Aso Broadcasting System

The Aso Broadcasting System is a Japanese television network. It has officially noted itself as the first English-language television network in its country. The station is owned and operated by Kabushiki Gaisha ABS.

History
ABS started broadcasting on the 1st of October 1987. The station launched as the first English-language television network in Japan, to great fanfare from the English-speaking population of Japan. The station started broadcasting on channel 10 in Tokyo.

The station's early programming lineup mostly consisted of subtitled programmes from Nippon Television and TV Asahi. ABS also produced it's own news programmes under the name "ABS N6", and was broadcast across the network nationwide at 6pm on weekdays (hence the "N6" name). This programme became ABS's flagship newscast, and is still airing today.

In 1995, ABS launched ABS Sat1, a BS broadcast satellite channel which acts as the network's main national feed.

The station launched its international outside broadcast satellite service in 1997. ABS claims that the service was launched "to give the world a taste of Japan's most unique entertainment, and news from a Japanese viewpoint, all in the English language". The same year also marked ABS's 10th year of operation.

ABS HD was launched as a 1080i high definition simulcast of ABS's national feed on the 15th of April 2007 as part of the station's 20th anniversary. The service shut down in 2011, when the main ABS television channel started airing in full 1080p HD.

At noon on the 24th of July 2011, ABS ceased analog television transmissions on channel 10, after 24 years of operation. The analog transmitter, along with ABS HD, were taken offline at midnight on that day.

Logos
ABS has used the same logo since its launch in 1987. ABS staff commonly referred to it as the "mountain" owing to its shape. The logo has been updated twice over the years for what ABS deems to be a part of its "more streamlined" branding package.