Fuji TV Employee Reveals Internal Turmoil as Staff Confront Upper Management

Criticism of Fuji TV’s President Minato’s press conference continues to grow.

Regarding the “9 million yen settlement in a woman-related trouble” involving Masahiro Nakai (52), it was reported that executives from the programming department were involved. On January 17, President Koichi Minato (72) held a press conference and once again denied the allegations. However, when asked for specific reasons for denying the involvement, he repeatedly responded with “no comment.” Moreover, there have been increasing questions about the decision not to allow cameras in the press conference, including from the media itself.

This self-preservation press conference has sparked a huge backlash, and its impact has been clearly visible among the sponsors. Major sponsors like Toyota and Nippon Life Insurance made the rare move of halting their advertisements across the entire network. Other companies followed suit, and by noon on January 22, over 75 companies had joined in. The number of replaced ads by AC Japan reached 350.

A young Fuji TV employee expressed frustration:

“Regarding the press conference, the director of the news department insisted that cameras be allowed, but the higher-ups refused to approve it. In the end, President Minato insisted that cameras be excluded, citing that it was a rescheduled regular press conference. The feeling of helplessness, not being able to report on an issue that directly involved our own company, was overwhelming.”

Another Fuji TV staff member added:

“Minato and the programming executive involved in the rumors have a close relationship. Even when Minato left Fuji to become president of Kyodo Television, he still held a birthday party for Minato every year. Minato likely saw him as a beloved subordinate. It’s hard not to suspect that Minato refused to provide specific answers in the press conference to protect him.”

Requests were also made regarding President Minato’s resignation.

The suspension of sponsor ads is starting to impact programs as well. The long-running show “Kuisinbo! Banzai,” which was sponsored exclusively by Kikkoman, had its broadcast on January 26th canceled. For “Minna no KEIBA,” the Japan Racing Association (JRA) has already announced it will suspend its CM sponsorship, stating it will “monitor the situation” going forward.

The divide between the higher-ups and the staff deepens, and amidst this, unprecedented actions have started to unfold within the station.

“On January 20th, all the department heads who could attend gathered to directly confront President Minato. The discussions included matters concerning the holding of an extraordinary board of directors meeting and the holding of an extraordinary shareholders meeting, as well as re-doing the press conference and holding an internal briefing session. Furthermore, discussions even touched on the president’s resignation.

Additionally, the labor union passed a resolution demanding a re-do of the press conference and an internal briefing session. Responding to these strong requests from the staff, the higher-ups decided on January 23 to hold an extraordinary board meeting and an internal briefing session. Minato, who had ignored the staff’s voices during the press conference, likely realized that his previous approach was problematic. The delayed response has only fueled frustration among the staff.”

The confusion continues at Fuji TV. The higher-ups should truly listen to both internal and external voices and respond with sincerity and integrity.