Exploring the Intense Compliance Standards of Television Stations

Amidst the calls for compliance, the much-talked-about drama series, “There’s No Place Like Inappropriate! (TBS), starring Sadawo Abe and written by Kankuro Kudo, has become a hot topic of conversation.

In the drama, the main characters travel back and forth between the Showa period and Reiwa, comparing the culture and lifestyles of those times with those of TV compliance.

In the drama

The drama contains inappropriate dialogue and smoking scenes, but in light of the nature of this drama, which depicts the transition of language, culture, and customs over time, we have dared to use expressions that were used in 1986.

The following is a description of the film.

The scenes in which Abe, the teacher, smokes in the school classroom and on the bus, as well as sexual harassment and prejudiced remarks that would be unthinkable today, appear in the drama. Although this is a big gap for Reiwa’s generation, the scenes that show glimpses of the good parts of the Showa era, which were full of humanity, and that throw a stone at our current way of life, seem to be popular with a wide range of viewers.

In one scene in Reiwa, Koshi Yamamoto, who plays a TV producer, apologizes to the cast for being overly concerned about viewers’ comments while watching a live broadcast on SNS.

In the drama, the TV station’s slapstick antics are made into a gag, but in reality, the drama is conducted under even more “strict” and “thorough” supervision. According to a TV person working for a commercial key station, “It depends on the program,

It depends on the program, but it is true that there are upper management who watch X all the time during live broadcasts. This is because there are viewers who point out mistakes rather than complaints. The advantage of this is that we can quickly check those pointed out and make corrections during the live broadcast.

In some cases, the simultaneous recording is checked immediately to confirm that there were no problems, including wording. In recent years, there is a system in which programs that make corrections properly are evaluated, and the station can immediately see which programs have made corrections and how many times they have been aired. However, since the quality of a program is at stake, we would never intentionally make a mistake. If a mistake is confirmed, the station announcer will correct it and apologize.

He explained the current situation.

If a mistake is confirmed, the station announcer immediately corrects it and apologizes. The reason for the increase in the number of correction scenes compared to a decade ago seems to lie behind the scenes.

When we interview a person in his/her 30s, we try not to mention the person’s gender,” said one of the station announcers. There is no way to ask, “What is your gender?” In addition, the gender they self-identify as may be different from the one they are being asked.

(A TV station official) “There is no limit to the inappropriateness! (A TV station source) “It’s not appropriate! (A TV station official).

Another gray area is the “baldness teasing” that became a topic of conversation when “Shishigashira” appeared in the final of last year’s “M-1 Grand Prix” (TV Asahi). While “bald teasing” in variety shows and between comedian duos is barely common, “bald teasing” is not allowed in information programs.

If you make fun of thinning hair or obesity, you will immediately receive complaints from the audience. The upper management has a very high awareness of such compliance because it affects their own career prospects.

With the advent of smartphones, it is now possible to watch videos of your choice on YouTube, TikTok, etc., in addition to TV.

The term “noisy minority” refers to a group of people who are vocal even if they are in the minority, but I think they are overly concerned about it.

As one person involved with a TV station said, “Some people say that the tightening of compliance makes the programs uninteresting.

However, there is no doubt that the excessive supply of other content on the Internet and elsewhere is causing a serious “shift away from television. Perhaps it is those in the TV industry who are most nostalgic for the Showa era and feel that “the old days were good.” ……