NEWSWORTHY
NHK, other TV stations begin broadcasting 4K, 8K ultra-high-definition programs
Public broadcaster NHK and several other TV stations began airing 4K and 8K ultra-high-definition programs on satellite channels Saturday. 4K contents were offered on 17 channels, with NHK initially being the only broadcaster to run 8K programs. The government has been pushing the 4K and 8K ...
NHK to trim fees by 4.5% by fiscal 2020 to meet criteria for online simulcasting
NHK's board on Tuesday approved the public broadcaster's plan to cut its television viewing fees by 4.5 percent by fiscal 2020. The plan is designed to meet a government-set criteria for starting the online simulcast of TV programs. NHK's Board of Governors voted to revise the ...
NHK unveils lineup for year-end music show — without K-pop group BTS
Public broadcaster NHK announced Wednesday the lineup for its annual New Year's Eve music extravaganza, but K-pop group BTS — under fire recently for a controversial T-shirt worn by one of its members — was not included. Popular groups like Da Pump and Ikimonogakari, which ...
Fujio Kariya recalls memorable moments in announcing career
For Fujio Kariya, NHK's executive commentator (the broadcaster's top news commentator), the most impressive bout in his 31-year career as an NHK sumo announcer took place at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in 1988. That was when yokozuna Onokuni upset fellow yokozuna Chiyonofuji on the ...
NHK expands disaster-related push notifications to include Chinese language
Public broadcaster NHK said Thursday it will now provide push notifications in Chinese for disaster-related information via the NHK World news app amid a growing number of Chinese visitors to Japan. The move comes after Japan experienced a wave of natural disasters this year, including ...
Spotlight falls on Japan's female TV presenters
On Sept. 4, the new presenters for Nippon TV's nightly news show, "News Zero," were introduced at a press conference in Tokyo. It's not unusual for TV stations to revamp current affairs shows, but the new version of "News Zero," which premiered Oct. 1, ...
21-year prison term upheld for ex-NHK reporter found guilty of raping three women
A high court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a former reporter for public broadcaster NHK to 21 years in prison for raping three women. The defense for Yasutaka Tsurumoto, 30, claimed someone with a grudge against the former journalist may have ...
Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media
Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it. One of the most buzzed about developments in online culture in Japan over the past 12 months has been a boom in virtual YouTubers, animated characters operating their ...
NHK plans to reduce fees after it begins simultaneous online streaming of TV programs
The head of public broadcaster NHK said Friday it aims to lower its subscription fees, possibly from fiscal 2019, after a government panel set a requirement for the company to start simultaneous online streaming of its television programs. The move, announced by NHK Chairman Ryoichi ...
Myanmar arrests three journalists over report on Suu Kyi protege, raising more press freedom worries
Myanmar police Wednesday arrested three journalists after their paper criticized the financial management of Yangon's government, which is overseen by a protege of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in the latest case to spark concern over press freedom. Rights groups criticized the detention of the ...
Dealing with disaster in Japan
It's been a tough month for Japan. First the biggest typhoon in 25 years blew through the western region, then a major earthquake in Hokkaido swiftly followed. Both wreaked havoc and recovery is still in process. On Tech takes a look at apps offering ...
Wives of Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar call for their release
The wives of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar jailed for seven years on official secrets charges insisted on Tuesday that the men were innocent and called for them to be released and reunited with their young families as soon as possible. A court found the ...
