Japan diet enacts bill to allow online simulcasts by NHK

May 29, 2019

Tokyo--The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted on Wednesday a bill for allowing Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, to start online simulcasts of its television programs.

The bill to revise the broadcast law was approved at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, following its passage through the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, earlier this month.

The public broadcaster aims to begin online simulcasts within fiscal 2019, which started last month. Specifically, it plans to launch the service in March next year, in time for the start of the torch relay for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics late that month.

Before the law revision, online simulcasts were allowed to commercial broadcasters.

The amended law urges NHK to draw up standards for its simulcast service, including a cap on related expenses, in response to concerns that the move by the public entity will have adverse impacts on commercial broadcasters' operations.

NHK is obliged to obtain the communications minister's approval for the standards. The minister is authorized to issue recommendations to NHK if the broadcaster is found to be failing to comply with the standards.

It is also mandatory for NHK to release its simulcast schedule for every fiscal year and the amount of related costs.

In addition, the revised law calls for measures to strengthen NHK's governance system to be taken, including allowing the broadcaster's Audit Committee to pursue responsibility of its directors as needed.

The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association has been calling for limiting NHK's simulcast-related budget to the level equivalent to 2.5 pct of its viewing fee revenue.

NHK said in a statement that it will start full preparations for its simulcast service by sincerely taking issues raised during parliamentary discussions.

"We'll work hard on fulfilling our role as social infrastructure for information trusted by viewers," it stressed. Jiji Press