No Escape From The NHK Man?

[wuchan]

they are trying to introduce a new rule in which there is a strict penalty in the case of non-payment of the fee.

What would it actually take to either get rid of NHK or get the fee system replaced?

Hopefully a lot. Public TV is a bastion of the first world, where you have only visited,.........and lived, obliviously. Since you left the US. But at least rationalise that silly licence system. That is antedeluvian silliness.

Wuchan,
Do you pay for the code to put in said box? BTW, if you (I mean all of YOU) expect TV for free, you're a fucking English teacher. But if they expect you to pay for TV you don't watch, then fuck them. But if you do watch it and refuse to pay, you're probably from New Zealand. At best. If not Wales. Or worse, the states.

Pay NHK? Fuck no. Even NHK world is propaganda bullshit. I don't mind paying for TV but I refuse to pay for propaganda.

[Takechanpoo]

interesting. NHK has been told to be pro-china or pro-korea for a long time. it also has been one of main reasons for some j-ppl to refuse to pay the fee. but some gaijin dudes think it is being Abes propaganda machine recently.
by the way, can you introduce me to non-propaganda medias if it exists?

[Coligny]

interesting. NHK has been told to be pro-china or pro-korea for a long time. but some gaijin dudes think it is being Abes propaganda machine recently.
by the way, can you introduce me to non-propaganda medias if it exists?

24h pron channels...

Aquarium tv (24h fishtank livecam)
Fireplace channel (fireplace... Livecam)
And i think there was also some paint drying show on BBC 4. Litterally showing paint drying on a wall...

[matsuki]

interesting. NHK has been told to be pro-china or pro-korea for a long time. it also has been one of main reasons for some j-ppl to refuse to pay the fee. but some gaijin dudes think it is being Abes propaganda machine recently.
by the way, can you introduce me to non-propaganda medias if it exists?

Well, there is bias everywhere but not all media is state-sponsored/appointed and bound to a legal duty to uphold political neutrality.

[Russell]

interesting. NHK has been told to be pro-china or pro-korea for a long time. but some gaijin dudes think it is being Abes propaganda machine recently.
by the way, can you introduce me to non-propaganda medias if it exists?

24h pron channels...

Aquarium tv (24h fishtank livecam)
Fireplace channel (fireplace... Livecam)
And i think there was also some paint drying show on BBC 4. Litterally showing paint drying on a wall...

In Norway they regularly used to have those 30-hour+ programs showing knitting in progress...

[Russell]

NHK against obligatory payment of its fee

The debate over whether to make NHK receiving fees obligatory is on the table again as the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry prepares to set up a panel later this month to discuss the issue.

[...]

Members of the panel would [...] debate the pros and cons of making NHK’s receiving fees obligatory, which has been proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party.

However, when the ministry studied the possibility of introducing obligatory payment, it was shelved due to NHK’s resistance. Hurdles remain before realization of such a plan.

Low payment rates

The viewers’ payment rate of the NHK receiving fee was 75.6 percent as of the end of fiscal 2014. Compared to payment rates in other countries — in 2014 the BBC had a payment rate of 95 percent and the German public broadcasters saw a payment rate of 96.6 percent — NHK’s figure remains significantly low.

Under Japan’s Broadcast Law, households that own a TV that is able to receive NHK programs are required to pay the receiving fee.

However, the figure shows roughly one in four such households take “a free ride” regarding the viewing of NHK programs, leaving a question of fairness in the payment system.

In Europe, in addition to the obligation to pay receiving fees, some countries legally stipulate fines for nonpayment or penalties for delayed payment, while allowing the forced collection of fees.

On the other hand, the Japanese law does not stipulate viewers’ obligation to pay or penalties, partly contributing to a relatively low payment rate. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to revise the current law to impose a payment obligation on viewers.

[...]

However, to make fee payments obligatory, the broadcaster will possibly be asked to reduce its receiving fees and costs in order to gain public understanding.

The ministry and the LDP have questioned the fact that NHK spends ¥72.3 billion annually on collecting fees from the public.

That amount accounts for 11 percent of the entire revenue from receiving fees — much higher than in Britain and Germany, where such figures stand in the 2 percent range.

NHK President Katsuto Momii has implied some support of making fee payment obligatory, describing it as “one of the measures” that could be taken.

However, the public broadcaster is expected to resist any moves to cut costs.

Making fee payment obligatory was put on the table in 2007 on the condition that the receiving fee be reduced by 20 percent. However, this was not realized because NHK opposed the reduction.

A senior NHK official said: “Even if fees are made obligatory, those who don’t pay will never pay. Honestly, it’ll be tough to make NHK promise to lower its receiving fees and introduce obligatory payments.”

More

The non-payment rate is actually much higher than I expected. One in four do not pay. Wow!

