No Escape From The NHK Man?

[Mulboyne]

[floatl][/floatl]Asahi: NHK fees likely to become mandatory, but also lower
Viewer fees to NHK are likely to become mandatory under law but will also likely be reduced to a fraction of what they are now under recommendations of a government advisory board, sources said. The total number of NHK radio and television channels should be reduced from eight to four or five as part of efforts to streamline the troubled broadcaster...The council also decided that punitive measures should be considered for people who refuse to pay the fees, sources said...more...

[AssKissinger]

Jesus, why don't they just fund it from regular taxes then and stfu.

[Mike Oxlong]

Jesus, why don't they just fund it from regular taxes then and stfu.

Don't they?! I thought as a public broadcaster a significant portion of their budget came from the public coffers - your tax yen at work. The collections they made going door to door like missionaires was their slush fund for trips, parties, you know...shits n' giggles.

[Big Booger]

I am glad to hear the fee is going down. My wife pays via direct deposit. This is good news... I think if you don't have a TV you shouldn't have to pay for it though.

[Neo-Rio]

That's just it. We don't have a TV anymore. We threw it out. Instead, we've loaded our PCs with TV tuner cards and conveniently pretend to not be home when the NHK mafia come around.

[Catoneinutica]

[floatl][/floatl]Asahi: NHK fees likely to become mandatory, but also lower
Viewer fees to NHK are likely to become mandatory under law but will also likely be reduced to a fraction of what they are now under recommendations of a government advisory board, sources said. The total number of NHK radio and television channels should be reduced from eight to four or five as part of efforts to streamline the troubled broadcaster...The council also decided that punitive measures should be considered for people who refuse to pay the fees, sources said...more...

Yikes! Sounds like NHK getting to be as fascistic as al-Beeb. What's next? Are they going to start driving around with those antenna trucks? Turn over the collection business to some thuggish private contractor who'll specialize in harassing all the single mothers who can't make their payments?

[Taro Toporific]

Yikes! ... What's next? Are they going to start driving around with those antenna trucks?

I've got a bunch of ways to FRY those antenna trucks. I'm guess the nerds in UK don't hate the Beeb as much as gaijin hate the JapanPropaganda Channels/

Oddly, I've been at home everyday here in Ota-ku Tokyo for almost 6 months and the NHK guy has never come by for me to abuse him.

---Taro, who-donates-NPR-&-PBS-religiously

[Catoneinutica]

---Taro, who-donates-NPR-&-PBS-religiously

Yeah, I bet you're one of those contributors who demand that PBS stations show those goddamn Lawrence Welk reruns.

-catone
-going to give Taro a call while he's gone and see if he has one of those Carl Kassel answering machine recordings

[Greji]

[quote="Catoneinutica"]Yeah, I bet you're one of those contributors who demand that PBS stations show those goddamn Lawrence Welk reruns. ]

I'm sure he would and it probably starts with " and a one anda two..."

[Mulboyne]

[Taro Toporific]

Gov't to submit bill next year to make NHK fees mandatory
Kyodo via Crisscross, Friday, September 1, 2006 at 15:23 EDT
TOKYO --- Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka said Friday the government plans to introduce a bill next year to require all television viewers to pay fees to Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK). The proposal for mandatory NHK subscription fees comes as many people refuse to pay the charges due partly to a series of scandals involving NHK...more...

[james]

i can see a lot of people opposing this in light of the financial scandal and sheer amount of waste, not the least of which is their outlandishly outdated collection system.

i suppose i'd pay for it at the house, mostly cause my wife and kids watch some of their crap programming. where i'm concerned is that i have a tv in my schools - are those bastards going to try to collect nhk fees on a t.v. i use exclusively for videos? i'd definitely fight that tooth and nail.

[GuyJean]

I just saw on NHK news they're requiring 48 households in Tokyo to pay back-fees.. If the households don't pay, NHK's taking them to court.. They hope to expand this method in the near future.. Joy!

GJ

[Catoneinutica]

I just saw on NHK news they're requiring 48 households in Tokyo to pay back-fees.. If the households don't pay, NHK's taking them to court.. They hope to expand this method in the near future.. Joy!

GJ

From what I can tell, even if you lose a civil case in Japan, there's no way anyone can compel you to pay. Just ask Debito, who won that suit against 2-Chan.

