Declining Viewership of News Zero Despite Major Revamp

The partner system yielded disappointing results.

“News Zero” (NTV) is in trouble. About four years ago, the program reached a peak average viewership of 12%, but recent ratings have been declining, according to an NTV insider.

“Currently, the household ratings vary by day, but they range from 4-5%. When Yumiko Arido (55) was the main anchor, the ratings were 5-7%, so the numbers have dropped by 1-2%. Since April this year, Takahiko Fujii (53) has been the main anchor, but Arido’s presence, which brought a female perspective to the news, was valuable. In fact, TBS and Fuji TV are also prioritizing this perspective and are promoting female anchors.”

Fujii’s internal evaluation at the station is not bad, but it seems the gap left by Arido’s departure was larger than expected. When Udo left “News Zero,” NTV tried to persuade her to stay, but her decision was firm.

“There were sweet offers from TV Asahi, and it seems like they dangled a position on ‘News Station’ in front of her. Because of that, NTV was forced to revamp ‘News Zero,’ even though the ratings were not bad, and to maintain its relationship with Udo, they started ‘With MUSIC.'”

“With MUSIC” is now facing talk of cancellation, and it has reached a point where the station is considering whether to make adjustments. “Ideally, they wanted Udo to do more on-location or interview-based shows, but ‘Udo Times’ (on TV Asahi) takes priority, and her schedule is full,” the insider adds.

Since October, “News Zero” has introduced a partner system with rotating anchors. Current participants include former “Keyakizaka46” member Neru Nagahama, artist Tomoe Shinohara, and professional climber Keiyo Noguchi. The program is also increasing its focus on female anchors by bringing in announcer Natsuki Taki, who has returned from maternity leave, but industry insiders analyze that the struggle continues.

Shō Sakurai’s Limits Are Becoming Apparent

It may seem like steps were taken to incorporate a female perspective, but why is it highly likely that improvement will not happen going forward? An entertainment industry insider explains.

“During the time with Udo, the only celebrity used was Shō Sakurai. For evening news, a solid approach is required, so they were conscious of the compatibility between the image of the talent and the news. However, now that standard has become chaotic. So, they are experimenting by changing partners every three months from Tuesday to Thursday. But even if only certain days have different hosts, viewers don’t settle in, and the numbers aren’t responding.”

Even Sakurai, the network’s last hope, is said to have lost some of his former strength due to things like his marriage.

“Even if Sakurai appears, most of ‘Arashi’ fans don’t watch news zero. The backlash from his agency’s sexual misconduct reports has deepened the mismatch, and Sakurai’s position is gradually weakening,” says the entertainment industry insider.

news zero just recently introduced the partner system, so there haven’t been any talks of cancellation yet. While the tough situation continues, there was some hope in the recent House of Representatives election.

“The only hope is the ratings from the recent House of Representatives election special. The combination of Fujii and Sakurai for ‘NNN House of Representatives Election zero Election 2024’ went head-to-head with Tere-Asa’s ‘Udo Times.’ The average household rating for ‘Udo Times’ was 9.7%, while ‘Zero Election 2024’ scored 8.7%. Although they lost, the fact that they put up a good fight clearly shows that what viewers want from news zero is straightforward news coverage. Starting in January, a new partner is being selected with the condition that they can handle serious news.

It takes time for news programs to settle in. Fujii took over in April this year, so even if the numbers are bad, they’ll wait for a year. Internally, they’re thinking, ‘If it’s just a 1-2% drop, we might as well try a little longer,’” says the previous NTV insider.

Can they regain their presence as the network’s nighttime face?