Television Stations Making Inroads into Regions with Surprising Support from Local Government Sponsors

The program was aired on TV Tokyo on December 3, 2011! A map of a town you don’t know much about” aired on TV Tokyo on December 3, 2010. The content itself was a gourmet food and travel program, which was nothing new, but another aspect of the program caught the attention of TV people.

I was surprised when I saw the sponsor. It was a program sponsored solely by the local government of Betsukai Town in Hokkaido,” said a producer from a key station.

It was not unusual for local stations to have a local government sponsor a program, but it was extremely rare for a key station to have a local government sponsor a program. An advertising agency official pointed out, “It has to do with the difficult kitchen situation at the TV stations.

Key stations are taking a variety of measures, such as introducing the sponsor’s products in the drama, in order to stem the trend away from corporate TV commercials. Local governments are far removed from scandal and are safe and secure as sponsors. If they build a relationship, they may be able to attract further business. For TV stations, they are a welcome addition.

Betsukai Town, the sole sponsor of TV Tokyo, does not have any nationally known tourist attractions, but its hometown tax returns, such as salmon roe and scallops, are popular. The amount of donations in 2010 ranked 12th in Japan.

In the program, Mizuki Nishimura (46) of “Baikingu” and Ryo Tamura (51) of “London Boots No. 1 and No. 2,” known for their love of camping, bought scallops and “An Butter Dorayaki” from a popular cafe in the town. They casually introduced the fact that they were returning tax returns from their hometown.

TV TOKYO will probably change the municipality in the future and make it a series. After Corona, viewers’ desire to visit a city they have never been to before is on the rise.

Admachi Tengoku” has also been making a comeback in recent years! Admektoku Tengoku” seems to be picking up only austere towns these days. It may be that they have already picked up all the major towns, but I am sure it is not unrelated to the trend toward a shift to local areas.

TV TOKYO Direct, which handles mail-order business, signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Ina City in Nagano Prefecture in 2008 with the aim of revitalizing the local community, and TV TOKYO is now focusing on local government business.

TV Tokyo, which has an established reputation for travel and gourmet programs, has the advantage of working together with local governments that are aiming for “regional revitalization. The talent will be able to enjoy local delicacies in their programs, and if all goes well, they may receive other job offers from the local government, which is doubly delicious. It’s a three-way win-win situation for the local station, the talent, and the municipality.

One of the reasons why TV stations are finding a way to take advantage of local governments is the success of the “I’ll Live in Your Town” project, which Yoshimoto Kogyo began in 2011.

The goal is to have comedians from the company live in each of the 47 prefectures and turn them into local stars, but at the same time, we have also had popular national comedians appear on local TV programs. Local governments and local companies were pleased with this, and the pipeline was strengthened and the scope of work expanded. The “Reside Here” project proved that local regions can be a gold mine,” said an ad agency official.

In 2024, programs that spotlight regional areas are likely to increase more and more.

From the January 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY