Direct broadcast satellites in Japan: A case study in government-business partnerships

The following case study examines government-business partnerships in the planning and implementation of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) communications in Japan. The country's decision to launch the world's first DBS system demonstrated a national commitment to advance the cause of a highly sophisticated technology. For Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications DBS was clearly a high-profile project that would invite both national and international attention. Less clear were the unintended consequences that would result from planning a new system of broadcast communication that involved balancing the unique requirements of a non-profit corporation in the form of NHK and Japan's five major commercial broadcasters.