TV Roundtable Deciding the Reiwa Era’s Top Female News Anchor

At TV stations like Nippon TV, where Asami Miura (37), TV Asahi’s Ayaka Hirochika (33), and TV Tokyo’s Yuka Aiuchi (38) have risen to become the flagship announcers from variety shows, the trend of announcers becoming stars in this space is becoming more established. However, it is also true that many talented female announcers continue to shine in traditional news programs. Announcers working in news require the skills to read news scripts accurately and the ability to stay calm in the face of breaking news. Amid the rise of announcers transforming into celebrities, it’s valuable to have announcers with solid skills who can be entrusted with news programs.

In light of this, we invited veteran producer A, mid-level director B, a key network programming staff member C, and a staff member D who has worked in news programs for over 20 years to engage in a thorough debate to determine who should be considered the strongest news female announcer in the Reiwa era.

 

The Ace Supporting TV Asahi’s News

A: “TV Asahi’s news department, which oversees high-rating programs like ‘Good Morning’ and ‘News Station,’ is largely supported by Minami Moriyama (26) and Chiharu Saito (27). While the current ace of TV Asahi is Ayaka Hirano, she hasn’t had experience with news programs since joining. Hirano’s talent as a personality is top-notch, but her skills as an announcer, such as reading scripts, aren’t particularly strong.”

B: “Who is more highly regarded within the station, Moriyama or Saito?”

A: “It’s Moriyama. Having been a child actress since elementary school, her voice projection is highly praised among staff. When she was on ‘Hatori Shinichi Morning Show,’ Hatori Shinichi (53) praised her script reading, saying the content just flowed easily into his head. It left a deep impression when Moriyama graduated from the show and Hatori expressed his regret.”

“Chiharu Saito, who joined TV Asahi from ‘Nogizaka46,’ has been a star from the beginning. She made her debut on ‘Morning Show’ on her first day at the station, which was an extraordinary welcome. However, the upper management has been concerned about Saito’s relationship tendencies. She was reported to be dating a TBS announcer in 2021, and this year, her relationship with rugby star Kazuki Himeno (30) became public. The station fears a new scandal may emerge. Unlike variety shows, scandals cannot be used as content in news programs.”

C: “Misaki Hayashi (34), who holds the title of professional mahjong player, is also a talented announcer. Though she tends to be overshadowed by her (peer) Ayaka Hirano, there’s a shared understanding within TV Asahi that ‘Hayashi’s announcing ability surpasses Hirano’s.’ On the job, she’s incredibly serious, always reviewing her script right up until the broadcast. Even when breaking news comes in, she smoothly continues reading without stumbling. However, considering her age and future potential, Moriyama and Saito may have the edge.”

TBS and NTV focusing on their news departments.

Mr. D: TBS, which was once known as the news powerhouse, is putting significant effort into its news division. My top pick is Maine Sasaki (26), who appears on THE TIME’.

Mr. B: That’s surprising. Sasaki has a somewhat natural, bubbly image, which gives the impression that she’s more suited for variety shows.

Mr. D: Her bubbly character is just a surface act. She’s actually quite studious. If there’s anything she doesn’t understand during a meeting, she won’t stop asking questions until she fully understands. The staff working with her were amazed at how her scripts were filled with notes. When I asked her, she casually said, “I hate not knowing something.” She has a good balance of being both approachable and serious. Some female staffers have been envious of her cute persona, but she enjoys tremendous popularity among male staff. She’s considered the biggest up-and-coming talent among her generation of announcers.

Mr. A: On the other hand, Ai Eto (39) is known for being straightforward. A director who worked with her said, “She’s the first female announcer I’ve seen who doesn’t get angry even when an assistant director makes a mistake.” Eto has hosted many live shows like Hiruobi and THE TIME’, which shows the trust that executives place in her to handle live situations. She’s calm even when things go wrong, such as forgetting the cue cards or having trouble with the live broadcast, and her gentle personality has earned her the trust of staff. I’ve heard that Shinichiro Azumi (51) agreed to take on THE TIME’ only if Eto was part of the team. If Sasaki is the hope of TBS news, then Eto is the pillar.

Mr. C: Compared to TV Asahi and TBS, it feels like NTV hasn’t been developing many young talents in the news department.

Mr. D: That’s true. With Asami Miura reigning as the absolute queen at NTV, younger talents are often overshadowed by comparison. But there are promising newcomers. For stability, I think Rena Ichiki (28) is fantastic.

