TV broadcasters to lose analog signal in 2015

The communications ministry, NHK and commercial TV broadcasters approved a proposal Tuesday to end the conversion of digital signals into analog signals for cable TV broadcasters in March 2015, the ministry said.

The proposal is a key part of the action program adopted by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, NHK and the commercial broadcasters at a plenary meeting of their national association for the promotion of terrestrial digital broadcasts.

The ministry plans to maintain the conversion service for the owners of analog-format television sets as a provisional measure after Japan terminates analog-based TV broadcasts completely in July 2011.

Under the schedule, the ministry had been seeking to set a time frame for ending the digital-analog conversion service.

The action plan also encourages TV broadcasters to include a message in the corner of the screen informing viewers that analog broadcasts will end in July 2011, the ministry said.