Another thing to consider is that while this is free for us, it ain't free for UTB. They have to find sponsors to buy the air time.

Before, all they had to buy time for was FujiTV news for an hour every morning followed by the asadora and San-pun cooking (total 6 1/2 hours a week), one hour on Saturday night for the taiga and three hours on Sunday night. That's a total of about 11 hours a week. Mitsuwa, Nijiya, and Cal-Bee potato chips could easily take care of that. Now that they have to air programming every day it's got to be a lot harder for them to find enough sponsors to buy the air time.

gaijinmark wrote:

Another thing to consider is that while this is free for us, it ain't free for UTB. They have to find sponsors to buy the air time. Before, all they had to buy time for was FujiTV news for an hour every morning followed by the asadora and San-pun cooking (total 6 1/2 hours a week), one hour on Saturday night for the taiga and three hours on Sunday night. That's a total of about 11 hours a week. Mitsuwa, Nijiya, and Cal-Bee potato chips could easily take care of that. Now that they have to air programming every day it's got to be a lot harder for them to find enough sponsors to buy the air time.

Ahh, that's true... And explains some of the non-Japanese commercials (lawn equipment, music schools, acting schools, etc.)
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....and they're CONSTANTLY advertising for sales representatives. They're looking for sponsors in a huge way. If they want ideas, they should be looking at 18.3 for ideas. The Korean station seems to be getting a lot of sponsors. Geez! They even have McDonald's in Korean!!!

P.S. Has anyone noticed that in the past two weeks, 18.2 has been off the air TWICE? For a second time today, I missed "Dondo Hare" because the station was offline.

Fulgum wrote:

Has anyone noticed that in the past two weeks, 18.2 has been off the air TWICE? For a second time today, I missed "Dondo Hare" because the station was offline.

I think its been on Tuesday morning both times. I wonder if they're doing some kind of maintenance?

As far as "missing" Dondo Hare goes. That's an asadora, you can not see it for a week and you'll still be able to pick right up where you left off. It took them 5 episodes to get Natsumi and Misaki married!! By about the third episode of the wedding I had turned the sound down and was making rude comments everytime a character opened their mouth.

gaijinmark wrote:

By about the third episode of the wedding I had turned the sound down and was making rude comments everytime a character opened their mouth.

That's great.
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Fulgum wrote:

....and they're CONSTANTLY advertising for sales representatives. They're looking for sponsors in a huge way. If they want ideas, they should be looking at 18.3 for ideas. The Korean station seems to be getting a lot of sponsors. Geez! They even have McDonald's in Korean!!! P.S. Has anyone noticed that in the past two weeks, 18.2 has been off the air TWICE? For a second time today, I missed "Dondo Hare" because the station was offline.

If they would make a deal with TWC to put 18.2 on the cable they would get lots of sponsors.... Even I might sponsor them...
Who wants to sponsor a channel that is available to what I suspect is less than 1% of the area. not on cable and so weak in wattage it barely reaches me if I have my antenna pointed squarely and I mean squarely at the transmission tower and no cars are going by.
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ralphm1999 wrote:

If they would make a deal with TWC to put 18.2 on the cable they would get lots of sponsors.... Even I might sponsor them... Who wants to sponsor a channel that is available to what I suspect is less than 1% of the area. not on cable and so weak in wattage it barely reaches me if I have my antenna pointed squarely and I mean squarely at the transmission tower and no cars are going by.

I heard that is precisely why you do not get 18.2 on any cable/satellite network. The company has to pay for the station to be listed and the demographics for it are so miniscule that it isn't worth the bother. Anyway, it's much more lucrative for them to offer one of the Japanese cable channels because of the high monthly fee. But, really! There's no way in #@*^ that I'm paying $45 or $50 a month for subscription.

FYI....................for those that watch anime, it's just been announced that "Lupin the 3rd" is going to be the next series to air. The fun starts November 11 at 10:00PM.

