Katsuto Momii

This interview originally appeared in the MIPCOM 2014 issue of TV AsiaPac.

It’s not easy running a public broadcaster today. Revenues, often heavily dependent on viewer license fees, are under pressure, and the competitive environment has intensified as new players have emerged on the scene. Japan’s NHK takes its role as the country’s public broadcaster very seriously, particularly when it comes to informing audiences during a time of national crisis—as it did amid the devastating 2011 tsunami and earthquake. NHK is also taking the lead in driving innovation, investing heavily in Ultra HD technology in the run up to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. Katsuto Momii recently began a three-year term as NHK’s new president. As Momii tells TV AsiaPac, the pubcaster’s new corporate plan will position it to better take advantage of shifting media consumption habits and ramp up its profile across the globe.

TV ASIAPAC: What are your overall priorities coming into the position of president?
MOMII: My top priority now is to draw up a new three-year corporate plan to commence in fiscal year 2015 [which begins in April]. I recognize this plan will be a very important step towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the ideal future presence for public broadcasting [in Japan].

Improving and enhancing our international broadcasts through NHK World is a major component [of our strategy]. We are keen to improve the quality of our news and programs so that NHK World may fulfill its role of informing the world about Japan and the rest of Asia.

We are also aiming to launch our cutting-edge technology of full-scale 8K Super Hi-Vision broadcasts in time for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020. We are confident that we will be able to take a significant lead in broadcasting technology.

TV ASIAPAC: The nature of public broadcasting is in question around the world. What do you see as NHK’s role as Japan’s public broadcasting group?
MOMII: Broadcasting in Japan consists of the public broadcaster NHK, which relies on receiving fees for its funding, and the commercial broadcasters, which mostly rely on advertising for their revenue. NHK and the commercial broadcasters should continue to have a positive effect on each other in the existing dual structure. At NHK we will continue to contribute to the development of broadcasting culture and play a leading role in international broadcasting and in the area of technical development.

NHK is not swayed by any special interests or viewer ratings because it is a public broadcaster whose funding comes from the receiving fees that are paid directly by a wide range of viewers. Its role is to provide accurate information that is fundamental to community life, and to provide diverse programming that will enrich culture. They are provided without favoritism or discrimination, irrespective of time, place or person. I believe that NHK must be a medium that provides the foundation for an information society. It does this by continuing to provide audiences with relevant, reliable and accurate information, and a diverse range of high-quality programs and content.

TV ASIAPAC: There has been much debate in the U.K. about the license fee as a source of financing for the BBC, and the system in Germany has undergone an overhaul. What do you see as the future of the license fee in Japan?
MOMII: The system of receiving fees in Japan is provided for in the Broadcast Act and is based on the idea that the necessary costs for NHK to operate as a public broadcaster should be borne fairly by all those who install a TV set. It financially ensures the autonomy and independence of NHK. I believe that the receiving fees provided by a wide range of viewers are the most suitable source of funding.

A survey at the end of fiscal year 2013 found that viewers on average feel they get 1.82 times the value of what they pay in receiving fees in relation to what NHK provides. It can be said that the system of receiving fees in Japan is supported by the public who pay them.

All kinds of new services are appearing with the convergence of broadcasting and communication, for example Internet-protocol TV, video on demand, streaming and social-networking sites. The system of receiving fees in Japan finds itself in a changing environment. We must bear this situation in mind and seek out arrangements for receiving fees that are in tune with the new times. But, we believe that receiving fees will surely remain the most suitable basis of funding for NHK in the future.

TV ASIAPAC: As NHK nears the end of its 2012-to-2014 plan, what have been its greatest achievements in the last few years, and which areas have you identified as still needing progress?
MOMII: NHK’s current corporate plan sets out the core mission, which is that NHK, as a trusted public broadcaster, will continue to deliver distinctive programs and services, as well as strengthen our broadcasting capabilities, in order to build a prosperous and secure society and promote the development of culture in the new era.

NHK [saw a reduction in its license fees] by 7 percent from January 2012. We [have done] our best to overcome a number of financial difficulties, such as more households [being given] 100-percent waivers for the receiving fees on account of the economic downturn. We were able to keep a surplus in fiscal year 2013 by making efforts through the organization as a whole to restrain expenditure and have more viewers pay their receiving fees.

As for our broadcasting service, the efforts to strengthen all NHK stations in times of disaster, in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake of March 2011, have been the biggest achievement. NHK has produced numerous programs that have followed the people in the devastated parts of the Tohoku region, examined the earthquake and supported the reconstruction efforts.

