The place of DBS in Japan's movement toward the highly advanced information society /

This thesis focuses on the development of the Direct Broadcasting Satellite in Japan under its Kodo Johoka Shakai (Highly Advanced Information Society) policy. The field of new media policies is relatively new but very important in communications studies. The development of new media technologies changes into existing media systems, and profoundly influences economies which are increasingly dependent upon information services.Japan's case is particularly interesting. Relatively little is known about its DBS policy compared to other industrialized countries, even though Japan has already begun to operate DBS under its own version of the "information society", the Kodo Johoka Shakai (Highly Advanced Information Society). The formulation of DBS policy is related to many factors, including space development, research and development, broadcasting, international telecommunications regulations and economic competition both in international and domestic markets. In order to take these factors into consideration, an historical approach and institutional analysis are used in this thesis