TV Professionals Express Concerns Over Fuji TV’s Declining Quality and Talent Shortage

The early retirement system is the beginning of the end

The “Nakani shock” that hit Fuji TV shows no signs of subsiding. The contents of the third-party committee’s report were far worse than expected, and even after replacing executives like Hisashi Hieda (87), the exodus of sponsors has not been halted. If production costs cannot be secured, it raises concerns about whether good programs can be broadcast in the future.

However, a veteran TV writer with experience working on Fuji TV programs told me, “The decline in the quality of Fuji’s content had already been quite serious before this issue.”

In 2022, Fuji TV introduced an early retirement program, which garnered considerable attention at the time.

Some of the prominent figures who left using this system included Asuka Kataoka, who was the overall director of the popular variety show Mecha-Mecha Iketeru (which ended in 2018) and created numerous legendary variety programs, and Kou Akematsu, a producer who also worked on Mecha-Mecha Iketeru, both of whom are well-known among the general public.

Reports even stated that the more talented individuals are the ones leaving.

The aforementioned writer also mentioned, “I felt that talented personnel were leaving due to the early retirement system,” and went on to say, “People with little experience in variety shows, such as those from the sports department, have started producing variety content. I felt a shortage of talent.”

With the departure of skilled TV professionals, the quality of Fuji’s programs has decreased.

“Sorry! I didn’t submit it.”

A mid-level television writer shared the following story with me:

“A few years ago, a producer from a certain Fuji TV information variety program asked me, ‘I want to have a meeting about a project, can we talk over drinks?’ I initially declined because I didn’t have the time, but the producer begged me, saying, ‘Please, just this once.’ So, I ended up going to the drinking session they organized.

I took two or three ideas with me despite being pressed for time. The producer seemed pleased and said, ‘These are great!’ and I felt relieved. Then, I was told, ‘It’s going to be split, so you’ll need to pay ● thousand yen.’

Despite being forced into the situation and coming up with ideas, I had to pay my share. That alone made me think, ‘I don’t want to work with this person anymore,’ but something even more shocking happened.”

“Later on, the producer asked me to turn the ideas discussed at the drinking session into a proposal. I spent time creating a polished proposal, and when I handed it over, the producer said, ‘Thank you for the great idea!’ But weeks passed without any follow-up.

Curious about the status of the proposal, I reached out to the producer, and to my shock, they replied, ‘Sorry! I didn’t submit the proposal.’ When I asked why, they said, ‘Upon reflection, the casting for the celebrities mentioned in the proposal was too difficult, and the budget seemed insufficient, so I decided to drop it.'”

To make matters worse, there was no payment. The producer took the ideas, had a proposal written, and then didn’t submit it, all while showing no remorse. This is the kind of person who holds a central role at Fuji TV.

“This same producer is still responsible for an information variety program at Fuji TV, acting like they have authority. Before worrying about whether sponsors will return, it seems that changing the mindset within the company should come first.”

While it’s true that there are employees at Fuji TV who are working hard to create good content, it’s also true that problematic individuals, like this producer and those responsible for the Nakayi Shock, are still at the core of the company.

I sincerely hope that more high-quality programs will be produced.