Former TV Tokyo Producer Discusses Growing Trend in TV Stations on N-Spec Following Interference Call After Broadcast
The production company, related organizations, NHK itself, and three producers.
During my time working at TV Tokyo (hereafter referred to as “TV Tokyo”) and on loan to its affiliated production company, TV Tokyo Production, I worked on numerous documentaries for NHK, including Kousen Robocon. When NHK commissions program production to a production company, it sometimes involves related organizations such as NHK Enterprise or NHK Global Media Services. In such cases, three producers (hereafter referred to as “P”) from the production company, the related organizations, and NHK itself become involved. What happens in this scenario?
The editing preview process usually starts with the producer from the production company and the producer from the related organization. The producer from the related organization issues revisions. However, when the producer from NHK checks the material, the instructions from the producer of the related organization are often overturned.
This is a typical pattern during the production stage. The real problem comes afterward. Since the producer from the related organization is usually seconded from NHK, and in some cases has more seniority than the NHK producer, the instructions from the NHK producer can be overturned by the producer from the related organization. What happens then?
The instructions for editing corrections can end up going in circles, like “A⇒B⇒A⇒B,” resulting in a situation that is like an unfunny gag. Naturally, this creates chaos on the production floor, with everyone scrambling in confusion.
From this example, it is clear that the nature of NHK as an organization can sometimes sever communication with the production team. A producer from NHK might transmit the instructions or intentions of upper management as if they were their own ideas, which can result in dysfunction. In a huge organization like NHK, where many people are involved in program production, it has become increasingly difficult to align everyone’s intentions, leading to dysfunction. In fact, this may already be widespread.
Even in public broadcasting, the disconnection between upper management and the production team and the trend of top-down communication have become more intense. In private broadcasting, this tendency is even more pronounced. Through my experience with N-Speak, I have deeply felt this shift. I’ve mentioned this on my blog before, but I want to reassert the connection between this issue and the ongoing situation.
A phone call I received the day after “N-Speak” aired.
The origin of this issue lies in a phone call I received the day after the broadcast.
The caller was an executive from TV Tokyo’s public relations department. This person, a junior colleague of mine, started by saying “Long time no see,” before beginning to speak about something astonishing.
The message was this: “We’ve been receiving many phone calls from viewers at the switchboard, and it’s causing a problem,” “There is unrest within the production department (the team making the program),” “Therefore, we ask that you no longer use the title ‘Former TV Tokyo,’” and “Additionally, please refrain from talking or writing about your experiences during your time at TV Tokyo.” These were the four main requests.
As I listened to the conversation, I could feel a thought gradually rising in my mind.
“Wait a minute, isn’t this a violation of basic human rights?”
For a more detailed analysis, I encourage you to read my blog. But from this example, it’s clear that not long ago, one could easily recognize that this was an issue of corporate governance, yet now, people in high positions are issuing directives to those who have left, bypassing any serious reflection on the matter.
This could be attributed to a decline in personnel quality at television stations, but on the other hand, there are also circumstances that suggest a sense of urgency, where they are in a situation where they can’t afford to care about appearances anymore.
