Fuji Television is the only network that seems to have a “bright future” while other stations are struggling to train their next ace.

NTV announcer Mami Mizuto (37) is in the news for her promotion to a managerial position in the announcements department, effective June 1. Mizuto is currently a chief, but will become a chief specialist in accordance with the newly introduced personnel and labor system. She is the youngest person currently in management at the station.

At a regular press conference held on May 27, President Akira Ishizawa said, “This means that she will be given an evaluation and a rank that is appropriate for her past activities. I hope that she will continue to perform with the vigor and vitality that is unique to her.

Meanwhile, Risa Ozaki, 31, an announcer at the station, updated her Instagram on May 19 and reported that she would be leaving the station at the end of June. She also revealed her intention to raise children and work in her hometown of Fukuoka after leaving the station.

Ozaki, who joined the company in 2003, resembled Mizuto in many ways, including height, visual appeal, cheerful personality, and a big appetite, and was expected to be the “post-Mizuto” announcer. However, the only major job she had was as the MC of “Baguette,” a morning information program that aired from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2010.

In ’19, she married a college classmate and announced the birth of her first child at the end of ’22. She returned to work last October, but as a female announcer at Nippon TV, balancing work and childcare was hard work, and she decided to leave the company. After Ozaki, it has been difficult to find a successor to Mizuto at Nippon TV,” said a reporter in charge of broadcasting.

Nippon TV is suffering from the lack of a “post-Mizuto,” but the situation is similar for other stations, which are also struggling to find a “next ace.

At TBS, as usual, only Ai Eto (38) remains noticeably too busy. TV Asahi’s Ayaka Hironaka (33), who like Mizuto won the annual “Favorite Female Announcer Ranking” for five consecutive years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame, is very active. Although she returned to work after marriage, childbirth, and maternity leave, her workload will certainly decrease in the future.

As is true of commercial broadcasters in general, they tend to use outside freelance announcers for “key positions” such as anchors and MCs for information programs, news programs, and variety shows. Although using local announcers would reduce production costs and develop human resources, the station’s upper management is unable to make a bold decision, and therefore, personnel who can manage major programs are not being developed.

This is why popular announcers from various stations are turning freelance one after another. Under the current situation, it is difficult to nurture ace announcers who will lead the next generation. Perhaps Mizuto-announcers, who know the most about what is happening on the ground, will become managers and begin to reform the situation.

Although its viewer ratings are slower than those of other stations, Fuji Television is doing quite well in the development of its ace announcers.

Until she left the station in April 2004, Ayako Kato, 39, a.k.a. Katopan, reigned as the absolute ace of the channel, but she was mainly involved in variety programs. After going freelance, she became the main anchor of the station’s news program “Live News it! (now Live News it!), a news program at the same station, but was relieved of her duties after three and a half years. She was succeeded by Aimi Miyashi, 32, who has made a name for herself as a sports broadcaster and is now making steady progress as an anchor.

Minami Sakuma (26), who succeeded Miyaji as the main anchor of the Sunday edition of “Suport! and was also selected as the first Olympics anchor for this summer’s Paris Olympics. In addition, her outstanding singing ability was highly evaluated and she made her debut as a singer with the theme song of “Suport! and released a photo book. It seems that the fact that she has been selected for major roles in different fields, such as news and sports, is proving to be a good thing. Yumi Nagashima (32), who is strong in variety and music programs, is still on maternity leave, but we can say that she has a bright future ahead of her.

Will Fuji Television, once known as “the kingdom of female TV announcers,” make a comeback?

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