Terry Ito Column Vol.66 Japanese TV Stations Must Expand Overseas

I've been thinking about the relationship between television stations and sponsors. In the case of commercial television, the sponsors sponsor programs and the station receives a broadcasting fee commensurate with the amount of airtime. In order to protect the sponsors, the station may decide to cancel a program midway if the ratings are low. This leads to fierce ratings battles between stations. This pattern has probably not changed since the start of television stations. Even NHK receives broadcasting fees from the public instead of sponsors, so the current situation is that they can't say, "We don't care about the ratings because we make good programs," as they used to. Television stations have always been trying to please their sponsors.

Furthermore, sponsors have recently begun to place less emphasis on viewership ratings and more on viewers' satisfaction and favorability after watching a program. The question becomes, "Which company is supporting such a wonderful program?" "Improving corporate image" becomes a major theme. In this context, scandalous news is the last thing they want. Therefore, troubles involving women like Nakai's are completely out of the question. This doesn't just apply to television programs. Tahara Toshihiko's sexual harassment of a female announcer on TBS Radio initially didn't seem like a big deal, but after a flurry of criticism on social media, it became a major issue. This situation means that television stations no longer have the environment to create more adventurous programs, making it difficult to create thrilling and exciting programs. As a result, they tend to be filled with bland programming. This situation is due to the fact that stations' only source of income comes from sponsors. Of course, each station hosts and hosts events and concerts, but they are small in scale and don't have the power to move the world.

It's about time TV stations started seriously expanding overseas. Just as Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japanese companies have expanded into various countries and earned foreign currency, Japanese TV stations should also take action to earn foreign currency. The strategy is to sponsor programs on overseas TV stations and create a "Japanese music program." France, the UK, India, the US, and Taiwan would be interesting. The MCs would be local celebrities and Japanese talents who can speak the language of each country. For now, we'd like to continue the program for around three years. We'd be lucky if it caught on in just one country! It would become a hot topic in Japan, and it's easy to imagine that this would lead to an increase in tourists.

Looking for sponsors, watching a Dodgers baseball game will reveal a row of Japanese company signs, all from top-tier companies. It's a great opportunity to target them. Perhaps clients are waiting for the next Ohtani. If we continue to watch the same old shows, Japanese television will eventually decline. I hope they have the courage to expand overseas.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry