Female Announcers’ True Popularity Revealed by Potential Viewer Ratings

Amidst the ongoing era of fierce competition among talented female announcers, surviving as an announcer without achieving good ratings on programs is difficult. Each television station, troubled over who to select, uses “potential viewer ratings” as a criterion for selection.

“Potential viewer ratings are calculated based on past viewer rating data and surveys of viewers, estimating the numbers expected when talents appear on programs. Even in the case of female announcers, the data generated by each announcer is quantified. When hiring freelance announcers, these ratings are also used as a reference for calculating fees,” explained a senior advertising agency official.

This time, FRIDAY obtained exclusive data on potential viewer ratings created by a major television station. Based on numbers targeting core demographics (males and females aged 13-49) surveyed from May ’23 to May ’24, we created a ranking of 30 top freelance announcers from each station’s aces to big names. Let’s reveal the true popularity of these popular female announcers.

Claiming the top spot with a lead of approximately one point over second place is Miura Asami (37) from Nippon TV.

“With her now acquiring fame that extends beyond the confines of a station announcer, she’s undoubtedly poised to take the top spot. Whether it’s hosting variety shows, narrating, or delivering news scripts, she excels in every role. In a personnel announcement dated June 1st, she was unusually promoted three ranks to Chief Specialist. Her annual income is rumored to be around 30 million yen, reflecting upper management’s desire to retain her as she remains highly sought after.” (Source: Nippon TV insider)

Challenging that absolute queen at second place is Nippon TV’s Iwata Erina (28). Commentator on female announcers, Maruyama Daijiro, analyzes.

“Iwata excels in her role as an assistant. On ‘Sekai Marumie! Terebi Tokusôbu’ (Nippon TV), she supports veteran figures like Beat Takeshi and George Tokoro, and on ‘Shuichi’ (Nippon TV), she adeptly assists Hideyuki Nakayama. Her ability to contribute to high viewer ratings on programs featuring senior figures has likely propelled her to second place.”

Following closely behind the top two from the third position is TBS’s ace announcer, Tamura Mako (28).

“She’s helped elevate ‘Love It!’ on TBS, once considered short-lived, to its current status alongside Akira Kawashima of ‘Kirin.’ As an MC for prime-time programs that garner strong ratings, it’s only natural for her ranking to be high. In recent years, TBS has lamented the shortage of announcer talent, making Tamura an indispensable presence.” (Key station programming executive)

Regarding Fuji TV’s Inoue Seika (29), who ranked fourth following Tamura, TBS’s ace announcer, commentator Maruyama commented, “She’s finally gaining recognition.

“In 2021, she was selected as the eighth main caster of ‘Mezamashi TV’ (Fuji TV), clearly expected as Fuji’s ace for a long time. However, she was overshadowed by peers like Akiko Kuji (29) of the same generation, who was in her prime with photo books published, and Ayaka Hironaka (33) of TV Asahi, who was active. However, she began to gain recognition after taking charge of ‘Honmadekka!? TV’ (Fuji TV), demonstrating a strong, straightforward character and high adaptability when co-starring with prominent figures, resonating with viewers.”