Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) is a privately held regional Japanese TV broadcaster affiliated with Fuji Television Network, serving Hokkaido residents with local news, sports, weather, and entertainment programming. It generates revenue from TV advertising, CM production, municipal data broadcasting services, food service at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, lifelong education, and international content co-productions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersSapporo, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting does
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (UHB) is a privately held Japanese regional terrestrial television broadcaster incorporated on June 24, 1971, and headquartered at 1-5 Nishi 14, Kita 1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. It is the sole FNS (Fuji Television Network) affiliated station serving Hokkaido, having joined the network on April 1, 1972, with Fuji Television Network holding 16.9% equity alongside The Hokkaido Shimbun Press Co., Ltd. (also 16.9%). UHB operates digital terrestrial TV broadcasting across the Hokkaido prefecture, producing local news, sports coverage of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Levanga Hokkaido, weather forecasting, and regional variety programs (みんテレ, いっとこ！みんテレ, 発見！タカトシランド), supplemented by Fuji TV network programming during network time slots.
The company's core technology stack is built on terrestrial digital television broadcasting infrastructure, including a dedicated data broadcasting service (地デジ広報サービス) that delivers real-time municipal government information directly to TV viewers via remote control without requiring internet connectivity, serving all Hokkaido municipalities and reaching TV-only households including elderly populations. UHB has also executed over 10 international co-productions with foreign TV stations since 2013, ranging from government-sponsored tourism promotion to independently funded projects. The company maintains two wholly owned subsidiaries (Top Creation Co., Ltd. and Autec Co., Ltd.) and operates diversified revenue streams.
UHB's business model combines traditional TV advertising (its core revenue stream, contributing the majority of FY2022 revenue of 9,701 million JPY) with diversified monetization across CM production services (script consultation, filming, editing, and broadcast slot placement for local businesses), content licensing and international co-productions, food service via the Yagien Ballpark fast-food restaurant operated jointly with LDH JAPAN at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village (ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO, opened March 30, 2023), lifelong education through UHB University targeting seniors aged 50-90, and data broadcasting PR service fees from Hokkaido municipalities. The company sells advertising against local programming, operates food items priced at 600-1,450 JPY at Yagien Ballpark, and distributes content digitally through TVer, YouTube, SASARU media platform, and a broad social media presence. As of July 2023, UHB employed 157 people with stated capital of 500 million yen.
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting
- Legal name
- Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (北海道文化放送株式会社)
- Website
- https://uhb.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) is a privately held regional Japanese TV broadcaster affiliated with Fuji Television Network, serving Hokkaido residents with local news, sports, weather, and entertainment programming. It generates revenue from TV advertising, CM production, municipal data broadcasting services, food service at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, lifelong education, and international content co-productions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)
Keywords
Where Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sapporo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- TV Broadcasting Advertising: Core broadcasting revenue from television advertising, program sales, and commercial spots during broadcasts.
- CM Production Services: Commercial production services offered to businesses including filming at customer locations or UHB studios, CG processing, editing, BGM, narration, and broadcasting slot coordination.
- Yagien Ballpark Restaurant Operations: Food service revenue from Yagien Ballpark fast food restaurant featuring Hokkaido wagyu beef products at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, operated by North Culture 8 LLP.
- Content Licensing and Co-productions: International program licensing and co-production revenue from partnerships with foreign broadcasters, including governmental and independently funded projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Yagien Box - 1,200 JPY (tax included) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Salt Lemon Wagyu Box - 1,450 JPY (tax included) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shiretoku Beef Onigiri - 600 JPY for 2 pieces |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Clam Chowder - 600 JPY |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cheese Meat Sauce Fries - 750 JPY |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Yagien Wine Sour - 700 JPY |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels12 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) operates a regional terrestrial television broadcasting service in Hokkaido, Japan, affiliated with the Fuji Television Network (FNS). The company produces and broadcasts local news, sports coverage, weather programming, and regional variety shows for Hokkaido viewers. In addition to its core broadcasting operations, UHB offers CM (commercial) production services to local businesses, a municipal data broadcasting PR service, a fast-food restaurant at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village (Yagien Ballpark), and a lifelong learning program (UHB University) for senior residents.
Product overview
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) operates as a regional TV broadcaster affiliated with Fuji Television Network (FNS), offering TV broadcasting services, program production (みんテレ, いっとこ！みんテレ, 発見！タカトシランド), commercial production, and digital PR services. The company has diversified into food service (Yagien Ballpark restaurant), lifelong education (UHB大学 with 250 students), and digital media platforms (SASARU), forming a multi-platform media and entertainment portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UHB大学 (UHB University): A lifelong learning program operated by UHB for seniors (50+), offering general education lectures, elective courses, and cultural activities.
- Yagien Ballpark
Companies that use Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- LDH JAPANflagshipJoint venture partner in North Culture 8 LLP (NorthCulture8.LLP) for Yagien Ballpark restaurant at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village. LDH brings entertainment industry expertise and star power (EXILE SHOKICHI, EXILE NAOTO) while UHB provides media platform and local brand. Co-developed food service concept and merchandise.