Once that becomes more known to the public, the payment rate will decrease even more, because there will be no shame felt anymore for not paying.

[dimwit]

What makes it even better is that they have too much money to begin with.

Nikkan Gendai (July 14) shows that NHK’s new headquarters, to be located on land already acquired at Jinnan 2-chome in Shibuya Ward, will be built at an estimated cost of 340 billion yen—exceeding the stadium price tag by a considerable margin. Rather than pay for it from tax revenues, NHK expects to foot the bill through contributions from its viewers.

NHK Chairman Katsuto Momii was said to have explained the reason why the new site was selected was that “No additional outlays would be required to secure the property.”

But journalist Shinichiro Suda tells the tabloid that a cost projection by internal auditors found that compared with rebuilding on its current site, moving to a new location would cost approximately double. “I’ve even heard talk that the costs will surpass 400 billion yen,” Suda noted.

Comparisons with buildings recently erected by private TV networks reveal the profligate nature of the NHK planners. Nihon TV’s new headquarters came to 110 billion yen. TV Asahi’s was just 50 billion yen. Clearly, NHK’s outlays exceed the others by far.

Takashi Tachibana, a former NHK staff member who is currently a member of the Funabashi City assembly, is quoted as saying, “NHK’s current accrued reserves come to 200 billion yen, and as they’ve got a surplus from subscriber fees, it was only a matter of time until somebody would demand the money should be reimbursed to the viewers. So the decision to build the new HQ was based on the intention to use up the money. Other reasons for the high price include a more robust earthquake-resistant structure and measures related to advancing the next-generation 8K high vision TV technology.”

Nikkan Gendai notes that 144.1 billion yen in pooled funding not spent in 2011 was transferred to a reserve fund earmarked for construction a year later.

“NHK’s surplus should be refunded to subscribers,” grumbled the aforementioned Tachibana, who said he felt it strange that the organization should indulge itself in a deluxe new building at a time when people have become so sensitive to waste.

Just as with the bureaucrats at the Ministry of Education, NHK follows the line of thought that budgeted funds absolutely must be spent, even if the spending amounts to no more than flushing them down the drain.

https://www.japantoday.com/smartphone/v ... nder-money

[kurogane]

　Once that becomes more known to the public, the payment rate will decrease even more, because there will be no shame felt anymore for not paying.

As shockingly inefficient and wasteful as all that sounds, and allowing for what Dimwit linked there, which is also royally Fucked, the reason there is no shame in not paying is because people that don't pay are shameless, quibbling parasites, not because there is no shame in not paying for a service you use. If you don't want to pay, don't watch NHK; if you watch it, pay or at least admit you're a pissy child. It's not that difficult, even for the 8 year old mentality usually used to justify not paying. And as usual, there is obviously a need for reform and reorganisation. And to encourage that, those that want it should stop watching, then stop paying, then make that known. A well organised protest like that could take off like those demonstrations over the constitutional revisions last month.

[wagyl]

The flaw in all these arguments is that while it is very easy to never start paying, it is close to impossible to stop paying once you have begun.

[Samurai_Jerk]

　Once that becomes more known to the public, the payment rate will decrease even more, because there will be no shame felt anymore for not paying.

As shockingly inefficient and wasteful as all that sounds, and allowing for what Dimwit linked there, which is also royally Fucked, the reason there is no shame in not paying is because people that don't pay are shameless, quibbling parasites, not because there is no shame in not paying for a service you use. If you don't want to pay, don't watch NHK; if you watch it, pay or at least admit you're a pissy child. It's not that difficult, even for the 8 year old mentality usually used to justify not paying. And as usual, there is obviously a need for reform and reorganisation. And to encourage that, those that want it should stop watching, then stop paying, then make that known. A well organised protest like that could take off like those demonstrations over the constitutional revisions last month.

Sorry for being a pedant but you don't pay for watching. You pay for owning any device that can receive NHK whether you watch it or not. Anyway the reporting on this is confusing. NHK doesn't want to make payment obligatory. I thought payment was obligatory but they don't have a good way to enforce it. Or am I being pedantic again?

[Russell]

　Once that becomes more known to the public, the payment rate will decrease even more, because there will be no shame felt anymore for not paying.

As shockingly inefficient and wasteful as all that sounds, and allowing for what Dimwit linked there, which is also royally Fucked, the reason there is no shame in not paying is because people that don't pay are shameless, quibbling parasites, not because there is no shame in not paying for a service you use. If you don't want to pay, don't watch NHK; if you watch it, pay or at least admit you're a pissy child. It's not that difficult, even for the 8 year old mentality usually used to justify not paying. And as usual, there is obviously a need for reform and reorganisation. And to encourage that, those that want it should stop watching, then stop paying, then make that known. A well organised protest like that could take off like those demonstrations over the constitutional revisions last month.

