A Liberal Democratic Party telecommunications panel on Friday conducted a closed-door meeting with executives from NHK and TV Asahi to demand "explanations" about editorial controversies at the broadcasters.
The meeting at LDP headquarters came amid criticism that the ruling party's planned hearing would erode press freedoms and weaken independent state-licensed broadcasters.
The panel members denied pressuring TV Asahi or public broadcaster NHK. Both recently made headlines — TV Asahi for airing a critic who claimed his appearances on its popular news show were ended by state pressure, and NHK for a piece of allegedly contrived reporting.