Yomiuri TV’s “Internal Situation” of “No Need to Correct” Matsumoto Hitoshi and “Cut” “Miyaneya”.

The question was whether to take “Downtown” Hitoshi Matsumoto, the king of comedy, or the station’s signature wide show. The answer seems to be a foregone conclusion.

The answer seems to be “If you look at the contents of the protest letter, I think there are some misunderstandings about the facts. If you watch the program again, I think the misunderstanding will be cleared up. I have decided there is no need to correct it.”

Yozo Matsuda, the newly appointed president of Yomiuri Television, said at a press conference on July 25. When the station’s “Miyaneya” (NTV affiliate, produced by Yomiuri TV) reported a dispute with the Weekly Bunshun side that Hitoshi Matsumoto had forced him to perform sexual acts, lawyer Masahiro Tashiro, who represents Matsumoto, sent a letter of protest to YTV, claiming biased reporting and considering filing a human rights violation complaint with the BPO (Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization). The lawyer said he is considering filing a human rights complaint with the BPO (Broadcasting Policy and Ethics Organization).

However, the president of Yomiuri TV has ruled that the report is not biased, and has refused to correct it or apologize for it.

Yomiuri TV has a long-running variety show, “Downtown DX,” in which Matsumoto was a regular, but he is currently absent. Matsumoto is currently absent, and the show’s crown is still intact, so there is a possibility that he may return depending on the outcome of the trial.

Despite this, President Matsuda made a statement as if he was cutting off Matsumoto’s side, and it appears as if an “all-out war” has broken out.

However, behind the scenes, it seems that there are a variety of agendas at play, including those of the TV stations.

Miyaneya” is a national network produced in Osaka and has the highest sales of all Yomiuri TV stations. It is incomparable to the profits brought in by the weekly “Downtown DX.

The ratings for “Gogosuma” (TBS) are now in a tight race, and it is time to step up to the plate. It would be a shame if our flagship program were to be recognized by the BPO (……).

The situation is not limited to TV stations. The host of the show, Seiji Miyane, has his own personal reasons as well.

Mr. Miyane has recently been saying more and more that he wants to take time off. In fact, there have been times when he has expressed a desire to reduce the five times a week he appears on the program, but he has managed to keep it that way. Recently, he was forced to apologize for a report that he had been smoking on the streets of Korea, and he seems to be mentally exhausted.

If Miyaneya were to be terminated, there is a possibility that Nippon TV would lose the “wide show” slot on the national network during the daytime. If that happens, 50 to 100 staff members could lose their jobs, and the station’s profits could also decrease significantly. Downtown DX was originally outpaced by “News Station” (TV Asahi) in the background, but it still ranks second in viewer ratings. It is viable even without Mr. Matsumoto. Even if we leave the question of sexual coercion to the courts, the image of unfaithfulness is so strong that sponsors may not be willing to welcome it. ……

In other words, Yomiuri TV weighed Matsumoto and Miyane, and chose Miyane.