New President for NHK

TOKYO: Masayuki Matsumoto has officially assumed his post as president of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, succeeding Shigeo Fukuchi, who has ended his three-year term.

Matsumoto joins NHK after many years with the Japan Railway Company, which he first joined in 1967, rising through the ranks to become vice chairman last year.

Outlining his plans for NHK, Matsumoto noted, “As an organization supported by viewers receiving fee, we must always stand firmly by the principle of public broadcaster and strive to meet our audiences’ high expectations. Reform must continue not only in programming but also in our broadcast technology and all the services we provide. We must change drastically when necessary while maintaining the classical strength of NHK. NHK has a special responsibility as a broadcaster on the road to digital switchover in July. We must ensure that digital broadcasting is successfully completed across the nation. In this era of convergence of broadcasting and communication technology, we must enhance our value as a public broadcaster. It is more important than ever for NHK to gain the support of our audiences by providing reliable, enriching and quality program that truly build public value.”

Matsumoto was unanimously elected as NHK’s new chief by the board of governors in January.