Japan Press Weekly

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2012 May 23 - 29 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

NHK top official resigns to become TEPCO director

Sudo Fumio, chair of the NHK board of governors, announced at a press conference on May 24 that he will resign his post to become an outside director of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO).

The announcement was made amid mounting public concerns that for a public broadcaster top official to be involved in TEPCO’s management would undermine the integrity of the press.

Sudo told reporters on May 22 that he sees “no problem” with being assigned as the utility company’s outside official while keeping his post with the broadcaster.

NHK received nearly 400 comments by May 23 from viewers, many of whom expressed concerns over Sudo’s intention to double as TEPCO director.

On May 21, three citizens’ groups in the Kansai area issued a statement calling for Sudo’s resignation.

The statement points out that TEPCO, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, is the subject of many news reports, and the TEPCO stance contradicts that of NHK, which is expected to be in position to provide accurate reportage of the ongoing nuclear crisis.

Stressing that Sudo has shown himself to be unqualified to remain as NHK’s top official, the statement demands that he give up his post of chair at NHK.