Chugoku Broadcasting

What Chugoku Broadcasting does

Chugoku Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (株式会社中国放送, "RCC") is a private commercial broadcasting company headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, and the only combined radio and television broadcaster in Hiroshima Prefecture. Founded in 1950 to serve the Chugoku region, RCC operates as an affiliate of the JNN (Japan News Network) under TBS Holdings, airing syndicated national programming alongside locally produced news, sports, weather, and entertainment content. Its core broadcast products include RCC Television and RCC Radio, supplemented by exclusive local programming franchises for the Hiroshima Carp baseball team (Veryカープ!) and Sanfrecce Hiroshima soccer team (情熱サンフレッチェ).

The company's technology stack combines traditional terrestrial TV and radio broadcast infrastructure with IRAW, a proprietary mobile-first streaming platform (iOS, Android, Web) launched in 2015 that delivers free live and on-demand video content, local news, weather, and lifestyle programming. IRAW encompasses two product surfaces — IRAW PLAY (video-on-demand of original programming and historical archives) and IRAW LIVE (real-time broadcast streaming) — and integrates with an emergency earthquake early warning service operational since April 2008. RCC also operates an ecosystem of supporting services: RCC CLUB membership, RCC Web Shop e-commerce, dedicated sports apps (カーチカチ!), event ticketing, and peace-content initiatives including the "ひろしま戦前の風景" pre-war Hiroshima footage archive.

RCC's revenue model is advertising-led across all three media: TV and radio spot sales to local and national advertisers, plus digital advertising within the free, ad-supported IRAW platform. Ancillary revenue streams include RCC CLUB membership fees, merchandise e-commerce, event/ticketing services, and subsidiary operations (RCC文化センター cultural education, RCCフロンティア production, eRCC digital, SOKO CAFÉ venue). The customer base is the general Hiroshima Prefecture audience, with no individually named enterprise customers and a horizontal segmentation approach serving local viewers across news, sports, weather, entertainment, and emergency-information use cases.

Name

Chugoku Broadcasting

Legal name

株式会社中国放送

Website

https://rcc.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Chugoku Broadcasting (RCC) is a private Hiroshima-based commercial broadcaster operating the prefecture's only combined radio and TV service as a JNN/TBS affiliate, with a proprietary IRAW streaming platform, exclusive local sports rights (Carp, Sanfrecce), and an advertising-led revenue model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National General-Entertainment Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Network/Studio Streaming Channels (MPABAHAG)

Keywords

• Television broadcasting
• Radio broadcasting
• Streaming media
• Local news services
• Sports broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hiroshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. TV Advertising: Television commercial advertising slots sold to local and national advertisers, broadcast as part of the JNN network.
2. Radio Advertising: Radio commercial spots and sponsorship segments aired on RCC radio frequencies.
3. Digital Content (IRAW): Free streaming service funded through advertising and promotional content within the IRAW platform and app.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chugoku Broadcasting (RCC) operates combined television and radio broadcasting services for Hiroshima Prefecture as a JNN-affiliated station, producing local news, sports, weather, drama, and variety programming. The company complements its over-the-air broadcast with IRAW, a proprietary mobile and web streaming platform delivering live and on-demand video content. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising sales on TV, radio, and digital channels.

Product overview

Chugoku Broadcasting (RCC) operates a multi-platform broadcast media business centered on traditional television and radio services (RCC Television and RCC Radio), complemented by its third digital media platform IRAW. The core broadcast products deliver news, sports (Carp baseball, Sanfrecce soccer), drama, variety, and regional programming to Hiroshima Prefecture. IRAW serves as the mobile-first video streaming and content aggregation layer for IRAW PLAY (VOD), IRAW LIVE (livestreaming), local news, weather, and Hiroshima-focused lifestyle content. Supporting services include the RCC CLUB membership, RCC Web Shop e-commerce, the peace content initiative (RCC PEACE), the pre-war Hiroshima archive (ひろしま戦前の風景), environmental projects, and event/ticket services. The portfolio represents a broadcaster transitioning from pure broadcast to an integrated broadcast-digital model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IRAW: RCC's third media platform - a mobile app providing Hiroshima-focused content, video streaming, local news, weather, sports, and event information
• RCCラジオ
• RCCテレビ
• Veryカープ！
• 情熱サンフレッチェ
• ひろしま戦前の風景
• RCC被爆70年プロジェクト
• 海洋ごみ問題ジブンゴト化プロジェクト
• RCC SCHOOL

