GEM TV, the All-Asian entertainment channel of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Asia, has been revamped as an All-Japanese entertainment channel last Sunday, Anime Pilipinas has learned.
The newly-revamped programming is in effect in all territories where the channel is available, except for Vietnam where GEM TV is an All-Chinese entertainment channel.
The channel’s programming revamp effectively removes All non-Japanese content on the channel, including ongoing Chinese dramas and Korean reality shows, and replaced by additional shows, primarily from Nippon TV.
The channel highlights that they will be airing more dramas, possibly within the same time frame as Japan, as well as popular variety shows and anime programming.
GEM TV was launched as an All-Asian entertainment channel in Vietnam in January 1, 2014, primarily airing Chinese and Korean content. The channel is SPE Asia’s third Asian content channel, following the Japanese anime channel ANIMAX Asia and Korean entertainment channel ONE.
The channel was expanded to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia in October the following year, where it became a joint-venture between Sony Pictures Television and Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV.
Singapore and the Philippines has been added on the channel’s regions in June 2016.
With the exemption of Vietnam, GEM TV was mostly airing Japanese content from Nippon TV with a mix of Chinese dramas and Korean reality shows.
The channel has aired Japanese dramas like Pretty Proofreader, Overprotected Kahoko and the 2015 TV drama adaptation of Death Note, as well as variety shows like The Quest and Tokuson Life Hacks.
The channel also aired live broadcast of NTV’s annual musical event The Music Day, which happens every July.
