TV Asahi’s Major Cost Reduction Due to Johnny’s Sexual Abuse Sparks Concerns Amid Increased Focus on Senior Content

“‘Sunday Station’ used in-house announcers, so while hiring Yumiko Udo will increase costs, it seems the savings from the weekend mornings have been redirected there. Originally, ‘Sunday Station’ often achieved the second highest average household ratings in the same time slot among private key stations, after TBS’s ‘Sunday Theater,’ so the aim with Udo’s appointment seems to be to boost those numbers” (TV network insider).

TV Asahi has solidified its morning and evening time slots with news programs, but there are concerns about a certain issue.

“Program creation is heavily influenced by Chairman Hiroshi Hayakawa (80), who has long been at the top and is known as the emperor of TV Asahi. Under Hayakawa’s direction, entertainment content in information programs is extremely limited, with ‘Good! Morning’ being an exception. The weekday morning program ‘Morning Show’ focuses heavily on politics and social issues, and ‘Wide! Scramble’ adds international affairs and British royal news, resulting in a very rigid program structure.

However, this approach only attracts middle-aged and older viewers, particularly neglecting housewives during the daytime. The network has not been able to attract core viewers aged 13 to 49 throughout the day. Even with Yumiko Udo’s appointment, it’s unlikely to increase younger viewers, and the network may further shift towards an ‘NHK-like’ image, which is already seen as targeting older audiences. As long as Hayakawa’s regime continues, this policy is unlikely to change” (previously mentioned broadcasting department reporter).

Although TV Asahi is competing with NTV for the top spot in household ratings, its revenue suggests it’s lagging behind, often trailing ‘when you look back, it’s TV Tokyo.’ With the current viewership primarily comprising middle-aged and older individuals, the shift towards an ‘NHK-like’ approach may be beneficial for viewers, but it might not be advantageous for TV Asahi.

 

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