NHK was bombarded by about 600 complaints Wednesday as a new embezzlement case broke at a time when the government is talking about forcing viewers to pay the public broadcaster's subscription fees.
The communications ministry has been threatening to make payment mandatory to shore up the finances of the ailing broadcaster, which has alienated viewers with a series of embezzlement and censorship scandals.
It has been estimated that about 30 percent of households that receive NHK now refuse to pay the fees.