Japan Radio Network (JRN; ) is a Japanese commercial radio network run by TBS Radio in Tokyo, owned by TBS Holdings (which is a part of the major conglomerate Mitsui Group). Established on 2 May 1965, JRN is made up of 34 regional affiliates, including four full-time affiliates and 30 stations that are dual-affiliated with the rival National Radio Network (NRN) as a part of "cross-network" practice in Japan. While the Japan News Network, the television arm of TBS, has an agreement that forbids its affiliates (examples are RKK & MBS) to do news sharing with other stations affiliated with other networks, JRN allows its radio stations to do cross-network programming, mainly, with NRN programs, and other production companies (Including Tuesday Club programs.). Currently, JRN has 4 stations that are only affiliated with the network, which consists of key stations TBS Radio, CBC Radio, RKB Radio, and JRN-only affiliate RBC iRadio.
Out of the 34 regional affiliates, 20 JRN stations are connected with a JNN station (ex. RCC Radio & RCC Television), with some operating the affiliate as a separate radio subsidiary (MBS, CBC, and from 2026 or 2027, MRO Radio, as Hokuriku Broadcasting plans to split the TV and radio entities, making the radio division, owned by a spin-off preparatory company, a subsidiary of the company.), 10 are connected with a Nippon TV (NNN/NNS) affiliate (ex. KRY Radio & KRY Television), 1 as a radio subsidiary of Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (whose TV subsidiary is under ANN, and is a former JNN affiliate), one connected to a dual NNN/NNS & ANN affiliate (Fukui Broadcasting), and two that are operating as a radio-only station (RFC and WBS).
3 JRN-affiliated stations, whose television stations are tied to JNN, are NRN-core stations, with dedicated lines for NRN programs, mostly from Nippon Broadcasting/JOLF. These stations are: RCC in Hiroshima, TBC in Sendai, and SBS in Shizuoka. Also, although NBC Radio Saga is a radio station in Saga Prefecture, it's a subsidiary of Nagasaki Broadcasting, and currently absorbed most of its in-house programming schedule into the main Nagasaki station when the company reorganized in 2021, and made the Saga station a relay station of the company. Elsewhere, Nishinippon Broadcasting (RNC Radio), who was then the default NRN station for the Okayama-Takamatsu market, is the last broadcasting company who joined the JRN on October 1997. That same month of the same year, RSK Sanyo Broadcasting, who serves as the default JRN station in the same market, joined rival NRN, which makes both radio stations serve as the default JRN-NRN cross-network stations in their respective areas, unlike their television counterparts, where they serve both markets (RSK for JNN, RNC for NNN/NNS)
Despite not being a member of the network, Kobe's Radio Kansai (formerly an NRN affiliate), and NRN core station OBC Radio Osaka also airs some JRN programming as a way to boost program sales, and in the case of Radio Osaka, they will air these programs as fellow NRN core stations, ABC and MBS respectively, were airing their own blend of local programming. The late-night JUNK lineup is aired on Radio Kansai, while the BRAND NEW MORNING program is aired on Radio Osaka, as both JRN core stations MBS & ABC all have their local morning radio shows. Interestingly, due to program sales as well, 2 key JRN-only stations air NRN programming that their key affiliates will not air. These stations are CBC Radio in Nagoya, and RKB Radio in Fukuoka.
In addition, all JRN affiliates, excluding Hokkaido (HBC) and Akita (ABS), are in the process of transitioning from AM radio to Wide FM since 2024, with some stations, like KRY in Yamaguchi, RNB FNam in Matsuyama, RAB in Aomori, and Shikoku Broadcasting in Tokushima, are suspending almost all of their AM relays, including their main AM hub, in order to facilitate FM broadcasting during the experimental stage. The transition will last up until 2028, with some abolishing their AM frequencies completely, becoming full-time FM radio broadcasters, while some will keep their AM stations running while shutting down the relays to cut down costs. Due to vast, sparsely populated areas, and also budget concerns in building new FM relay sites, HBC and ABS will remain as the only JRN affiliates who're broadcasting programs on both AM and FM frequencies.
List of affiliates
Stations are listed mostly in Japanese order of prefectures which is mirrored in ISO 3166-2:JP.
External links
- JRN at TBS Radio