Former TV TOKYO P who appeared in “N Supe” talks about the reality of “talent agency ‘power’ that broadcasters have to pander to.

The Potential to Monsterize Talent Agencies…

What TV can be proud of in its struggle against distribution is the honeymoon relationship with talent agencies that it has cultivated over its long history in broadcasting, and that “cannot be severed under any circumstances.

Toshihiko Tabuchi, former TV Tokyo producer and professor of arts and culture at J. F. Oberlin University, whose appearance on “NHK Special,” which examined the issue of Johnny’s sexual assault, attracted much attention, says that the intensification of “two trends at TV stations” is confusing the “Omusubi” scene.

Former TV TOKYO P who appeared in “N Supe” talks about “certain trends” that are becoming more noticeable at TV stations.

Terrestrial broadcasting still cannot provide sponsors with an indicator other than the barometer of “viewership ratings”…

Continuing from the first part, we would like to examine (2), “the growing power of talent agencies.

TV TOKYO’s phone call also clearly indicated that TV TOKYO, which wanted to actively use talents from the former Johnny’s (hereinafter abbreviated as “former J”) in the future, was annoyed by my appearance in the NHK Special (hereinafter abbreviated as “N-Spe”), as I am an alumnus of TV TOKYO, because there was a risk that the former J would complain about it. I was not happy about it. However, this kind of “discovery” and “pandering” attitude can turn talent agencies into monsters.

Still, terrestrial TV stations are unable to provide sponsors with any other indicator than the barometer of “viewership ratings.

When a program broadcast on terrestrial television is sent for distribution, it is not necessarily the work that has won viewer ratings that can give a track record of earning views. At the same time, however, a paradox is occurring in terrestrial broadcasting sales, where viewer ratings have become a more important indicator than before in order to distinguish programs from those distributed.

Under these circumstances, the quality of human resources in the TV industry has deteriorated to the point where only a handful of people can look at a proposal and judge whether or not it will be a hit. Even if one has a gut feeling that “This is interesting. Even if one has a hunch that a project will be a hit, even the slightest failure in the current TV industry can easily lead to decisive damage, and everyone has become reluctant to take responsibility.

Where do they turn for help? The cast.

Casting successful talents and actors is the most “reliable” and “efficient” way to get a hit. Also, if a drama does not hit the mark or fails, the cast can be blamed on the talent by saying, “Maybe the lead actor was weak.

Drama proposals are now often written with a list of names of actors with name value, as if to say, “First, the cast, second, the cast.

The “performer-oriented” trend is growing stronger every year.

Originally, the strength of TV stations was that they had strong connections with talent agencies, and this was a point in which they were superior to distributors.

TV stations have “ties” with talent agencies that have been cultivated over many years and generations. This is the result of the “political” relationships that TV stations have developed as an organization and that they have inherited from their senior creators.

Over the past 37 years, I have also established communication with various offices on a daily basis at drinking parties and other occasions. Such “unrelenting efforts” come in handy when the time comes. I can use the weapon of “This time, please! This is a weapon that can be used in an emergency.

However, what could be called the “strength” of the TV stations is now strangling them and becoming a “bane” for them. Talent that gets good ratings and actors that are popular may have been created or their image manipulated. However, TV stations that cannot abandon viewership ratings have no choice but to rely on these baseless social evaluations.

Dramas, in particular, are all about the cast. When the leading role in a “historical drama” or the heroine in a “morning drama” is chosen, it becomes big news. This emphasis on cast members is growing stronger every year.

As a result, the reliance on talent agencies is increasing. The most obvious example of this is the former Johnny’s office, and one of the negative aspects that erupted was the issue of Johnny’s sexual assault. This honeymoon relationship cannot be severed. Why is that? Because abandoning this relationship means abandoning the pie of “getting viewer ratings.

Why are they so close to the old Johnny’s?

When NHK Chairman Inaba lifted the ban on new offers to the former J-affiliated agencies, readers must have been reminded that the relationship between TV stations and talent agencies “cannot be severed under any circumstances.

At the same time, they may have wondered why they were so close to the former J agency, knowing that such an announcement would be met with opposition from many people. If so, you are astute. The answer to that question is the essence of the trend I have pointed out in this paper, namely, the strengthening of the power of talent agencies. What is the answer?

It is that the balance of power between TV stations and talent agencies has collapsed.

Why has the balance of power between the two collapsed? The reason is that it is no longer so lucrative for talent agencies to appear on TV.

Talent and actors earn some money from TV appearances, but it is very small. The biggest source of income is from commercials. Talent appearing in commercials was selected based on barometers such as “appearing on TV often” and “getting viewer ratings.

However, TV is not the only place where sponsors now base their selection of people. There are many guidelines, such as being in a popular TV drama, having a large number of followers on social networking sites, and having a high number of impressions on blogs. The days of “being on TV = being popular” are over. It is safe to say that television has no primacy.

Usually, the facts notwithstanding, it would be “sorry to inconvenience the station or the program…”

Under such circumstances, it is natural that the power relationship between TV stations and talent agencies is different from before, and it is natural that the talents themselves and their agencies become more assertive.

In the case of “Omusubi”, Kanna Hashimoto, the lead actress, controversially said, “I don’t mind if you quit anytime. This was unthinkable in the past.

There were no actors who didn’t want to appear in “morning dramas” because they were national dramas. It was a national drama.

Such comments indicate that the actors themselves and their agencies have turned their attention away from TV. Television has lost its “drawing power. The TV stations cannot protest strongly against the actors’ comments because they are in a weak position. This is because they are in a weak position. Therefore, they have no choice but to comply.

The power harassment allegations against Hashimoto, which have been making the rounds in weekly magazines and other media, are thought to have contributed to the slump in viewer ratings, but the TV stations have decided to remain silent on this issue as well. Not only that, the president of the office has defended Hashimoto, saying, “She is doing her best. Normally, the president of the agency would say, “We apologize for the trouble we have caused to the station and the program,” regardless of the fact that it is true.

The agency has been completely underestimated and does not seem to be particularly appreciative of the fact that she is appearing in a morning drama. However, the TV stations are responsible for and the cause of this kind of “coercion” by the agencies.

Suggestions for Solutions

Having analyzed the reasons for the slump in the morning drama “Omusubi” from the two structural tendencies of television, I would like to conclude with a proposal for a solution to the problem.

The solution is, in short, to overcome the two tendencies I have mentioned.

What happens when the “upper management” and “executives” interfere too much with the “frontline” and “creators” below? It is a disconnect between the upper and lower levels. This leads to exhaustion on the shop floor and creators. Then, good things cannot be created. It is necessary to have an atmosphere in which the upper management puts up with what the lower management wants to say and leaves it to the lower management. Such a free and vigorous atmosphere in the company will give birth to new ideas and power.

The balance of power between talent agencies and TV stations, which have become too powerful, must also be corrected.

In order to do so, TV stations must become “attractive” to talent agencies. One way to do this is to develop a signature program that the talent agencies would like to be a part of. It is also necessary to nurture star players who will make people say, “I want to work with that creator at that station. These are not things that only “our station” can accomplish.

This is an ordeal that not only all commercial broadcasters, but also all TV stations, regardless of whether they are private or public broadcasters, and all of which are entrusted with Japan’s public property, the airwaves, should work together to tackle.