Government for the first time to order NHK what to air

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Government for the first time to order NHK what to air

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Suga Yoshihide on October 24 announced that the government will issue an order to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) to give priority to the issue of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals on international radio programs that NHK broadcasts via shortwave.

News media have already expressed its concern over government interference in broadcasting, and dissent is heard even within the ruling parties.

This controversial policy came out from an instruction of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo to cabinet ministers to take measures to solve the abduction issue.

Under the Broadcast Law, the Internal Affairs and Communications minister has the authority to issue an order to NHK on service areas and contents of its international broadcasting programs.

However, successive ministers have showed only a vague outline of contents such as "major government policy" and "government view on international issues" and have never ordered NHK to deal with specific issues. The content of international broadcast has been left up to NHK.

Broadcasting programs on certain topics by order of the minister may lead NHK to become a government propaganda machine.

It is believed that the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry is also considering issuing an order regarding international TV programs.

Government interference with broadcasting runs counter to Article 1 of the Broadcast Law stipulating that the government ensure freedom of expression in broadcast.
- Akahata, October 25, 2006