TOKYO / SINGAPORE – 18 October 2013 – MTV Asia, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), today announced the launch of Japan Hits and MTV 81, two 30-minute weekly programs that begin airing outside of Japan, on October 18th and October 20th respectively. MTV 81, an introduction of the best of Japanese music, artists and culture to audiences around the world, is an on-air extension of the existing digital platform. Japan Hits will feature a weekly round-up of the best and latest music hits from Japan. Both programs will not only air on MTV Japan and MTV Asia, but will air across MTV China, MTV Taiwan, MTV Thailand and MTV Vietnam. The programs will progressively be considered for broadcast outside of Asia too. MTV 81 premieres on MTV Asia on Sunday, October 20th at 3pm (WIB), 4pm (SIN/HK/PH), 5pm (MAL), while Japan Hits premieres on MTV Asia on Friday, October 18th at 5.30pm (WIB), 6.30pm (SIN/HK/PH), 7.30pm (MAL).
To celebrate MTV 81’s weekend premiere, MTV Japan has teamed up with Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) to bring fans a Japanese star-studded line-up of actors, directors and musicians with two live broadcasts – the prestigious Green Carpet Ceremony, which was streamed live from Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills Arena yesterday, and J-Culture in the Frame, which streams live exclusively on MTV81.com from 5pm (Japan time) today. At TIFF today, MTV 81 will feature Shoji Kawamori (known for the popular “Macross” flicks) and Tom Kawada of multimedia and design gurus AR3Bros, who will go face-to-face in an exclusive talk session that will highlight the current trends of Japanese film. Additional features include live gigs by Dragonball theme artist, Hironobu Kageyama and One Piece opening theme singer, Hiroshi Kitadani, and babyraids, who will sing the theme for the smash-hit drama series, Amachan.
“We’re very excited that we are taking Japanese music and culture internationally! There is no doubt that Asian music and entertainment cross borders and Japan has often been cited as a cultural hotspot and creative inspiration. That’s why MTV 81 was developed to leverage MTV Japan’s connection to music, fashion and pop culture, whilst offering an internationally focused insider’s point of view on what is shaping the pop culture landscape,” said VIMN Asia’s executive vice president and managing director, Indra Suharjono. “Just as Japanese artists have lent MTV Japan a domestic appeal, the network is now giving local artists the domestic and global spotlight like never before. MTV 81 will certainly be the platform for Japanese artists to acquire a global fan base.”
In collaboration with Dentsu Inc, MTV 81 was first launched as an English-language advertiser-supported digital platform in November 2012, as an increasing number of Japanese artists have gained recognition outside of Japan. MTV 81 serves as a gateway to Japanese pop culture to audiences around the world, giving an insider’s perspective to what is shaping the pop culture landscape in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and other cultural hotspots. The digital platform introduces the latest news, interviews and exclusive live performances of current Japanese artists.
Earlier this month, MTV continued to show momentum on exporting J-pop culture as the network launched J-One, a new channel dedicated to Asian pop culture in France on October 4th. The channel broadcasts the best in Japanese animated programming to audiences across France, as one of the world’s biggest consumer territories of manga animation, second to Japan. It also launched with a range of content including programmes, looking at Japanese culture and trends, game shows, news from the biggest events, reality series including the Shibuhara Girl , the best J-Pop and K-Pop music videos, as well as Japanese MTV Unplugged concerts and award ceremonies such as the Video Music Awards Japan (VMAJs), in partnership with MTV Asia.
MTV 81 Premiere on MTV Asia:
Every Sunday, starting October 20th
3pm (WIB), 4pm (SIN/HK/PH), 5pm (MAL)
MTV 81 Replays on MTV Asia:
Every Monday – 6pm (WIB), 7pm (SIN/HK/PH), 8pm (MAL)
Every Wednesday – 2am (WIB), 3am (SIN/HK/PH), 4am (MAL)
JAPAN HITS Premiere:
Every Friday, starting October 18th
5.30pm (WIB), 6.30pm (SIN/HK/PH), 7.30pm (MAL)
JAPAN HITS Replays:
Every Friday – 5.30pm (WIB), 6.30pm (SIN/HK/PH), 7.30pm (MAL)
Every Wednesday – 1.30am (WIB), 2.30am (SIN/HK/PH), 3.30am (MAL)
About MTV 81:
MTV 81 (www.mtv81.com), operated by MTV Japan since November 2012, is an English-language advertiser-supported digital platform designed to showcase Japanese artists and pop culture to international audiences. MTV 81 offers original content including live performances, artist profiles, news and interviews with those shaping Japanese pop culture and trends. MTV 81 references the international calling code for Japan. MTV 81 was created in collaboration with Dentsu Inc., whose broad portfolio includes some of Japan’s biggest brands.
About MTV JAPAN:
MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV Japan launched on January 1, 2001 as a 24-hour channel offering a mixture of Japanese and international music content. MTV reflects and creates pop culture and connects with its audiences through multi-platforms across television, online and mobile, and is seen in about 7 million cable and satellite households. Outside of the United States, MTV is part of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
Media Contact:
MTV Japan (Tokyo)
Hiroki Hibi, Communications
t: (81) 3 6434 3107
e: hiroki.hibi@vimn.com
Viacom International Media Networks
Adeline Ong, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7240 m: (65) 9366 7323
e: adeline.ong@vimn.com