Japan Cabel Television, or JCTV, is a licensed CATV operator under the Japanese Cable Television Law, enacted in 1974. It is rather unique in that it, alone among cable television operators, is permitted to lease its cable network from Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NTT); the ministry of Post & Telecommunication (MPT) generally requires cable operators to own their own networks, although the law does not make such a stipulation. Such freedom from vast capital investment is one of the major factors behind JCTV's success.
JCTV was established in 1971, funded mainly by the Asahi Shimbun group, in order to supply an English-language channel to closed circuit systems of Tokyo's most prestigious hotels. At that time it was practically impossible for various regulatory reasons to build a new cable network, especially in Tokyo; leasing its cables from NTT made JCTV viable.
In 1974 JCTV embarked upon a new venue, so-called "mansion network" broadcasts to individual Tokyo subscribers. Due to the high monthly charge, however, this service was mainly limited to foreign businesses. While JCTV charged its subscribers Y3,000 per month, subscribers were forced to pay an average of Y100,000 monthly to NTT to maintain their line. Even with such exorbitant fees, JCTV managed to gain 5,000 new subscribers by the mid 1980's.
In 1982 JCTV formed a partnership with Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) of Atlanta, Georgia (USA) and began a systematic program exchange. A direct satellite link established in 1984 not only added programs from CNN (Cable News Network) to JCTV programming but allowed JCTV to supply CNN 24 hours a day as an alternative service available on subscribers' request. In addition, JCTV produced a Japanese version of "Daywatch" and similar programming for Asahi National Broadcasting Company, Ltd.(ANB), one od the four nation-wide private TV network organizers in Japan and a major JCTV shareholder. ANB, in turn, began selling these programs to its local network operators.