By Keiichi Inai
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Nagai Satoru, a chief producer at NHK, accused NHK of bowing to political pressure at a press conference on January 13, 2005. Nagai revealed that workers were forced to edit the TV special "Japan's sexual slavery during World War " that was aired on January 30, 2001. Nagai alleged that on January 29, high-ranking officials of NHK, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa had a special preview of the program and the original 44-minute program was broadcasted as a 40-minute program. The introduction and testimonies from a Chinese sexual victim, an East Timor sexual victim and a Japanese soldier in WW about wartime sexual violence of the Imperial Japanese Army were cut.
Nagai revealed the political intervention at NHK in tears saying, "I will suffer a loss. I have been silent for 4 years because I have a family to support. However, I have a duty to tell the truth." On the other hand, NHK took objection to Nagai and to Asahi Shimbun's handling of the news of NagaiÕs accusation as truth. In addition, Abe criticized Nagai about the accusation and said, "If I met NHK producers and put pressure on them to edit the program, Nagai would have to prove it clearly." He also insisted that the charge is speculation because Nagai used the word "seem" in Nagai's statement that NHK producers "seemed" to be forced to stop the program by Nakagawa.
The feud between NHK, Abe and Nakagawa on the one hand, and Asahi Shimbun on the other, was reported in the mass media, and Abe and Nakagawa eventually admitted there was a meeting about the program. However, we must look at NHK's system as a public broadcaster.
Not only this incident, but other NHK scandals came to light in July of 2004. NHK president Katsuji Ebisawa didn't take measures for the scandals and took criticism from citizens. NHK has weakened the basis of public broadcasting. The rising nonpayment for subscription fees for NHK because of dishonest accounting practices last year rose very rapidly. The nonpayment seems to have stopped after the resignation of Ebisawa. However, he assumed an honorary advisory position at NHK. Citizens became very angry and refusal to pay the fee exceeded 500,000 households. The main purpose of NHK and the government must be in providing fair and unbiased news.
Finally, there is the example of BBC as a public broadcaster. In the BBC subscription fee system, if the viewer doesn't pay about 24,000 yen (121 pounds) per year as a subscription fee, they will be fine about 200,000 yen or be put in prison. On the other hand, the BBC always fights against the government, so there is no political intervention on the TV programs of the BBC. Nagai lost his position at NHK and has asked that NHK be more like the BBC. We must keep an eye on NHK to protect public broadcasting.