Trouble for NHK
Some 30 percent of Japan's households have not paid their NHK fees due to a series of recent scandals at NHK, according to The Japan Times: NHK short-wave radio programs to be pared:
NHK said Tuesday it plans to cut its radio programs in Italian, German, Swedish and Malay and shift its emphasis to television programs for its international services. The cut, the first-ever reduction to the number of languages the public broadcaster uses in its programs, will take effect in October 2007. The move comes with a decline in demand for short-wave radio programming as the popularity of TV and the Internet grows, according to NHK.
More than 100 million yen will be saved as a result of the reductions and those funds will be used to increase programs in English.
And why does NHK force NHK World to save money?
In one case, NHK's chief producer for sports coverage embezzled 17.62 million yen over a five-year period by billing the public broadcaster for 242 fictitious trips since 2001.
Then, in July 2004 it was disclosed that a former NHK chief producer in the entertainment field had embezzled tens of millions of yen in programming budgets. The Tokyo District Court sentenced him to five years in prison in March 2006.
It is sad to see a trusted institution collapse due to sloppy management where producers got away with frauds for too long. I still believe NHK makes the best documentaries in Japan, but a lot more needs to be done to reach the level of BBC or other global channels. Anyway, better quality English TV programs about Japan for overseas viewers is ultimately a very good idea. It would also be a good idea to improve the internet services, including podcasting, and there is no reason at all to cut its radio programs in Italian, German, Swedish and Malay, with an increasing number of listeners tuning into NHK Online.
NHK said Tuesday it plans to cut its radio programs in Italian, German, Swedish and Malay and shift its emphasis to television programs for its international services. The cut, the first-ever reduction to the number of languages the public broadcaster uses in its programs, will take effect in October 2007. The move comes with a decline in demand for short-wave radio programming as the popularity of TV and the Internet grows, according to NHK.
More than 100 million yen will be saved as a result of the reductions and those funds will be used to increase programs in English.
And why does NHK force NHK World to save money?
In one case, NHK's chief producer for sports coverage embezzled 17.62 million yen over a five-year period by billing the public broadcaster for 242 fictitious trips since 2001.
Then, in July 2004 it was disclosed that a former NHK chief producer in the entertainment field had embezzled tens of millions of yen in programming budgets. The Tokyo District Court sentenced him to five years in prison in March 2006.
It is sad to see a trusted institution collapse due to sloppy management where producers got away with frauds for too long. I still believe NHK makes the best documentaries in Japan, but a lot more needs to be done to reach the level of BBC or other global channels. Anyway, better quality English TV programs about Japan for overseas viewers is ultimately a very good idea. It would also be a good idea to improve the internet services, including podcasting, and there is no reason at all to cut its radio programs in Italian, German, Swedish and Malay, with an increasing number of listeners tuning into NHK Online.
Comments
Too bad that some languages will be cut. I hope the saving are properly used.
Isn't that always the way it works in corporations - public or private? The guys at the top steal big money (Ken Lay?) and the regular people lose.