Fuji TV Orders Female Announcers to Take Taxis as Internal Situation Remains Unchanged

“Do not disclose outside the company.”

On January 23, such instructions were reportedly given during a briefing held for Fuji TV employees.

The issue involving former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai (52) and his retirement from the entertainment industry due to a woman’s trouble has escalated. There are suspicions of involvement from Fuji’s programming executive, Mr. A, with some weekly magazines raising questions. This situation has led to concerns about Fuji’s corporate culture.

Over 75 sponsors have already decided to stop their advertisements, and some have even demanded refunds or early contract terminations. Amidst this unprecedented crisis, the employee briefing was finally held, with over 1,000 participants or real-time viewers, including remote attendees. At the beginning of the session, a gag order was imposed as one of the precautions.

During the briefing, there were voices calling for the resignation of the management team, including Mr. Hieda.

“The dissatisfaction of the station staff has reached its limit. Do they really think this won’t leak to the outside?”

This comment came from a current Fuji TV employee who attended the briefing. During the meeting, Fuji TV’s President Koichi Minato mentioned his “inward-focused” press conference on January 17, saying:

“After it ended, I thought, ‘I made a mistake.'”

At that moment, there was a sigh from the audience, going beyond anger. There were also questions about Mr. A, but the dominant voice was the call for a change in management. The aforementioned employee explained:

“The resignation of President Minato, who poured fuel on the fire with that disastrous press conference, is already expected. The issue now is whether it will reach the resignation of ‘Fuji TV’s Don,’ Hisashi Hieda (Executive Advisor). As long as Hieda holds onto power, Fuji will not change. At the briefing, there were calls for the resignation of the management team, including Hieda, and the room erupted in applause. This has never happened before.”

Hieda is often referred to as “Fuji TV’s Emperor.” After the death of the first president of the Fuji Sankei Group, Nobutaka Shikanai’s son Haruo in 1988, Hieda rose to the position of president and later chairman, remaining at the top of Fuji TV. Even after retiring in 2017 as an executive advisor, it is said that he continued to wield significant influence. He has extensive connections in the political and business world, and mentioning his name within the company has long been considered taboo.