-catone
-mesmerized by Taro's startling juxtaposition of Domo-kun and the "fuck you" lips.

[Mulboyne]

From what I can tell, even if you lose a civil case in Japan, there's no way anyone can compel you to pay. Just ask Debito, who won that suit against 2-Chan.

The problem Debito has is finding the guy. His letters go unanswered since he isn't at his registered address. NHK knows where you live.

[Taro Toporific]

I just saw on NHK news they're requiring 48 households in Tokyo to pay back-fees.. If the households don't pay, NHK's taking them to court.. They hope to expand this method in the near future..
Joy!

Happy, happy, joy, joy...

NHK to press for subscription fee payments through summary court
japan today > japan > national Friday, October 6, 2006 at 05:00 EDT
TOKYO ---NHK Chairman Genichi Hashimoto said Thursday that people who refuse to pay their viewer subscription fees will be pressed for payment through summary courts if they fail to pay by the end of this month.... Viewers' property may be seized if they do not follow summary courts' demand for payment.

[GuyJean]

I thought we weren't legally bound to pay the fees; we were 'obligated' to pay.. Did they pass the law you posted earlier making NHK fees mandatory?

GJ

[Taro Toporific]

[quote="GuyJean"]I thought we weren't legally bound to pay the fees]
I don't think here has been a law change....This is just "adminstrative guidance."

The law may officially change on April 1.

If and when they ever try to sue me, then I'll start worrying. Right now 10 million households are not paying and the Japanese summary court can handle about 500 of such cases per year.

[rooboy]

Yep, the cunts from NHK have been trawling neighbourhoods looking for business including eikaiwa that have tvs. Last year I was teaching at a small eikaiwa and the NHK man came in to my class cos there wasn't anybody in the office outside (receptionist was out for a bit on business).

The cunt started his spiel and pointed to the tv so I told him that we were in the middle of class with paying customers so please go now:mad: . He did but came back later and the boss happened to be in the office with the receptionist. He told her that she had to pay the licence fee on behalf of the school. She started doing it.

Now - here's a question. Hospitals have multiple tvs so why are people like myself paying the NHK fee (neighbour cunts complained to my rental agent and they told me to pay or they'd take it out of my rent - cunts of cunts) but businesses like hospitals, school etc have so many tvs but pay the same price as me?:mad:

As for having to pay - whatday think Taro? Had a look at gaijinpot (not a member but sometimes slip over there to read) and BigBrother says on an NHK news thread that if you don't make a contract with NHK they can't make you pay even by summonsing you to court.

I like that idea BUT - much as the law is an ass by not providing penalties for non payment, it says everybody with a tv has to make a contract with NHK. To my mind that means they can summons people who have refused to make contracts even tho having a non penalty clause makes it all ultimately Japanese style horseshit.

[Taro Toporific]

Had a look at gaijinpot-- BigBrother says on an NHK news thread that if you don't make a contract with NHK they can't make you pay even by summonsing you to court.
I like that idea BUT - much as the law is an ass by not providing penalties for non payment, it says everybody with a tv has to make a contract with NHK. To my mind that means they can summons people who have refused to make contracts even tho having a non penalty clause makes it all ultimately Japanese style horseshit.

I've been looking into it and have found the NHK has been claiming for some time they "could" take people into summary court to sue (civil case) for "non-payment of services." I can see BigBrother's logic that NHK cannot sue for non-payment for a service you have not contracted for.

As a practical matter, I don't have the means to fight them in court as the legal fees would be higher than NHK fees (faux-taxes). I will just let NHK sue and then pay them the day before my court date which will occur in the year 2070 when the court gets around to suing the other 10 million Japanese with delinquent accounts.

Article 32 of the Broadcast Law
Any person who has installed receiving equipment capable of receiving the broadcasting provided by NHK shall conclude a contract with NHK with regard to the reception of its broadcasting. However, this shall not apply to those who have installed receiving equipment not intended for the reception of broadcasting, or receiving equipment solely for the reception of radio broadcasting or multiplex broadcasting (broadcasting of voice and other sound transmissions not coming under television broadcasting and multiplex broadcasting classifications).

NHK to take legal action against 47 households that refuse to pay subscription fees

MSN-Mainichi, 12:05pm Friday, October 6

NHK is set to take legal action against 47 households and a company in Tokyo that have refused to pay subscription fees despite the public broadcaster's repeated requests, officials said.

