Fuji TV Vows to Change Corporate Culture; President Calls Victimization of Others Unforgivable
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Fuji TV President Kenji Shimizu, right, responds to reporters' questions at the company headquarters in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday.
Fuji Television Network, Inc. vowed to take measures to change its corporate culture, which was severely criticized by the third-party committee that investigated the sexual assult conducted by former TV personality Masahiro Nakai, in a report issued to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on Wednesday. Their aim is to prevent a recurrence of such a problem.
Another report presented by the third party at the end of March recognized a female announcer had been a victim of sexual assult done by Nakai in a situation that was an extension of her duties. Her position as an announcer was so weak that she felt she could not resist requests from the company's production and programming departments.
In its report, Fuji TV said it put excessive importance on its slogan, 'If it's not fun, it's not Fuji TV,' which was established in the 1980s. It said it would dissolve and restructure its programming and variety program production bureaus. It will separate the announcers' office from the programming bureau and give the office more discretion regarding the appointment of announcers to programs.
It will also take stricter disciplinary action against those who violate compliance and employee expenses policies.
'There was a way of thinking that victimizing others was permissible in order to make interesting programs. It's unforgivable somebody was victimized in the process of making a program. We will go back to basics of the Broadcasting Law and play a role as a public institution,' President Kenji Shimizu told reporters.
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Fuji TV Panel Defends Recognition of Sexual Violence by Nakai
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