How Will the New NHK President Turn Around a Public TV in Crisis?

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Japan Broadcasting Corporation, better known as NHK, has announced that vice president Tatsuhiko Inoue will be promoted to president. Inoue previously served as head of the public broadcaster's political news division. His new position becomes effective in January 2026.

NHK has frequently been criticized for its lax organizational governance, which has been dependent on reception fee revenue. Reform on that score is still underway.

As the first new president chosen from within the company in 18 years, Inoue will be heavily scrutinized on how thoroughly he can reform the sprawling organization.

Revenue is Not the Only Issue

NHK Board of Governors chairman Nobuyuki Koga addressed the reason for his selection, stating, "[Inoue] has a strong sense about the urgent issue of how to go about restoring revenue."

While it may be a priority, securing immediate earnings is not the most pressing problem. Still, there is no denying that NHK's business situation is harsh. Reception fees were slashed by 10% in 2023, which is certainly one factor, but they are still not inexpensive.

*The NHK Broadcast Center in Shibuya, Tokyo.*

Currently, a terrestrial broadcasting contract costs about ¥1,000 JPY ($6.45 USD) per month. If satellite broadcasting is included, the monthly charge doubles to about ¥2,000 ($12.90).

Importantly, NHK management will not gain public acceptance if it wavers on much-needed reforms for its own convenience or logic. It must demonstrate fair broadcasting and concurrently reform the organizational management if it is to gain the trust of viewers.

Fixing Unfair Broadcasting

In 2004, NHK was enmeshed in a series of scandals, including the embezzlement of production costs. Behind it was an organizational structure that relied on revenue from reception fees. That led to a lack of cost consciousness and morality. Subsequently, six consecutive outsiders were appointed as president, based on the belief that it would be difficult for company insiders to implement drastic reforms.

Organizational bloating is part of the problem, including at group subsidiaries. The Board of Audit has pointed out that some subsidiaries enjoy a large budget surplus. Allocating a portion of this surplus to NHK itself could potentially reduce the burden on viewers. However, reforms along these lines have been insufficient.

Public service broadcasting, including in the case of natural disasters, is one of NHK's major and important roles. However, other programs have been criticized as unbalanced, including programs portraying Japan in a particularly negative light.

*NHK president Nobuo Inaba answers reporters' questions about its Chinese broadcast problem at the LDP headquarters in Nagatacho, Tokyo on August 22, 2024.*

Deal With Scandalous Reporting In the Open

Even recently, there have been flagrant cases that seriously damaged trust in NHK's reporting. One example is a program about the Hashima coal mine in Nagasaki City, commonly known as "Gunkanjima." The program used footage known to be from another site and era to malign the Hashima mine. Moreover, although NHK's current president, Nobuo Inaba, apologized for damaging the reputation of former Gunkanjima residents, NHK itself did not bother to report his apology.

Another scandal involved a Chinese national staff member who outrageously hijacked an international radio broadcast. In a program on the Senkaku Islands, he made false, unscripted remarks, including referring to them as "Chinese territory."

Current president Nobuo Inaba admitted that if NHK were a normal company, allowing such an outrage would be "directly linked to the survival of the company." His remark aside, one wonders whether the departments responsible for these and other scandals share his sense of crisis.

NHK has also begun simultaneous online streaming of broadcast programs. Now more than ever, reforms to ensure proper organizational management and fair broadcasting are essential.

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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