Terunobu Maeda, president of Japan Broadcasting Corp., explains the public broadcaster’s midterm management plan in August 2020. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) has announced its plan to lower viewing fees in fiscal 2023, marking a change of course after initially insisting it would prioritize cost-cutting efforts.
NHK outlined its planned fee reduction in its midterm management plan for fiscal 2021 through fiscal 2023 on Jan. 13.
It plans to secure about 70 billion yen ($675 million), equivalent to 10 percent of its operating expenditures, to cover the expected drop in viewing fees by reviewing rebuilding plans for its broadcasting center in Tokyo’s Shibuya district and pooling its surplus funds.