Fuji TV Faces Long Road Ahead in Regaining Public Trust

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Fuji Television Network (Fuji TV) has revamped its management structure. This clearly indicates the company's commitment to taking responsibility for reforms to prevent a recurrence of problems such as the Nakai sex scandal. In that case, former entertainer Masahiro Nakai was accused of sexual misconduct toward a female Fuji TV employee.

The television company's reorganization represents a positive first step toward the recovery of its reputation. Hopefully, the new system will help restore trust in Fuji TV.

Outline of the Reorganization

On March 27, Fuji TV and its parent company, Fuji Media Holdings (FMH), announced a new executive lineup after their respective board meetings. The number of directors is reduced to speed up decision-making and younger executives will be appointed to the board of directors. Also, going forward, the ratio of female directors will be increased to 30 percent.

*Director and Executive Managing Advisor Hisae Hieda of Fuji Media Holdings.*

Hisashi Hieda was on the board for over four decades, but he stepped down as director and advisor for both companies. He also resigned as a representative of the Fujisankei Communications Group.

Kenji Shimizu will continue as president of Fuji TV and also serve as president of FMH. Shimizu took the helm at Fuji TV in January when former president Koichi Minato resigned in response to the scandal. Commenting on the new corporate structure, Shimizu said, "We will implement highly transparent governance."

Third-party Committee Investigation

A third-party committee of outside lawyers set up in January to investigate the scandal will soon deliver its report.

Shimizu previously said, "In the future, I will continue to implement reforms, without exception, to all systems, culture, and attitudes within the company, aiming to restore trust." Hopefully, he will do what he says. He will need to do everything he can to rehabilitate the company.

Fuji's litany of problems began in December 2024 when a weekly magazine reported that a serious incident had occurred involving Nakai and an unnamed woman in June of 2023. Although Fuji TV executives were aware of the issue after receiving a complaint from the woman, an employee, the company did not respond in a timely fashion. Specifically, the information was not shared with the Compliance Department, and other remedial steps were not taken.

The company was also severely criticized in its role as a broadcaster for the way it disseminated information about the scandal.

*Fuji Media Holdings President Osamu Kanemitsu and Fuji Television President Kenji Shimizu hold a press conference in Tokyo on March 27. (©Sankei by Hideyuki Matsui)*

Remedying Its Shortcomings

Fuji Television established the "Reconstruction and Reform Project Headquarters" within the company. It has been using this entity to consider reforms that would facilitate preventing a recurrence of such incidents.

Improvements to organizational governance, such as strengthening the compliance structure, are being implemented. It goes without saying that the system that is thus created must prove effective.

Newly established compliance guidelines state that when employees attend meals or meetings, respect for the human rights of all participants must be given top priority.

Fuji cannot simply argue that its problem could arise in any company. There are cases where a woman can find herself taken advantage of because the person she is entertaining for business is given deferential treatment and abuses their position. The question now is whether Fuji can become a company that will fully protect those in weaker positions.

Sound organizational governance will be reflected in the creation of high-quality content such as TV programs. The company's future efforts as a broadcasting media company will be closely watched in the days to come.

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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