TV programs need to focus more on the overall fairness of political coverage during elections rather than allotting each candidate or political party the same amount of air time, an independent panel promoting ethical standards in broadcasting has said.
"As long as the freedom of editing is guaranteed, what is required is not fairness in quantity," the ethical examination panel of the Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization said in a statement Tuesday.
It is the first time the TV watchdog has expressed a view on election coverage as political pressure on news reporting has increased since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in 2012, according to opposition party lawmakers.