GONG
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Internet Protocol Television channel. For other meanings, see Gong (disambiguation).
GONG is an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) channel, accessible throughout Europe and North America, entirely dedicated to Anime[1].
GONG sets out to show, via Web, mobile telephony, Video on demand, and streaming media, productions from Japanese studios.
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[edit] Brief history
GONG MEDIA is an Anime/Manga Channel brand www.gonganime.com distributed internationally on new media platforms: Internet and mobile. Was Founded in July 2006 by two childhood friends: André de Semlyen (one of the pioneers of TPS (France) and its kids' channel Teletoon, also behind the French launch of Warner's US cartoon channel Cartoon Network) and Benoît Runel (major player in int'l children television, former TF1 executive, who launched Fox Kids France in 1997 Fox Kids / Jetix) and became Executive VP Programming and Acquisitions at the European HQ in 2000 for Fox Kids Europe / Jetix Europe which belongs to Walt Disney Corp. GONG Media is a UK limited company with offices in London and Paris. GONG’s shareholding structure was reshaped in early 2008 giving Benoit Runel and Andre de Semlyen a majority control and opening up to new investors: Franck Davidovici, Philippe Bouchara, Bertrand Humblot and early partner production company Storiz.
GONG's brand motto is "Anywhere, Anytime, Anime". Its specificities: to broadcast Japanese animation aiming at 15 to 24 years-old core target group (although the audience is in fact much broader going from 12 to 35 years-old)
[edit] Methods of accessing the content
[edit] Video on demand
GONG's content is available on a large number of online and mobile platforms across Europe and United States covering 42 countries and distribution over 500 episodes of High quality Anime. The service is available on ClubInternet, Orange, BT Vision, Joost, Babelgum, TF1 Vision, MSN video, Daily Motion, YouTube, T Mobile, Blinks, Vuze, Hulu.
[edit] Mobile telephony
At a time of widespread 3G usage, GONG is a partner of Orange[2] (in the UK and in Poland), of T-Mobile and others. Programs, and also sounds, images, video clips and wallpapers are available through this service.
[edit] Internet
GONG's website displays videos, games and downloads related to the world of animation. Version 2 is in development and should enable GONG to broadcast from its own website.
[edit] Broadcast media
GONG is positioned in the main broadcast platforms that have emerged on internet over the past months, some of which, after several years of tests, are preparing their general public launch. Thus the founders of Joost (Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, also founders of Kazaa and Skype) and developers of peer to peer, have given GONG the ability to broadcast programs to 36 countries from a single IPTV platform, something made possible only by the internet and not possible on traditional satellite or cable TV. Joost is planned for launch in summer 2007. For now, a million beta testers can already watch GONGtv and select the GONG programs they wish to see.
GONG is also present on the beta version of Babelgum[3], a direct competitor of Joost and on YouTube which now makes it possible for channels to make videos available to visitors and thus complete episodes of series.