Unless payment is made by the end of this month, NHK will file requests with a summary court, demanding that they pay subscription fees, according to officials.

The 47 households and one company are among 700 cases that NHK had randomly selected from 190,000 households and businesses in Tokyo that have refused to pay subscription fees. NHK officials tried to persuade the 700 to make payment, but the 47 households and one company have refused to comply. ()

[Greji]

I paid! They sent her over and I accepted!

[American Oyaji]

How much is the fee?

[Taro Toporific]

How much is the fee?

More than it's worth...$127 to $343 USD a year for stalinist-style TV.

Receivin [sic] Fees (tax included)

[American Oyaji]

Well, I wouldn't pay unless I was a rich dude.

[Captain Japan]

The problem Debito has is finding the guy. His letters go unanswered since he isn't at his registered address. NHK knows where you live.

And here you go...
Operator of notorious bulletin board lost in cyber space

All sorts of mail is bulging out of the postbox, but the thick wads of legal letters stand out. A peep inside through the windows of the Tokyo apartment provides no hint that anybody has lived inside for a while.

It's the home of Hiroyuki Nishimura, the 29-year-old webmaster of Ni-Chaneru, the huge bulletin board that is arguably the Japanese language Internet's most popular -- and most notorious -- site.

Nishimura has been reported by Japan's tabloid media as "missing" -- with the strong implication that he'd run away from massive debts brought on by a huge number of lost lawsuits that he consistently refused to contest by showing up in court. But the women's weekly says it has managed to track him down and find out about the rumors of his disappearance.

"I'm just hanging out like I always do," Nishimura tells AERA with a blog posting that serves as answers to its e-mailed questions....more...

[Catoneinutica]

And here you go...
Operator of notorious bulletin board lost in cyber space

Yeah, I read that too. I wonder if the unnamed plaintiff trying to get Nishimura declared bankrupt is none other than Debito himself.

[Mulboyne]

I wonder if the unnamed plaintiff trying to get Nishimura declared bankrupt is none other than Debito himself.

The report I read earlier said that DHC has a judgement against him that they are pursuing.

[Marked Trail]

Had a look at gaijinpot (not a member but sometimes slip over there to read) and BigBrother says on an NHK news thread that if you don't make a contract with NHK they can't make you pay even by summonsing you to court.
...To my mind that means they can summons people who have refused to make contracts even tho having a non penalty clause makes it all ultimately Japanese style horseshit.

The chattering society over at the NBR Forum hates to be quoted but fuck'em, this is important:[indent]

NHK FEES thread on the NBR newsgroup (The National Bureau of Asian Research) --
http://nbr.org/foraui/list.aspx?LID=5&vt=t&MID=25747&PID=25771&TL=y

[indent]
NHK picks fee refusers for courts to go after >http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20061006a2.html

According the Japan Times, NHK has *randomly* selected forty- seven households and one business out of the estimated 1.12 million non-payers. They have informed the 48 non-payers that unless they pay they will start legal action and attempt to seize assets.[/indent]

-----
Professor Ellis Krauss, International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego


This IS unusual. I believe there are no legal criminal penalties in Japan for non-payment of receivers' fees (as there are in some European countries)]

[Catoneinutica]

The report I read earlier said that DHC has a judgement against him that they are pursuing.

DHC, huh? Well, they've certainly got infinitely deep pockets, so if anyone has a successful go at Nishimura, it will probably be them.

[Taro Toporific]

... Had a look at gaijinpot (not a member but sometimes slip over there to read) and BigBrother says on an NHK news thread that if you don't make a contract with NHK they can't make you pay even by summonsing you to court....

It seems fairly certain that NHK is only suing people with contracts who have not paid---however, come April 1 they may pass a new law that everyone will be forced to pay, contact or not.

NHK fees likely to become mandatory, but also lower
Asahi.com. 06/03/2006
....The ministry plans to submit revisions of the Broadcast Law to the Diet as early as next year [2007].
The current Broadcast Law does not stipulate that the NHK viewer fee payment is mandatory.
It only stipulates that those who have televisions must make contracts with NHK to receive NHK's broadcasts. People with contracts must pay the viewer fees....