Outspoken NHK Chairman Katsuto Momii is unlikely to be reappointed after his term ends next month because of opposition from the public broadcaster's management board, sources close to the matter said Friday.
Momii, widely seen as a favorite of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, found himself mired in controversy at his inaugural news conference in 2014 after he appeared to defend the Imperial Japanese military's use of "comfort women," Japan's euphemism for those who were forced to provide sex for Japanese troops before and during World War II. He also appeared to condone taking the government line in news coverage.
Momii, whose term will end on Jan. 24, is unlikely to win the minimum of nine votes needed from NHK's 12-member management board. Multiple members have raised questions about his competence, the sources said.