Another major achievement has been the airing, to considerable public acclaim, of lengthy specials and dramas depicting various issues faced by Japanese society, including the prolonged economic downturn, a low birth rate, and a graying population. A special program—co-produced with Discovery Communications, NHK Enterprises, ZDF and Arte—on the giant squid that inhabit the vast depths of the ocean also generated considerable acclaim in Japan and abroad. It was the first time ever that these creatures were captured on film in the wild.

TV ASIAPAC: How are you positioning your international broadcasting business? What are your goals and expectations for this segment?
MOMII: International broadcasting operations are very important. The global [profile] of Japan should expand when the Japanese economic performance and unique culture are taken into account. We wish many viewers and listeners around the globe will get to know more about Japan, and be interested in our country. So improving NHK’s ability to communicate internationally is an urgent issue. We are enhancing international broadcasts so that people around the world will be able to find out more about Japan and the rest of Asia.

NHK World TV commenced as a 24-hour English-language channel five years ago. Its goal is to be the world’s most-trustworthy source of information about Japan and the rest of Asia. This channel airs NEWSLINE, a flagship news program, and many other programs about Japan’s economy, industry, science and technology, cooking, music, pop culture and so on. And there are also programs providing the latest [information] about Asia.

Programming changes have been made in fiscal year 2014 to provide more program slots. New programs were created to respond to the diverse needs of audiences. There is a program about Japanese films, which have a growing international reputation, as well as a program featuring Japanese culture such as Kabuki, which has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

NHK World TV and NHK World Radio Japan can be accessed around the globe on smartphones and electronic tablets by downloading a free app.

TV ASIAPAC: How is your program sales and co-production business doing?
MOMII: That’s a good question. I acknowledge that we should put more effort into this field.

Our great strength is the long history with our own large internal body of solid production staff. We strive to use our production capabilities to make new, globally relevant programs, sell them on the market and learn from the market’s response [when preparing] our next production projects.

We believe in the growing importance of generating still more attractive and challenging content through co-productions with top quality producers and broadcasting stations around the world and sharing the insights and future visions they present with global viewers.

We recently co-produced the Life Force II series, about biodiversity hotspots of the world, with partners in New Zealand and China. This series not only records images of natural beauty but also looks deeply into the underlying structures and the situations of the creatures that live there now to seek out hints [about] the future of our planet.

The rapidly evolving media environment is bringing viewers into increasing contact with video on demand, mobile devices and other new media. Many questions still remain about how best to deliver content to viewers and we shall carry on working closely with our co-production partners to determine the best ways to deliver content.

TV ASIAPAC: What are your plans for broadcasting in Ultra HD? How is NHK supporting innovation in broadcast technology?
MOMII: 8K Super Hi-Vision is one of the most important areas that we have to focus on. 8K, which has ultra-high resolution of 7,680×4,320 pixels and 22.2 multichannel audio, is a high-fidelity system that really makes viewers feel that they are where the action is taking place. We have been researching and developing 8K as the next high-definition broadcasting medium since 1995.

Japan aims as a matter of government policy to commence test broadcasts of 8K in 2016, with full-scale broadcast [planned for] 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics. NHK is developing facilities for sending out 8K in accordance with this roadmap, as well as producing 8K content. We wish to impress as many viewers as possible with a palpable sense of being where the action is taking place. 8K will not only affect broadcasting; it should also have a considerable ripple effect on a wide range of other sectors, such as medical technology and education.

The NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories have played a vital role in NHK’s innovations in broadcasting technology. The laboratories were established in 1930, only five years after the commencement of radio broadcasts in Japan, in order to pursue research and development of television broadcasts. The laboratories have pursued the development of various media, constantly keeping in mind the type of media that audiences will want in the future. The current research and development of Hi-Vision began in 1960 when color broadcasts started in Japan. NHK, meanwhile, has been a global pioneer in the realization of large plasma display panels. Moreover, in recent times NHK has also developed NHK Hybridcast, a new system that brings together broadcasting and communication by [combining] the [mass] reach of broadcast and the interactive nature of the Internet. NHK is also pursuing research into 3D television as a next-generation ultra-high-fidelity broadcasting system. The idea is to recreate natural 3D images that do not need to be viewed through special glasses.

Research is also being pursued in other areas, such as people-friendly broadcasts and services, so that broadcasts might be accessible to all.  Examples include computer graphics-based animated sign-language generation, speech-recognition captioning, simple Japanese to make news clearer, and systems that can convey information by touch and [vibration].

TV ASIAPAC: What are your overall goals for NHK in the next 12 to 18 months?
MOMII: We will aim to enhance our international broadcasts to respond to rapid and constant change in the media environment. Improvement and development of technology such as 8K will be an important issue too, and thinking about the best way to accommodate convergence of broadcasting and communication.

“A future NHK that responds to the new era” is not just [the theme] for the new corporate plan. We are giving consideration to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics and arrangements for public broadcasting in the future.