Gem (Southeast Asian TV channel)

GEM (formerly known as Sony GEM until 2020) was a pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. This channel was first launched in Vietnam on 1 January 2014[1] and was subsequently rolled out in other countries in Southeast Asia. The channel broadcasts Japanese-language programming with subtitle in local languages.

GEM
Final logo from March 17, 2020 until August 1, 2024
CountrySingapore
Broadcast areaSoutheast Asia
HeadquartersNumber 10, Changi Business Park Central 2 #03-01, Hansapoint @ Changi Business Park, Changi, Singapore
Programming
Language(s)Japanese
English
Mandarin
Cantonese (2015–2021; 2022–2024)
Thai
Indonesian
Malay
Vietnamese (2014–2019)
Picture format1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerKC Global Media Asia
Sister channelsAXN
Animax
ONE
History
Launched1 January 2014; 10 years ago (2014-01-01) (Vietnam)
1 October 2015; 8 years ago (2015-10-01) (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand)
17 March 2020; 4 years ago (2020-03-17) (Singapore and the Philippines)
1 October 2021; 2 years ago (2021-10-01) (Malaysia)
1 September 2022; 23 months ago (2022-09-01) (Hong Kong, relaunch)
Closed1 August 2024; 3 days ago (2024-08-01)
Former namesSony GEM (2014–2020)
Links
Websitehttps://www.gemtvasia.com

On 21 February 2019, the channel closed down in Vietnam due to low audience.

GEM was closed on 1 August 2024 due to low viewers on cable TV, low demand on Japanese TV series as some may not be available outside Japan, and even lack of newer shows, as they shift the focus on their other channels (AXN for English entertainment, Animax for highly-demanded anime series, and ONE for K-drama and K-variety show).[2][3] The last program aired before its shutdown was Shadows House.

References

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  1. ^ Frater, Patrick (21 October 2013). "Sony's GEM to Shine in Vietnam". Variety. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  2. ^ Middleton, Richard (14 May 2024). "Andy Kaplan & George Chien's KC Global to shutter GEM in Japan". TBI Vision. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  3. ^ Antonio Pineda, Rafael (25 July 2024). "KC Global Media Shuts Down GEM TV Channel on August 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
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