In case you didn't notice, not watching NHK does not remove the obligation to pay. It's all about having a telly or not.

[kurogane]

I do know that, and argue that is the biggest single point in need of revision. I am talking about people that watch it anyways but still don't pay, and especially the ones that crow about it like they're a consumer rights Mahatma Ghandi by doing so. Also, and as usual, I am whining mostly about Japanese here. The 16 foreigners that have an opinion don't matter anyways, as they never do. Most Furrner friends of mine that don't pay don't watch it. But if they do watch, they should pay. And the Japanese that watch but don't pay in "silent protest" should be ashamed of themselves as freeloaders anyways, and at least do something to organise and have the system revised rather than so bravely saving their pachinko money.

[Mike Oxlong]

Interestingly,

NHK’s massive budget, exceeding ¥600 billion, is funded almost entirely by TV “receiving” or license fees, imposed on each household and business with a television set. Even in the absence of penalties for nonpayment, a remarkably high percentage of Japanese households pay their NHK fees. Although the percentage is substantially lower in the Tokyo area than in the provinces (60% versus 90%), the overall average topped 70% in 2011.

http://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00125/

[Salty]

Woot! 11% of fees go to collection; only 75% of people pay; and even at that NHK is literally swimming in excess funds. And then NHK doesn`t want to lower fees, or even enact a penalty for non-payment of fees?

I suspect that there is more to be disclosed – such as where NHK management go when they retire; what their retirement allowances are; whether NHK owns golf courses, resorts, etc.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I do know that, and argue that is the biggest single point in need of revision.

The issue then becomes implementing a system for tracking who's watching NHK. That's not so easy since most people have TV's that can pick up a broadcast signal. Anyway, it seems like NHK prefers the status quo to any kind of increased scrutiny so they can go fuck themselves.

[kurogane]

Sadly, it seems you are right about the preference for the status quo, but if they made it fully voluntary and lowered the fees I betcha even the 322 whiney foreigners claiming to be defending their childish principles might pay ( ). That would erase their collection costs, avoid the apparently thorny issues of penalties and make it what it should be: a service paid for by those who watch it (though I have no objection to a taxfunded top up, as I think a well funded public broadcaster is a sine qua non of a civilised society). If they made it fully voluntary and lowered the fees (and not just by the price of one of those boxes of tissues) I bet you would see a 30-40% reduction in non-payment, and adding that to the savings from collection costs they could even afford to make some shows that weren't garbage.

FTR, the only reason I have ever understood for watching but not paying was a very principled objection to the collection methods, esp. the veiled menace, and I had one weirdo collector in Kyoto that was bordering on stalking and harassment.

[Samurai_Jerk]

FTR, the only reason I have ever understood for watching but not paying was a very principled objection to the collection methods, esp. the veiled menace, and I had one weirdo collector in Kyoto that was bordering on stalking and harassment.

If I'm recalling correctly, there are also a lot of people who decided they didn't want to pay anymore because of some money scandals and the over-inflated salaries the execs in the amakudari roles were getting.

[Russell]

I do know that, and argue that is the biggest single point in need of revision. I am talking about people that watch it anyways but still don't pay, and especially the ones that crow about it like they're a consumer rights Mahatma Ghandi by doing so. Also, and as usual, I am whining mostly about Japanese here. The 16 foreigners that have an opinion don't matter anyways, as they never do. Most Furrner friends of mine that don't pay don't watch it. But if they do watch, they should pay. And the Japanese that watch but don't pay in "silent protest" should be ashamed of themselves as freeloaders anyways, and at least do something to organise and have the system revised rather than so bravely saving their pachinko money.

This is how it works.

NHK pretends to be not biased, the non-payers pretend to not watch.

As a payer, I do not care whether there are freeloaders, because even if those people would pay, NHK would not lower their fees. So, NHK can go fuck themselves, indeed.

[kurogane]

Oh, sure; a nice summary that. BTW, that bias seems to me to be a rather recent development , which is why these little fits and spurts of vocal opposition are important. I think NHK is shit too, but people that argue about not paying for a product they consume are usually self-serving quibblers seeking to increase their own pachinko or lottery ticket budget. All the properly raised people I know pay their NHK because they weren't raised like filth. The beauty of this issue is it highlights 2 things that need to be addressed: public organisational incompetence and bloat, and the increasingly revolting unterklassen that need to be raised better and whipped harder.

[matsuki]

The flaw in all these arguments is that while it is very easy to never start paying, it is close to impossible to stop paying once you have begun.

Grrl I know was paying, moved back to her jikka who was already paying, contract cancelled. She moved out again and it's been a few years with no NHK man coming around.