Ichiki, who was a former member of “Nogizaka46,” has been building her career in news programs under the directive to avoid showing any idol-like qualities. This approach has worked well for her. She hardly ever stumbles over her scripts and is very diligent. Many staff members have witnessed her studying pronunciation in a Japanese accent dictionary during breaks. She currently hosts Hirunandesu!, but NTV is considering moving her to ZIP! to make her the face of their morning shows in the future.

Mr. B: Miyu Kuroda (25) is also promising. Ryota Yamasato (47), her co-host on DayDay., praises her for being a skilled speaker despite her youth.

Mr. A: She’s definitely a hope. Her bright character really balances out Yamasato’s sharp tongue. However, just a month after the show started airing, news broke about her romantic relationship with a fellow director. That was definitely a slip-up. Female announcers are in a popularity-based business, and when love scandals come out, viewership tends to drop. It’s rumored that she may leave NTV when she gets married, as she wants to prioritize her family. Naturally, the network’s upper management is against that idea, so it’s a tricky situation.

Fuji TV is aiming to revive its Female announcer kingdom.

C: How about Fuji TV?

D: The standout is probably Seika Inoue (29), who was entrusted with the main anchor role for Mezamashi TV. Since her appointment, Mezamashi TV has maintained the number-one position in its time slot for annual ratings. She has proven her ability to deliver strong numbers. Within the company, she is also seen helping her juniors practice reading scripts, which speaks to the trust her colleagues have in her. Fuji TV is currently trying to reclaim its former glory as a female announcer kingdom, and they are entrusting that effort to Inoue.

A: Just a bit older than Inoue, there’s also Ai Miyashi (33), who anchors Live News It!

B: Her script reading is accurate, and even when the cameras aren’t rolling, she never lets her guard down and maintains a professional demeanor. Her level of professionalism is high, and during meetings, if the staff’s research falls short, she’ll point it out by saying, “I think we need to investigate this a bit more.” I’ve even bumped into her walking down Fuji TV’s hallway while reading a script. Some staff have expressed concern, saying, “She works so hard that I worry she might collapse from exhaustion.” However, she announced her marriage in October, so she might start scaling back on work moving forward. In terms of future potential, Inoue has the edge over Miyashi.

Who is next after Hitomi Tanaka?

C: TV Tokyo’s ace, Hitomi Tanaka (28), announced her marriage in November. Despite that, her popularity doesn’t show any signs of declining, which is impressive.

D: Tanaka, like Eto, is someone whose reputation hasn’t changed among viewers and TV staff. Initially, she expressed doubts about economic reporting, saying she lacked knowledge in that area. However, her efforts to improve, like reading economic newspapers in her spare time, have been appreciated by the upper management. She is the only one at TV Tokyo right now who can compete with the ace-level announcers from other networks, such as Moriyama, Kuroda, and Inoue.

B: The challenge for TV Tokyo is, who comes after Tanaka?

D: I’m paying attention to Minami Nakahara (25). She appeared as a student anchor on BS Fuji NEWS for about 10 months, so despite her youth, she’s already quite seasoned. Recently, she’s been seen in variety shows like Shutsubotsu! Adomachiikuku Tengoku, but she’s mentioned that she’d like to gain more experience in news programs. If she hones her skills on live news shows, I believe becoming the next post-Tanaka Hitomi is not out of the question.

Who is the strongest female news announcer?

Mr. A: It’s time to decide on the number one female news announcer. I’m sticking with Moriya from TV Asahi, who I mentioned earlier. She has both skill and potential, and her evaluation within the station is very high. It feels like a traditional announcer has finally emerged at TV Asahi after a long time.

Mr. D: It’s a tough decision, but I would choose either Inoue or Moriya. Both have a solid track record and are highly popular among staff.

Mr. C: Between the two, I would lean toward Moriya. She is likely to be entrusted with the main role in “Hodo Station” in the future.

Mr. B: I also think Moriya. The endorsement from Hatori will be a strong backing for her.

After the discussion, the current number one female news announcer of the Reiwa era was decided to be Moriya. The chart above represents the final ranking for the top 10 female news announcers, with Moriya in first place, followed by Inoue and Sasaki. Of course, even those at the lower rankings have the potential to become faces of news at their respective stations.

The competition for the title of strongest female news announcer will continue.

From FRIDAY December 13-20, 2024 issue.