Independent Broadcasting System

The Independent Broadcasting System (Chinese: 獨立廣播電視集團; pinyin: Dúlì Guǎngbò Diànshì Jítuán) is a Tsengian mass media company that owns television and radio stations. It is the largest property of IBS Limited, part of the media conglomerate Asia Media Company.

Founded in its current form in 1980 while being led by businessman and politician Andries Yi, in 1983 its networks TV0, Tseng 4 and Network 6 launched nationwide, ending the Tseng Broadcasting System's monopoly on broadcast television. The success of IBS in Tseng led Yi to expand his media empire outside Tseng, including to other countries in the and.

The company is headquartered in Hillsborough. Most of its production facilities are located in Hillsborough's Gongshan District, where the original Independent Television and Radio Corporation was formerly based.

The beginnings (1969–1980)
On October 17, 1969, businessman Andries Yi founded the Independent Television and Radio Corporation to have better control of his television station TV-0, broadcasting on VHF channel 0 in the Tseng City-Capital area, and his radio station Radio Gongshan, which were established as Tseng Broadcasting System affiliates and under governmental surveillance. However, Yi was critical of TBS' monopoly on television and radio and their and the Tsengian government's frequent attempts to block nationwide independent broadcasting.

In 1972, Yi severed Radio Gongshan's partnership with TBS, and he and several business partners began acquiring licenses to set up a network of private transmitters across Tseng, breaking TBS' monopoly on radio. Many young Tsengians, caught up in the sociopolitical "good times" of the Wanxia Miracle, began tuning in to Radio Gongshan en masse to listen to music not played often by the TBS radio stations.

In 1974, Yi and his partners created the ITRC Circuit, a informal grouping of independent local television stations including TV-0, which set out to compete with TBS.

Formation of IBS and Yi's lobbying (1980-1983)
On May 1, 1980, Yi renamed the Independent Television and Radio Corporation to the Independent Broadcasting System. He began lobbying the government for his own television licenses.

IBS' TV networks' launches and rise (1983-1989)
On February 13, 1983, TV0 began broadcasting nationwide with coverage of the Tseng City celebrations. Viewers across the country were greeted by Andries Yi, who told audiences "Today, television in Tseng has a new voice." That same day, IBS also launched the fully-nationwide Tseng 4, headed by Alan Cheng-Gui, a business partner of Yi in ITRC and IBS. TV0 had a more "family" audience and focused on competing with TBS-1, while Tseng 4 focused on a more "youthful" audience. Later that year on September 22, 1983, Network 6, IBS' third network and second nationwide network, launched with coverage of Tseng City's celebrations.

Within two years of their launches, Tseng 4 and TV0 became the second and third-highest rated TV channels in Tseng behind TBS-1, knocking TBS-2 to fourth place. This was due to the unique programming strategies of the three IBS networks, especially Tseng 4 and TV0. Tseng 4's focus on a youthful audience included the popular Saturday morning children's show Saturday Hello!, which broadcast a mix of Tsengdonghua, anime and Western cartoons, and had a ratings battle with TBS-1's Sima's Garden known as the "Battle of Saturday Morning", as well as exclusive coverage of several foreign sports leagues. IBS also broadcast domestic sports as well, and in 1988, the IBS was shot into the spotlight after it signed a 12-year deal to the broadcast rights for Tsengian Basketball Association (TBA) matches starting in the 1988-89 season. In 2009, the two renewed their contract, extending it until 2028.

Cemented as major network (1989-2001)
By 1989, the IBS had become one of the major networks in Tseng.