Fulgum wrote:

FYI....................for those that watch anime, it's just been announced that "Lupin the 3rd" is going to be the next series to air. The fun starts November 11 at 10:00PM.

Wow, finally something new.
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In my eternal quest to receive ch 18.2 I bought my 3rd antenna, a WINEGARD AMPLIFIED LOW PROFILE INDOOR ANTENNA the SS3000 at Frys.
$50.

http://www.frys.com/product/5964154?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

I replaced the bottom stand with a 10ft plastic pipe from home town about $2.

This antenna is designed to pick up reflected signals as well as direct signals.

I attached it to the burglar bars around my balcony (A must for living in the San Fernando Valley). Well strangely so far I'm getting great reception of ch 18.2, I assume it's picking up the bouncing signals from the tall apt buildings around me. I may even get lucky in recording the red/white contest. Even cars going by that were hopeless interference with my other antennas don't seem to faze it.

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ralphm1999 wrote:

I may even get lucky in recording the red/white contest.

Looks like it will be starting @ 6:45 on New Year's Eve.

gaijinmark wrote:

Looks like it will be starting @ 6:45 on New Year's Eve.

The later the better.... The signals are stronger at night and less susceptible to truck and bus interference. I'm still hoping they will show it on both their channels.
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gaijinmark wrote:

Looks like it will be starting @ 6:45 on New Year's Eve.

And same hosts as last year:

Nakama, Nakai to host Kohaku again
Wed, November 4, 2009 (1:20am EST)
This year marks NHK's 60th Kohaku Uta Gassen. For this "memorial Kohaku," the broadcaster revealed on Tuesday that the show's hosts will once again be SMAP Masahiro Nakai (37) and actress Yukie Nakama (30).

This will be the third time that Kohaku is hosted by the "Naka-Naka" combo, after 2006 and 2008. Nakama also served as a host in 2005, making this her fourth time at Kohaku. Nakai, on the other hand, will be hosting for his fourth consecutive year and sixth overall. Except for NHK announcers, no other celebrity has hosted Kohaku as many times as Nakai.

gaijinmark wrote:

And same hosts as last year: Nakama, Nakai to host Kohaku again Wed, November 4, 2009 (1:20am EST) This year marks NHK's 60th Kohaku Uta Gassen. For this "memorial Kohaku," the broadcaster revealed on Tuesday that the show's hosts will once again be SMAP Masahiro Nakai (37) and actress Yukie Nakama (30). This will be the third time that Kohaku is hosted by the "Naka-Naka" combo, after 2006 and 2008. Nakama also served as a host in 2005, making this her fourth time at Kohaku. Nakai, on the other hand, will be hosting for his fourth consecutive year and sixth overall. Except for NHK announcers, no other celebrity has hosted Kohaku as many times as Nakai.

Neither Mai-K nor BoA are listed. How can they expect anyone to watch?
I suppose at least Mika Nakashima will draw some watchers.. and AD must be happy with another Ai Otsuka appearance.

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I was in the southland for a few days and I checked out 18.2. Has it always been NHK World?

dochira wrote:

I was in the southland for a few days and I checked out 18.2. Has it always been NHK World?

I think so. Channel 51.1 shows Fuji Sankei News at 7 am-8am Mon-Fri.

dochira wrote:

I was in the southland for a few days and I checked out 18.2. Has it always been NHK World?

Yup, since they went full digital in April...
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dochira wrote:

I was in the southland for a few days and I checked out 18.2. Has it always been NHK World?

Yea I hate that!! but weeknights its some good programming but im at work so I dont see any of it...
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どんと来い！　−上田次郎

Mr.ChoyBoi wrote:

Yea I hate that!! but weeknights its some good programming but im at work so I dont see any of it...

Dude: DVR.
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If anyone hasn't seen it yet, JIN starts airing on 18.2 starting 3/21 at 9PM...

http://utbhollywood.com/en/drama/jin/index.php
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