Digital television broadcasts using a new communications satellite got off the ground Friday.
CS Nippon Corp. -- a joint venture between Nippon Television Network Corp., the Yomiuri Shimbun and other business allies -- became the first to use the satellite. It will beam programs such as professional baseball games and financial market information to seven channels.
CS Nippon said it will charge subscribers 900 yen a month for live coverage of every Yomiuri Giants baseball game this season.
Plat-One Corp., a Tokyo-based CS content provider, will handle the uploading of pay-TV programs to the satellite and manage subscriber information for CS Nippon and other broadcasters. The broadcasts will be free until April.