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TOKYO -- Wowow, Japan's pioneering satcaster, will supply a channel on Sky Perfect Communications' fiber-optic broadband service, the companies announced Thursday.

The channel will be the same as the current analog web that Wowow beams via satellite, with the monthly fee set at the same $17.80.

Wowow has been supplying a channel to the Sky Perfect satellite platform since Dec. 1. The new deal will strengthen the broadcasters' partnership and boost Sky Perfect's fiber-optic service, which has 20,000 subs.

The Wowow channel broadcasts nearly 200 pics monthly plus entertainment programming that includes foreign TV dramas, concerts, stage shows and sports.

Launched in 1996, Sky Perfect beams 190 TV and 101 radio channels via two communications satellites on its main service, SkyPerfecTV!, to nearly 3.7 million subs.

It also offers a digital satellite service, SkyPerfecTV! 110, a fiber-optic service, SkyPerfecTV! Hikari, and a mobile and broadband service.