New JSkyB shareholders. (Softbank, Sony join direct broadcast satellite TV joint venture)(Brief Article)

Broadcasting & Cable, May, 1997 by McCormick, Nicole

News Corp. and Japanese software giant Softbank? the founders of digital DTH venture JSkyB, have announced that terrestrial broadcaster Fuji TV and consumer electronics giant Sony will become equal partners in the planned digital platform. JSkyB has also announced that Hajime Unoki, chair of electronics firm Aiwa, will become executive chair.

Unoki replaces Rupert Murdoch, who will serve as board director. The final stakes of each group have not been decided, according to JSkyB, but it is believed that each partner will own 20%. The remaining 20% is being divvied up among four other local firms: ad agency Dentsu, trading house Marubeni, finance firm Orix Corp. and retailer Hikari Tsushin. JSkyB plans to launch a trial package of six channels from the JCSat-3...

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