It is feared that the review of the broadcasting business could lower the quality of TV programs, which would eventually lead to the infringement of the public's right to know. It cannot be denied that the review that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aiming for involves a number of problems.
The government's Regulatory Reform Promotion Council is discussing a draft to drastically review the broadcasting business through revision of the Broadcast Law.
One of the main pillars of the review is to unify regulations and institutions by removing the boundaries between TV and radio broadcasters and internet operators, with the aim of allowing viewers to enjoy a variety of programs through free competition.
Article 1 of the Broadcast Law requires broadcasters to make efforts for the healthy development of the public welfare. Commercial broadcasters have played such a role and provided various programs for free. In contrast, internet operators act in line with market principles, without similar regulations to those of commercial broadcasters. It is unreasonable to treat internet operators in the same manner as commercial broadcasters.
It is especially problematic that the draft revision includes the abolition of Article 4 of the Broadcast Law, which requires broadcasters to produce programs based on public order and morals, political fairness and correct reporting.
If such a regulation is removed, operators unrelated to broadcasting who only aim to make money would enter the industry and could mass-produce inferior programs that promote violent and sexual depictions. There are fears that a wide range of people, including children, will watch these programs on TV at home.
Retain Article 4
Also, it will be difficult to continue expensive large-scale disaster reporting, and broadcasting with subtitles or supplementary sound channels for hearing or visually handicapped persons. Political parties would be able to broadcast self-serving programs for themselves irrespective of elections.
Also being discussed is abolishing a regulation that prohibits foreign companies from acquiring a stake of 20 percent or more in a commercial broadcaster. That cannot totally be overlooked.
There may be fears that organizations affiliated with foreign governments will purchase broadcasters and use them for propaganda activities to exert undue influence on public opinion in Japan. This is a problem that could threaten national security.
Is it meaningful to launch reforms that could erode public confidence in broadcasting amid fake news spreading worldwide? Doubts about that cannot be dispelled.
After the fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to maintain political fairness, was abolished in the United States in 1987, the amount of partial reporting increased. According to a 2016 survey, only 30 percent of U.S. people trust TV, newspaper and radio reporting, the lowest level in history.
It is reasonable that Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiko Noda said: "Broadcasters have played socially vital roles. Article 4 is important, and many of the Japanese people seek to retain the article."
The culture of broadcasting cannot be nurtured through competitive policies. The government should have a down-to-earth discussion about the proper nature of broadcasters, which are useful to people's lives.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 25, 2018)
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