- Foreign TV Stations (Multiple Countries)coreOver 10 co-productions with foreign TV stations since 2013. Two types: Government-sponsored projects (Japanese Government funding for international tourism promotion) and independently funded international collaborations. Program catalogue available including HOKKAIDO PRIDE content.
- Fuji Television Network Inc. (CX)coreFNS (Fuji Network System) affiliated station since April 1, 1972. Fuji TV is a major stockholder (16.9% ownership per English page). Provides national program content and network affiliation. UHB broadcasts Fuji TV programs during network time slots while maintaining local programming autonomy.
- The Hokkaido Shimbun Press Co., Ltd.coreMajor stockholder (16.9% ownership per English page) and media partner providing newspaper content synergy and cross-promotion opportunities. Related companies include Air-G' FM Hokkaido and Hokkaido Shimbun HotMedia.
- Top Creation Co., Ltd.minorSubsidiary company handling UHB University lifelong education program operations. Located at [email protected]. Manages course administration, student enrollment, and program scheduling.
- Hokkaido Nippon-Ham FightersflagshipPrimary partner at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village. Yagien Ballpark location inside ES CON FIELD HOKKAIDO. Fighters GM Inaba collaborated on Salt Lemon Wagyu Box menu. Store open on home game days. Partnership enables exclusive food service presence at new stadium.
- EXPG札幌校 (EXILE Professional Gym)minorDance school providing staff for Yagien Ballpark. Student employees staff the restaurant operations, creating youth employment opportunity and entertainment industry connection.
- North Culture 8 LLPflagshipLimited liability partnership (合同会社) jointly established by UHB (President Tsurui Toru) and LDH JAPAN (CEO Mori Masaki) to operate Yagien Ballpark. Manages food service operations, merchandise, and entertainment experiences at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village. Opened March 30, 2023.
- Hokkaido Municipal GovernmentscoreAll municipalities in Hokkaido use UHB's digital terrestrial broadcasting data service for real-time public information. Provides elderly-friendly TV-based government communication without internet requirement. Enables emergency broadcasts and disaster information.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tokai Television Broadcasting (THK): Nagoya-based FNS affiliate with similar mid-sized regional broadcaster profile. Comparable in programming mix and corporate structure to UHB, and commonly grouped as a regional FNS station peer.
- Hokkaido Broadcasting System (HBC): Hokkaido's flagship NNN/NTV-affiliated broadcaster and the largest commercial station in the region. Direct competitor for Hokkaido regional advertising, news, and sports rights (including overlapping coverage of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters).
- Kansai Television (KTV): Osaka-based FNS affiliate with comparable network dependency and regional-broadcaster business model. Useful for benchmarking programming economics and digital diversification strategies across the FNS system.
- Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB): JNN/TBS-affiliated regional broadcaster headquartered in Sapporo. Competitor for Hokkaido news, advertising inventory, and variety programming audiences that overlap with UHB's local programming slate.
- TV Hokkaido (TVh): TXN/TV Tokyo-affiliated broadcaster serving Hokkaido. Competes for the same regional advertising pool and Hokkaido household viewership, with a different programming mix focused on anime and economics content.
- TV Nishinippon (TNC): Fukuoka-based FNS affiliate serving Kyushu. Closely parallels UHB in regional-broadcaster economics and FNS program-slot dependency, with similar exposure to local sports and government information services.
- Sendai Broadcasting (KHB): Sister FNS-affiliated regional broadcaster in the Tohoku region. Closely comparable in scale, structure, and network relationship to UHB, with similar local-news-led programming and a comparable diversified revenue profile.
- Hiroshima Television (HTV): Chugoku-region FNS affiliate. Comparable regional broadcaster in a single-prefecture market with overlapping reliance on FNS network programming and local sports/news rights.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting social profiles
Digital presenceHokkaido Cultural Broadcasting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting
What does Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting do?
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) operates a regional terrestrial television broadcasting service in Hokkaido, Japan, affiliated with the Fuji Television Network (FNS). The company produces and broadcasts local news, sports coverage, weather programming, and regional variety shows for Hokkaido viewers. In addition to its core broadcasting operations, UHB offers CM (commercial) production services to local businesses, a municipal data broadcasting PR service, a fast-food restaurant at Hokkaido Ballpark F Village (Yagien Ballpark), and a lifelong learning program (UHB University) for senior residents.
Is Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting a public or private company?
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting founded?
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting was founded in 1971. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting based?
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting is headquartered in Sapporo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. TV Broadcasting Advertising is the primary driver. The others are CM Production Services, yagien Ballpark Restaurant Operations and content Licensing and Co-productions.
Who are Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tokai Television Broadcasting (THK), Hokkaido Broadcasting System (HBC), Kansai Television (KTV), Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB), TV Hokkaido (TVh), TV Nishinippon (TNC), Sendai Broadcasting (KHB) and Hiroshima Television (HTV).
Does Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting.
What industry is Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.). Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.