Japan minister to seek Nippon TV report after TOKIO member Kokubun's removal from show
The ministry's move was announced by its minister Seiichiro Murakami at a post-Cabinet meeting news conference on June 24. "We would like to hear extensively from Nippon TV about how it sees the issue and how it will respond as a company in the future," Murakami said.
On June 20, Nippon TV announced that Kokubun would leave the network's popular variety program "The Tetsuwan Dash" after confirming multiple instances of past misconduct. At that press conference, Nippon TV President Hiroyuki Fukuda repeatedly cited "privacy protection considerations" in declining to disclose any details including the specific number or nature of the violations, or whether there were any victims involved.
According to Murakami, on June 20, the ministry received a preliminary report from Nippon TV about Kokubun's misconduct and the company's subsequent decision to remove him from the program. The broadcaster informed the ministry it would refrain from explaining specifics due to privacy-related considerations.
Following a recent series of problems at Fuji Television Network Inc., the communications ministry has set up a panel to discuss strengthened governance for private broadcasters, with its first meeting scheduled for June 27. Murakami refrained from commenting on whether the Nippon TV case would be placed on the panel's agenda, saying only that a decision would be made "appropriately at a later stage."
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