<figure id="attachment_399159" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-399159" style="width: 3708px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9b167554"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/11/9ddfcb5907ab49ab03a7f2320d2e2091.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-399159" class="wp-caption-text">Fuji TV unable to cover this year&#8217;s Japan Series due to NPB&#8217;s anger</figcaption></figure>
<h2> This is not the only punishment for Fuji Television.</h2>
<p> The troubles between Fuji Television Network and the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) are not going to stop, but are likely to get bigger and bigger.</p>
<p> On October 30, a general newspaper reported that the NPB had confiscated passes from Fuji Television to cover the Japan Series. According to the article, Fuji Television acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast the MLB (Major League Baseball) World Series &#8220;Dodgers-Yankees. It broadcast the game live in the morning (Japan Standard Time), but also broadcast a digest program during the live broadcast of the Japan Series between DeNA and SoftBank on the same night. The NPB was outraged by this, and recalled Fuji TV&#8217;s pass for coverage of the Japan Series. The NPB was so outraged by this that it recalled Fuji TV&#8217;s pass for coverage of the Japan Series and effectively banned it from the broadcast.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> The NPB was furious that Fuji Television had to air a rerun-like program during the same time slot as the Japan Series, the most popular content in Japan&#8217;s professional baseball broadcasts,&#8221; said NPB spokesman Katsunori Kato. The executives felt that Fuji Television was trying to pick a fight with the NPB. In retaliation, they decided to ban Fuji TV from the Japan Series.</span></p>
<p> However, it seems that this was not the end of the story.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The NPB&#8217;s anger has not abated, but has only grown stronger. It is whispered that the ban will not last only for the Japan Series, but will continue until the next season. Fuji Television plans to broadcast the &#8220;Joint Tryouts for 12 Professional Baseball Teams&#8221; on November 14 live on its pay channel. However, as with the Japan Series, the tryouts are hosted by the NPB, not the teams, and there are reports that the passes for these tryouts have also been confiscated, so it is unclear whether they will be televised as scheduled.</span></p>
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<p> The &#8220;joint tryout&#8221; is an opportunity for players who have been suspended by the 12 major professional baseball teams and wish to continue their careers with other teams to show their abilities. The event has been held under the auspices of the NPB since 2001. If a player catches the eye of another team, he or she will have a chance to continue playing for another team, so this is the last chance for players who have been pushed to the brink to survive. The story of not only the players, but also their families, is also a part of the event, and there are even programs that focus on this part of the story.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" So Fuji Television has once again confiscated the pass to cover the event."></div>
<h2>Fuji TV&#8217;s response can be found at &#8230;&#8230;</h2>
<p> However, this will be the last year that the event will be held. In recent years, scouts from each team have observed all games, even farm games, and there are few cases where a player&#8217;s second career is determined by a single pitch at tryouts. It has been decided that the program will be discontinued at the end of this year on the grounds that it has fulfilled a certain role.</p>
<p> Fuji Television has been broadcasting live on CS broadcasts and other media. Is this really true? If so, will it not be broadcast? We contacted Fuji Television&#8217;s public relations department,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> We are not able to provide details about the production of the program.</span></p>
<p> The sports newspaper reporter mentioned above said, &#8220;We are not able to provide details about the production. The sports newspaper reporter mentioned above said, &#8220;It is unlikely that this will be the end of the punishment for Fuji Television.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> The NPB AWARDS, the annual awards ceremony that concludes this year&#8217;s professional baseball season, will be held on November 26. The Rookie of the Year Award, the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), and the achievements of those who have contributed to the development of the baseball world will be announced, but Fuji Television is likely to be banned from the event as well.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> But that is not all. I have heard that there are growing calls within the NPB for Fuji TV to be banned from the event until its coverage of the camps after the new year. If this happens, it will not just be a problem for Fuji TV; the relationship between the NPB and the media could also be called into question.</span></p>
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<p> So how did things get so complicated? A baseball team official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told us the following.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The NPB has been penalized for one penalty committed by the media."></div>
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<h2>It&#8217;s been about a one-year span as an example.</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> There is no doubt that the NPB has been under a lot of stress regarding TV broadcasting of professional baseball games due to the decrease in terrestrial game broadcasts, Otani fever, and other factors. The Fuji TV issue this time is one penalty, but if we give only one penalty for it, the same thing will happen again.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I have heard that there are some people who say, &#8220;We should give a penalty for one penalty for a span of about one year as an example to firmly control the media in the future. Nevertheless, shutting out major media outlets would be a major negative for the NPB. I&#8217;m sure they&#8217;ll reach a deal somewhere, but it&#8217;s very likely that they&#8217;ll drag it out until after the new year.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p> Next season, the Dodgers and Cubs will come to Japan and play their season opener at the Tokyo Dome. The Dodgers will play at Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19, 10 days earlier than the Central and Pacific League openers, but the season opener on the mainland after returning to the U.S. (Japan time) will be on March 28, exactly the same day in Japan and the United States. It is obvious that not only Fuji Television but also other TV stations will be all about Otani, and will have less time to deal with the Central and Pacific League openers.</p>
<p> Will the NPB-Fuji TV fiasco really be over by then?</p>
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 Kyodo News

 The trouble between Fuji Television Network (Fuji TV) and the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is reportedly getting worse. According to a source, "If it is not good, a penalty of about one year may be imposed. What are the details?

NPB’s anger not subsiding…Fuji TV may be banned from broadcasting professional baseball tryouts and MVP award ceremony.

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