WOWOW Reshuffles Senior Management

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TOKYO: Japanese pay-TV broadcaster WOWOW has made several changes to its senior-level management team, including promoting Nobuya Wazaki to chairman.

Wazaki spent the last seven years serving as president of WOWOW, during which time he guided the transition from analog to digital, created three new full HD channels, and helped set the record for the highest number of subscribers in the company's history. As chairman, he will continue to have full managerial supervision.

Replacing Wazaki as president will be Akira Tanaka, a seasoned TV exec who previously served as the senior director of SKY Perfect JSAT Holdings, and president and representative director of SKY Perfect Entertainment. Earlier in his career, Tanaka worked for Nippon Television Holdings.

Wazaki said: "We warmly welcome Mr. Akira Tanaka who brings deep knowledge of both network TV and pay services through his experiences working in both industries. As we look ahead to 2020, we see that Mr. Tanaka will enhance our structure for future expansion."

Other senior-level changes at the company see Hajime Hashimoto elevated to senior managing director, charged with corporate strategy; Kazuhito Sato being upped to senior managing director, responsible for investor relations, finance and accounting; and Ichiro Yamazaki promoted to executive managing director, with oversight of human resources, general affairs and compliance.

All of these new appointments will become effective on June 23 after WOWOW's shareholders' meeting.