Japan Press Weekly

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2014 February 5 - 11 TOP3 [HISTORY]

Hyakuta and Hasegawa pose threat to NHK neutrality: ex-NHK director

A spate of NHK governors’ aberrant speeches is no longer just a matter of the right to freedom of expression but is threatening NHK’s impartiality, said former NHK director Tosaki Kenji to Akahata.

Tosaki pointed out that the Broadcast Act stands by the principle “[t]o ensure freedom of expression through broadcasting by guaranteeing the impartiality, truth and autonomy of broadcasting” in order to maintain broadcasting unaffected by a specific political force.

The NHK code for its Board of Governors requires them to perform in good faith their duties with an awareness of the impartiality of broadcasting. The retired-director stated that the two governors in question, Hyakuta Naoki and Hasegawa Michiko, obviously violated this rule.

He feels that a certain number of right-leaning figures filling the NHK management committee are posing the greatest crisis in the post-war NHK history.

The contents of NHK broadcast programs will not instantly change rightward, but he is anxious about the slow spread of the adverse effects.

Other than NHK management committee members, Prime Minister Abe’s supporters and right-wing ideologists may be assuming programming posts. He fears that if these people increase in strength, they can change the program contents even without exerting direct pressure.

It will be more important than ever for media watchdogs to check program information and the minutes of the Board of Governors meetings, said Tasaki.