U Sat's corporate structure. They said that investing in the Ishigakian market was "a risk" and its channels were forcibly removed from the platform. This came in after Comtam rejected a plan to open a subscription television operator in Lenapore, after losing the bid to Lentel.

The number of subscribers dropped from 1.2 million to at least 400 thousand, losing two thirds of its subscriber base.

Finally in 2009, U Sat shut down its operations after a nine-year operation. Subscribers were believed to be 200 thousand at closing time.

Channels[edit | edit source]

At launch, U Sat offered the following channels:

  • U Prime - a general entertainment channel featuring local content, reruns of ITV's Terebi Gabayuki and programming from XTN
  • U Sports

At closing time, U Sat's own channels were:

  • U One (formerly U Prime)
  • U Two
  • U Movies
  • U Movies Prime
  • U I-Pops: at closing time, U I-Pops was the most-successful channel U Sat had. Upon U Sat's closure in 2009, its staff moved to other channels, with special notoriety for the local branch of Space Shower TV.