Advanced Television

Japan petitions for NHK resignations

April 23, 2014

Seven citizen groups have submitted petitions to Japanese public broadcaster NHK demanding the resignation of the broadcaster’s president, Katsuto Momii as well as a couple of NHK directors.

Almost 39,000 signatures were on the petitions, as well as a group from the influential Japan Congress of Journalists, are additionally threatening to withhold their annual licence fees if Momii doesn’t step down.

The problems for Momii started on his inauguration in February when he declined to apologise for earlier comments defending the use of so-called “comfort women” by Japanese troops during World War 2. After that speech Momii has appeared publicly several times, apologising for the “confusion” he has caused and saying that he was stating only his personal opinions. “Momii has attempted to stay in his position as president by appearing on a NHK TV programme to give an account to viewers on April 13,” said Satoshi Daigo, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and co-leader of the NHK viewers’ community. “But the relationship of trust with viewers has already collapsed.”

This latest batch of complaints follows on from the reported “thousands” of on-line and written complaints made to NHK.

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