Interview Series:
How Hit Programs Are Fostered at Local TV Stations (2)

Hits Depend on Trust in the Planning and Audience

November 2007

In recent years, viewers’ attitudes toward regional programming have changed dramatically and interest is growing yearly. Viewership of regional programming had been limited to the coverage of the local station that produce the programs, but with the introduction of various media such as the Internet, a nationwide audience, dissatisfied with just the network programming of Tokyo key stations, is starting to take notice. What has managed to win the hearts of this selective viewership is access programming, which local stations have been nurturing for their own survival. A reverse trend can be seen, where a program produced by a local station transcends the boundaries of its coverage area via various media, to exceed the ratings of programs produced by key stations with enormous budgets.  In this interview, we ask the key-persons of local stations, masterminds of popular local programs that have managed to strike a chord with their audience. Their insights will shed some light as to the future of regional programming, as well as to the reasons for seismic shift in regional programming.

The second report in this series features Tsukasa Ito, the production director for Chubu Nippon Broadcasting. Sujii-nashi, a program conceived by Ito and his team, is an unprecedented, ad-libbed drama featuring Shofukutei Tsurube and a guest performer who perform skits without meetings or scripts. Even though a Nagoya local program, guest performers have included prominent celebrities such asShinobu Otake, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Ryoko Hirosue and Kankuro Kudo. The unpredictability of the program has gained the support of viewers, not only in the Tokai region but also throughout the nation. Other than Sujii-nashi, Ito has put various ambitious programs on air, such as Sora Navi, a weather report turned one-hour information program, and Tokuso! Bando Research, a pioneer in golden-time information programs for local stations. In this interview we ask Ito about his attitude towards programming, and the ways he comes up with original programs and the right production atmosphere.

The NHK Monthly Report on Broadcast Research