Cohabitation” scandal, “teasing” flames… Fuji Television announcer problems abound: “Announcer retirement age of 30” has brought on the situation.
The ripple effect of the “joke” and “teasing” videos.
Fuji Television’s announcements office is in turmoil.
On October 25, Fuji Television’s Chihiro Sugihara (28) and Kenta Yamamoto (26), three terms below her, appeared on the official YouTube channel “Fuji Television Announcer Ch.” They posted a “joke video” denying allegations that they were living together because they live in the same apartment. The two were suspected of living together because they live in the same apartment.
The allegation that the two were living together was sparked when Yamamoto, who came as a guest on the August 29 episode of “Talkies,” confessed that she and Sugihara, the MC, were living in the same apartment.
The studio was in an uproar as if they were a couple of famous actors and actresses in love, but on October 5 Sugihara responded by updating his Instagram. They are just good friends and proper juniors. I’ve been talking about it on Youtube with talkies, so please confirm the fact! (Information program staff member) “In the first place, no one has talked about such a thing.
The two’s words and actions were met with fire on social networking sites, with comments such as, “Don’t act like celebrities without asking,” and “Didn’t they just come up with that rumor on their own? They were even more flamed than that.
Even more flaming was the “teasing” of newcomer Koutaro Kamigaki (23), who was the subject of a “Mezamashi Saturday” broadcast.
In late July, “Mezamashi media” published a video in which Kikue Nishiyama (55), Ryusei Ikuta (36), and freelance announcer Hanako Abe (28) of St. Force teased Uegaki during commercials about his looks, which have attracted attention since he was selected as a weathercaster for “Mezamashi Saturday. Around October 29, the video was spread on X and began to cause a firestorm of criticism, such as “clearly bullying” and “teasing her appearance.
Female announcers in a position of supervision and guidance are
In response, Fuji Television announced on October 31, “We take your comments seriously and will pay more attention to content production in the future,” but Nishiyama and Abe closed the comment section of their Instagram page. The three appeared on “Mezamashi Saturday” on November 2, wearing modest outfits that did not seem out of place on a Saturday morning program, but they did not mention the firestorm until the very end.
Fuji Television’s announcements office continues to be in a state of flux, and the announcer who is in a position to guide and supervise these announcers is Kyoko Sasaki, 51, the head of the announcements office.
She is a talented woman who graduated from the University of Tokyo and has served as the host of “Hodo 2001” and the first assistant of “Tokudane! She has long made her presence felt as an announcer in the news field, which had been the exclusive domain of Yuko Ando (65). However, she has a side of uninhibitedness or laxity, such as when “FRIDAY” (December 3, 2004 issue) reported that she had an affair with another man while she herself was engaged to be married, resulting in the breakup of the relationship.
For example, in the November 1 broadcast of “The Common Ten! SP” on November 1, Sasaki repeatedly used the product name “Band-Aid” to refer to plasters. It was a blunder that could hardly be said of the head of the announcements office. In that sense, it is hard to deny that there is a slight lack of a sense of governance to manage the announcers properly.
A veteran Fuji Television station staffer said that the bad practice of “female announcers retiring at age 30,” which was once taken for granted, may also be a factor.
Announcers in Fuji Television’s Golden Age Retire Early
It is no exaggeration to say that Fuji Television was the originator of the “30-year old retirement age” theory. For many years, female announcers were contract employees, and it was just before the Equal Employment Opportunity Law came into effect that Fuji began hiring full-time female employees in production. Such a corporate culture may have shortened the lives of female announcers.
On the other hand, even Ms. Sasaki, who remained at the station and was active as a veteran announcer, does not seem to be able to manage her subordinates as a general manager. Ms. Nishiyama, who was a leader among the “mama” announcers and was very well-liked, has also fallen under fire this time. The executives at Fuji Television are scratching their heads.
Akiko Yagi (59) and Natsuko Kojima (56) were popular announcers who supported the golden era of Fuji Television in the past. Aya Takashima (45), Yurika Mita (37), and other announcers who were popular, competent, and had good leadership skills left early.
Other stations had executive announcer Yumi Ida (67) at NTV and Junko Toyoda (58), who worked as an announcer until May 2011. TBS had a long history of working with strict leaders like Ms. Miyoko Kikkawa (70). TV Asahi also had its own crowned “Wide! Scramble,” which has its own crown jewel, Yoko Oshita, 54, an announcer. But Fuji Television has been unable to establish a system for training female announcers up to the present.
The following is a report on the many blunders made by female announcers who do not understand the boundary between “goofing around,” “teasing,” and “bullying, One wonders what President Koichi Minato, who is eager to restore the “Fuji TV of variety,” is thinking.
PHOTO: Naoki Shimizu