Fuji TV Struggles with Departures and Organizational Challenges After the Departure of Its Emperor

Please consider the situation on the ground

“I was stunned to see the press conference and realize how much of this was organized. Now that we’ve lost the trust of our viewers, the staff is anxious, but the only explanation we’ve received from the president was through an email, and there was no concrete information.”

This frustration comes from a young employee at Fuji TV. The press conference refers to the one held by the third-party committee on March 31, regarding the Masahiro Nakai trouble. The report revealed that behind the scenes, Fuji executives introduced Nakai to a lawyer, acted as intermediaries in giving 1 million yen to the female victim, and covered the cost of a luxury hotel room used by Nakai during a drinking party with a female announcer. Additionally, it was disclosed that the incident was suppressed by three people, including former president Hiroshi Minato (72) and former executive Ryo Otomo (current president of Kansai TV, 66), without making the victim’s police report public.

On the same day, President Kenji Shimizu (64) held a press conference to apologize for the situation. However, one mid-level employee lamented, “Apologies were necessary, but they need to think about the staff as well.”

“The staff is trying desperately to cut costs, reducing the number of flip charts and limiting color printing. Outsourcing materials for special programs has been banned. We’re already struggling, and during a meeting in March, we were told, ‘Production costs will go down further from spring, so be prepared,’ which was devastating.

Meanwhile, the company is handing out money to retain staff. On March 13, encouragement money  was distributed. This is usually given at the end of the fiscal year, but unlike previous years where it was less than one month’s salary, this year it was equivalent to about two months’ pay. However, since the company’s income has drastically decreased, this kind of distribution can’t continue. The whole thing feels contradictory. Summer bonuses will probably be reduced, and we have no idea what will happen to our future benefits.”

The feelings of the staff continue to drift further apart

The wave of departures among female announcers at Fuji TV shows no sign of stopping. At the end of March, Keiko Tsubakihara (39) and Yumi Nagashima (33) left the company, and in June, Risa Kishimoto (25) announced her resignation.

“The feelings of the staff continue to drift further apart, and the more talented young staff are starting to look for other job opportunities,” said one insider.

Additionally, an executive from a Fuji-affiliated production company revealed, “In our meetings, we discussed how we’re trying to break free from Fuji’s dependency by seeking out regular slots and golden-time shows on other networks.”

Fuji is also pushing forward with a transformation of its structure. The most significant example is the resignation of the emperor, Hisashi Hieda (87), who had ruled as both a director of Fuji TV and its parent company, Fuji Media Holdings. However, this doesn’t solve everything.

“Nobuko Wako, who will be appointed as an executive director, worked in the secretary’s office during Hieda’s tenure as president. In fact, both Shimizu and Osamu Kanemitsu, the president of the holding company, rose through the ranks under Hieda’s influence. It’s hard to believe they can transform the company culture,” said a different Fuji TV employee.

In reality, when it came time to renew sponsor contracts in April, it was revealed that out of the 100 companies that had suspended advertisements, about 70% decided to withhold judgment. Moreover, on the 27th of the previous month, some shareholders filed a lawsuit seeking 23.3 billion yen in compensation from the management team.

Having lost the trust of both its employees and production companies, and with sponsors and shareholders also losing confidence, Fuji is now under intense scrutiny. The entertainment agencies are also casting a critical eye on the situation. A veteran employee from a major agency shared their perspective:

“Since the scandal, we’ve been responding to Fuji’s matters in an exceptional manner. All Fuji-related projects are escalated to senior management for a decision on whether to accept or decline. This is because since January, there have been frequent issues with sudden location and time changes, as well as shelved projects. We have to consider risk management as a company. This policy remains unchanged, and going forward, there will likely be more negotiations for reduced fees, so even stricter measures will be required.”

During the press conference, President Shimizu promised to show the changing face of Fuji TV. In the midst of a dire situation, the true value of his words is now under intense scrutiny.

From the April 18, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”