The decisive difference between “Toshiwasure Nippon no Uta” and “Kohaku” with the lowest ratings ever

(Entertainment reporter Toshio Ishikawa’s “Behind the scenes of that event: ……”)

NHK’s “Kouhaku Uta Gassen” and TV Tokyo’s “Toshiwasure Nippon no Uta (Songs of Japan for forgetting the New Year)” are the most popular singing programs on New Year’s Eve.

This year, in my opinion, “Toshiwasure…” won not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of selection, composition and direction. In particular, it was interesting to watch the four-member enka group Junsetsu perform duets with their respective singers.

I’ve always said that “Kohaku” is becoming less and less respectful of the elderly. It is true that the selection of “Kohaku” is based on the “hit songs of the year,” but even with the Corona disaster, most of the people who watch the program are elderly.

Younger people are less likely to watch TV, and some of them probably record the show and don’t watch it live anymore. I feel that this is the result of this year’s “Kohaku” ratings.

Nevertheless, although there was a time gap, “Kohaku” got 31.5%, and the second half after the news was 34.3% (Kanto household viewership average, according to Video Research). On the other hand, “New Year’s Eve” got 8.3% and 6.6%, still a big difference.

Incidentally, among private broadcasters, Nippon Television Network’s “Laugh and Pass the New Year! New Year’s Eve” on Nippon Television Network Corporation was at 7.2% and 5.6%. TV Asahi’s “Zawatsu New Year’s Eve! TBS’s “WBO World Flyweight Title Match” at 5.8% and “THE Onitaiji New Year’s Eve Battle In Onigashima” at 3.9%. Fuji Television’s “New Year’s Eve RIZIN” had a high viewership of 7.4% and a low of 4.3% during its 5 hours and 45 minutes.

In other words, if we look at the commercial broadcasters alone, “New Year’s Eve Forgetting…”, which is all about enka, is doing quite well. Moreover, it has increased its viewership by about 1% from last year.

Commercial broadcasters make their programs with their sponsors, the advertisers, in mind. That’s why they make their programs with the 10 to 40 year olds as their target audience.

NHK does not have to worry about sponsors or viewership ratings. Even so, this year’s ratings for “Kouhaku” were the lowest ever. The year before last, it reached 40% for the first time in two years, but this year, it dropped significantly. The long-documented shift away from television is hitting NHK as well.

The fast-growing Internet industry has taken over NHK’s share of the market, and sponsors’ ad placements are flowing heavily to the Internet. That’s why NHK, which makes programs from subscription fees, needs to make a song program that will please the elderly.

I wonder if the drop in viewership ratings for the second half of “New Year’s Eve…” coincided with the start of “Kohaku”. Kohaku” started as a radio program and has already been broadcasted on TV for 72 times.

As far back as the 14th time, when Saburo Kitajima participated for the first time, the rate was 81.4%. In the Showa era (1926-1989), the viewership rate was in the 70% range, and even in the Heisei era, Namie Amuro’s “Tearful Return Stage” got a 57.2% rating.

For NHK, the “Gaki no Tsuzuya Arahende!” series, which threatened “Kohaku,” was an early success. (Nippon Television Network Corporation), which had been threatening “Kohaku” at an early stage, must have been relieved when it was suspended. (Nippon Television Network Corporation) was suspended, some of the staff must have been relieved. However, this did not lead to better numbers.

The concept that NHK had been adhering to for years was somewhat off the mark. There were some elaborate performances, but they were too elaborate and did not match the songs.

The saddest part of the show was that although the theme was “singing ability,” there were too many groups and organizations, so the audience did not get to listen to the songs of singers with individual singing ability. The role of “Kohaku” may already be over.

I think that the viewers who are forced to watch “Kohaku” out of inertia will not be able to enjoy it.

The time when the viewers, who are forced to watch “Kohaku” out of habit, will say, “Let’s watch ‘Kohaku’ again this year and welcome the New Year.

I don’t think the time will come when the viewers who are forced to watch “Kohaku” will say, “Let’s watch ‘Kohaku’ again this year and welcome the New Year. After all, the year-end singing program should be “Year’s forgetting…”.