Management

Comments from the President

Summary of Press Conference (October, 2022)

  • On the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

    (Comments by MAEDA Terunobu, President)

    I would like to begin by explaining what we are planning for the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar, which begins in just over one month. NHK will have live broadcasts of 21 matches including Japan’s first match and the final match, on General TV and BS4K, and will also stream them live on NHK Plus. This world cup is the first since we launched the BS4K channel. Even people who own 4K TVs may not have many chances to watch programs in 4K. We would like them to take this opportunity to enjoy world-class soccer in 4K. We also plan to hold a public viewing event using one of the biggest 4K screens in Japan.

    (Comments by the project manager)

    On General TV, we plan to broadcast 21 out of all 64 matches. Japan’s highly anticipated first match at the FIFA World Cup will be against Germany, one of the world’s top teams. The match will take place on November 23rd at 10 p.m. All of the 21 matches that we will air on General TV will also be broadcast live on BS4K and streamed simultaneously on NHK Plus. In addition, on BS1, we will show recordings of the 21 matches at times that people may find easier to watch. We will also make a special page on the NHK website, where we will provide updates on ongoing matches, results, and other information. Japan’s pre-tournament friendly match against Canada, which will take place on the 17th, just before the competition begins, will be broadcast on General TV and streamed on NHK Plus.
    In our public viewing on November 23rd of Japan’s first match, we plan to use one of the biggest 4K screens in the country.
    Next, I would like to talk about NHK’s new soccer theme song by popular rock band King Gnu. We will reveal the song in its entirety during our broadcast of the final game of the Emperor’s Cup JFA Japan Football Championship on October 16th.

  • On the “NHK Kohaku Utagassen (NHK Red-and-White Year-End Song Festival)”

    (Comments by MAEDA Terunobu)

    I would like to talk about the 73rd “NHK Kohaku Utagassen (NHK Red-and-White Year-End Song Festival).” This year, the NHK Hall will be the main venue for the show for the first time in two years. We hope to put together a program that will be memorable for our viewers as we return to our home ground. The show will be broadcast from 7:20 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. on General TV, BS4K, BS8K and Radio 1. We will announce the names of the hosts and other performers as soon as they have been decided. This year, we plan to have viewers come and watch the show in person at the NHK Hall. We will begin accepting applications from 4 p.m. from people who wish to attend. We will implement thorough coronavirus measures in anticipation of having many viewers. With hopes and wishes that 2023 will be bright, we aim to create a program worthy of wrapping up the current year.

  • On Holding the Public Broadcasters International Conference in Tokyo

    (Comments by MAEDA Terunobu)

    Public Broadcasters International (PBI) was established around 30 years ago. About 50 public service media organizations have attended its annual conferences with the aim of learning from each other’s efforts and experiences. This year, NHK will host the conference for the first time in 13 years. During the conference, participants will exchange views on reliable broadcasting and reporting. Discussions will also be held on issues faced by public service media around the world, such as universal services utilizing the latest technology and green management, and NHK will introduce its initiatives in those areas. This year, the world’s first broadcaster, Britain’s BBC, celebrates its 100th anniversary since it began broadcasts. In three years, NHK will also reach its 100th anniversary since beginning radio broadcasts.
    We would like to have in-depth discussions on the role of public service media and what our services should look like amid a drastically changing media ecosystem.

    (Comments by the project manager)

    This year’s PBI conference will be held for three days from November 16th in Tokyo. The theme is “‘Public’ Matters: 100 Years and Beyond.” It will be attended by executives from public service media organizations. The opening ceremony, which will be held on the first day, will take place at the Tokyo National Museum. NHK and the Tokyo National Museum have been engaged in a joint project that uses 8K and 3DCG technologies to produce a digital inventory of national treasures and important cultural properties. At the venue, we hope to have the participants experience some of what we have produced so far, and we plan to introduce the project as a new endeavor by a public service media organization. On the second day, Mr. Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, will give the keynote speech. The theme of his speech will be “BBC’s 100 years and beyond” and what public service media must do to remain relevant. After that, different sessions will be held, each with varying themes. One of them will be a panel discussion on “‘Public’ Matters in Times of Global Crisis,” which will be attended online by the head of news at Ukraine’s public service broadcaster, UA: PBC. The PBI conference is in principle held behind closed doors, but we are making arrangements to make available to other media the first day’s events and the BBC director-general’s keynote speech.