April 2011
Analyzing Internal Data of the Department of Communications and Record of Answers in the Imperial Diet
Motonori Kato
The purpose of this article is to elucidate how the management of broadcasting fell into the hand of a “public interest incorporated association” before WWII. To explore the process of emergence of broadcasting, the author focused on Inukai Tsuyoshi, who twice served as Minister of Communications in a period of upheaval in the late Taisho Era (early 20th century) and became deeply engaged in the establishment of broadcasting system in Japan.
Inukai’s involvement in the broadcasting system started from the promulgation of “Regulation on Private Radiophones for Broadcasting,” which spelled out the possibility of privatization of broadcasting business, on December 1923 during his first tenure as Minister of Communications. After he took office again, an ongoing policy of coordinating applicants for future commercialized broadcasters was reviewed, and Inukai made a decision to put broadcasting business in the hand of a public incorporated association in July 1924.
Historical assessment on this sudden about-face varies, with mixed evaluations. While some praise it highly; “excellent insight” (Inukai Bokudou Den [Biography of Inukai Tsuyoshi]), “laudable forecast” (Goto Shinpei Den [Biography of Goto Shinpei]), or “courageous decision” (Nihon Musen Shi [History of Japanese Radio]), others are less enthusiastic; “a measure to settle down the chaos caused by the competition between applicants” (Nihon Hoso Shi [History of Japanese Broadcasting] (65)) or mere “reconfirmation of existing policy” of the Department of Communications which were planning to intensify supervision (Kogo 2006).
The author re-examined the role of Inukai in the process of establishment of broadcasting by analyzing internal data of the Department of Communications and his answers to questions in the Imperial Diet. As a result, it is revealed that it was highly possible that his decision was a temporal measure to settle down the chaos accompanying the joint operation by applicants, partly affected by the Department bureaucrats’ speculation to strength control over broadcasting and the sense of public morality of Inukai himself who hated “right-mongers.” It is also worth noting that the decision is not a fundamental policy shift, but he rather followed an existing policy of the Department that tried to tighten the control over broadcasting business.
Inukai’s decision utterly contradicted the current concept of public nature of broadcasters, which advocates their independence from public authority. However, looking at the actual status of applicants at the time who regarded broadcasting nothing but a measure to earn profit, his decision did play a certain role in preventing broadcasting from falling into disorder triggered by bribery cases at its early days and in promoting sound and decent development of broadcasting.