Products and services

• RCC Television (RCCテレビ) Traditional broadcast television service airing news, sports, drama, variety shows, and regional programming, operating as a JNN-affiliated station covering Hiroshima Prefecture.
• RCC Radio (RCCラジオ) AM and FM radio broadcasting service featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, and music programming with FM conversion broadcasting in Hiroshima Prefecture.
• IRAW by RCC Mobile-first video streaming platform and content aggregator operating as RCC's third media, offering free video-on-demand of TV programs, live streaming, local news, weather, events, and Hiroshima-focused lifestyle content via iOS and Android apps.
• RCC CLUB Fan membership club offering exclusive content, campaign benefits, and event access to RCC viewers and listeners.
• RCC Web Shop E-commerce platform for RCC merchandise and official goods.
• RCC NEWS / Weather and Disaster Information News aggregation and weather forecasting service including emergency disaster information for Hiroshima region.
• Veryカープ! (Carp Baseball Coverage) Comprehensive Hiroshima Carp baseball coverage including game scores, news, and dedicated fan engagement content via the official カーチカチ! app.
• 情熱サンフレッチェ (Sanfrecce Soccer Coverage) Television program dedicated to Hiroshima's professional soccer team Sanfrecce Hiroshima with match coverage and team news.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• JNN (Japan News Network) / TBS HoldingscoreTechnology or IntegrationRCC is an affiliated broadcaster of JNN (Japan News Network), operated under TBS Holdings. This network affiliation enables national news sharing, syndicated programming, and cross-regional broadcast coordination across Japan.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hiroshima Home Television (HOME): Competing commercial TV broadcaster serving Hiroshima Prefecture as an ANN affiliate. Direct overlap in local news, advertising sales, and audience share within RCC's primary market.
• Hiroshima Television (HTV): Hiroshima-based commercial TV station affiliated with NNN/Nippon TV. Competes with RCC for local advertising, ratings, and sports/event rights in the same geographic market.
• TV Shinhiroshima (TSS): FNN/Fuji-affiliated commercial broadcaster in Hiroshima. Direct competitor for local programming, advertising budgets, and digital audience within RCC's core territory.
• Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC): JNN-affiliated regional TV/radio broadcaster serving the Nagoya/Chubu region. Closest structural analog to RCC — same network affiliation (JNN/TBS), combined TV and radio operation, and similar regional broadcast economics.
• Tohoku Broadcasting Company (TBC): JNN-affiliated regional TV/radio broadcaster in Sendai/Miyagi. Comparable operating model: JNN network affiliation, combined radio and TV, regional local programming, and digital extension efforts.
• Hokkaido Broadcasting Corporation (HBC): JNN-affiliated regional broadcaster in Hokkaido. Same network, combined TV/radio structure, similar local sports coverage and regional advertising dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• TBS Holdings: Parent network of JNN, of which RCC is a 'core' affiliate. Provides RCC with national programming and content syndication; represents the network-level incumbent to which RCC's broadcast output is largely connected.
• NHK Hiroshima: Public broadcaster's Hiroshima regional bureau. Operates terrestrial TV and radio in the same market as RCC but with a public-service funding model, competing for audience attention and emergency-information role.

Emerging players

• ABEMA (CyberAgent): Japan-focused OTT streaming platform offering free and premium streaming including news and sports. Competes with IRAW for digital video attention and local advertising demand in Hiroshima.

Regional players

• Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings (ABC): Combined TV/radio broadcaster serving the Kansai region. Same dual-platform (TV + radio) model as RCC and similar JNN/TBS-derived programming, but operating in a different geography (Osaka/Kansai rather than Hiroshima/Chugoku).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rcc_dig
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCExGIeVLm6DBd_dd7AC4L-A
• Facebookfacebook.com/rcctv
• Instagraminstagram.com/rcc_tv_hiroshima
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rcc-broadcasting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chugoku Broadcasting