Tokyo – June 10 saw the Radio Regulatory Council, advisory body to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) recommend the allocation of licenses to eight companies and organizations, including FOX Japan, when the new BS Digital broadcasts are added Q3-4 2011. A total of 11 channels have been allocated to the new BS Digital, the only free channel among them being The Open University of Japan. The Kids Station channel was also granted, in addition to BS, access to open bandwidth on 110 CS digital broadcasting. Other channels to get newly issues licenses were WOWOW, Star Channel and Animax. President Fox International Channels Asia Ward Platt said, “(This) is the first time a foreign broadcaster (through its Japanese entity) has been awarded a BS license in Japan. The license allows us to begin broadcasting an HD service on the BS satellite/frequency from October 2011.” Platt says the license also allows the channel to be incorporated into the existing Skyperfect e2 DTH service – and to be easily carried on digital cable services across the country. According to press reports, Broadcast Satellite Disney and BBC Worldwide Channels Japan were not allocated licenses in this round of applications.