If I actually paid NHK fees, I'd be pretty sickened at how it's operated and how overpriced it is despite the surplus. (no interest in watching it either) Instead, I will happily tell the NHK man to get fucked when he comes around.

[Mike Oxlong]

Why did NHK overpay for Shibuya property?
A subsidiary of the broadcaster successfully bid on a large piece of land for a price that far exceeds its market value

[Yokohammer]

Chairman Momii is at it again, playing lapdog to our Glorious Leader (et al).

Outspoken NHK Chairman Katsuto Momii has found himself once again mired in controversy after news leaked he gave instructions that the public broadcaster should stick to the official government line when reporting on the nuclear reactor situation in quake-hit Kyushu.

So if Sanae Takaichi's assertion that broadcasters can be shut down if they engage in biased reporting is true, then NHK should be shut down? This is just getting comical in a very dangerous way.

The rest at the JT: NHK chairman’s order to follow government line on Kyushu nuclear reactors sparks outcry

[matsuki]

New and improved Japan, now with more glorious Chai-knee-furehhhbahhhh!

[Samurai_Jerk]

New and improved Japan, now with more glorious Chai-knee-furehhhbahhhh!

Get your Engrish right. It would be Chai-knee-zoo taste-oh.

[Coligny]

Chairman Momii is at it again, playing lapdog to our Glorious Leader (et al).

Outspoken NHK Chairman Katsuto Momii has found himself once again mired in controversy after news leaked he gave instructions that the public broadcaster should stick to the official government line when reporting on the nuclear reactor situation in quake-hit Kyushu.

So if Sanae Takaichi's assertion that broadcasters can be shut down if they engage in biased reporting is true, then NHK should be shut down? This is just getting comical in a very dangerous way.

The rest at the JT: NHK chairman’s order to follow government line on Kyushu nuclear reactors sparks outcry

It's like intermittent fault on electronics. You never know when you can trust the device. That's super annoying...

While with this updated line of conduct you instead just know the time when to trust NHK...

This time being stuck on "never O'Clock"

[Yokohammer]

More at the Asahi:

NHK chief urges staff to exclude experts’ views on quake coverage

The Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) president not only instructed subordinates to toe the government line in covering the Kyushu earthquake disaster, but he also urged them to avoid airing the views of outside experts, sources said.

“The reporting should be based on authorities’ official announcements,” the sources quoted Katsuto Momii as saying during a meeting at the public broadcaster on April 20. “If various assessments by experts were broadcast, it would only end up unnecessarily raising concerns among the public.”

Minutes of the meeting obtained by The Asahi Shimbun earlier showed Momii’s instructions to rely on official government announcements in reporting the series of earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture that started on April 14 and the possible impact on nuclear power plants in the region.

But the minutes did not include any passages on Momii’s call to refrain from broadcasting experts’ opinions about the implications on nuclear power plants.

Sources at NHK said Momii indeed said those words at the meeting.

“The part may have been removed (from the record) over concerns that it could cause trouble if left intact,” an NHK source said.

[matsuki]

Transparency...not a traditional Japanese value

[wagyl]

Is it a traditional value anywhere? In my view it has had to be wrenched from those with decision-making power everywhere, with varying degrees of success.

[Russell]

More at the Asahi:

NHK chief urges staff to exclude experts’ views on quake coverage

The Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) president not only instructed subordinates to toe the government line in covering the Kyushu earthquake disaster, but he also urged them to avoid airing the views of outside experts, sources said.

“The reporting should be based on authorities’ official announcements,” the sources quoted Katsuto Momii as saying during a meeting at the public broadcaster on April 20. “If various assessments by experts were broadcast, it would only end up unnecessarily raising concerns among the public.”

Minutes of the meeting obtained by The Asahi Shimbun earlier showed Momii’s instructions to rely on official government announcements in reporting the series of earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture that started on April 14 and the possible impact on nuclear power plants in the region.

But the minutes did not include any passages on Momii’s call to refrain from broadcasting experts’ opinions about the implications on nuclear power plants.

Sources at NHK said Momii indeed said those words at the meeting.

“The part may have been removed (from the record) over concerns that it could cause trouble if left intact,” an NHK source said.

Well, now everybody knows that the reporting of NHK cannot be trusted because of its bias.

“If the NRA believes that the nuclear plant is safe or can remain in operation, we will just report it like that,” Momii said.

In related news...

“If the NRA believes that the nuclear plant is not safe and cannot remain in operation, we will just report it like that,” Momii said.

[wagyl]

Still just at the proposal stage, and nothing will go before the Diet before next year, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is considering the German TV licence model, in other words making it a general tax which will be payable by all households, whether they have a TV or not. 日本語 breaching a Nikkei paywall

As is so often, cribbed from Mulboyne's twitter account.