Momii fails to get support from NHK governors for second term as president
(Mainichi Japan)
NHK President Katsuto Momii does not have enough support on the public broadcaster's Board of Governors to continue in his post past January next year, the Mainichi Shimbun learned on Dec. 2.
Momii, 73, apparently has no prospect of securing the nine votes on the 12-member board necessary to return as NHK president after his first term expires in January. The Board of Governors has ultimate decision-making power over the broadcaster's management.
Momii had proposed reducing NHK's monthly reception fees by 50 yen starting in fall 2017. However, many on the board disagreed with the plan as NHK was implementing 4K and 8K resolution broadcasting, among other projects. The reception fee reduction was ultimately shelved on Nov. 22.
Meanwhile, Momii has said only that it is "up to the board of governors" whether he will start a second term in the president's office. However, those close to him have said he had been enthusiastic to stay at the post.
Nevertheless, several governors are apparently set against Momii serving another term, due not just to his fee reduction plan, but also over his many controversial public comments.
The board's presidential candidate search committee will meet on Dec. 6 to evaluate Momii's performance, and is expected to begin the process for choosing a new leader.
Before becoming NHK president in January 2014, Momii was a vice president at trading firm Mitsui & Co., then president of Nihon Unisys Ltd., and then a special adviser to that company. Momii set off alarm bells almost immediately when, at his inaugural news conference as NHK chief, he stated that the public broadcaster "cannot very well say 'left' when the government says 'right'" regarding international broadcasts. Later comments also stirred controversy, as did Momii's use of NHK funds to hire a car to go golfing, for which he later reimbursed the broadcaster, earning him a total of three warnings from the board of governors over his conduct as president.
NHK Board of Governors Chairman Susumu Ishihara, 71, has stated that he hopes the next NHK president will be "decided before the end of the year."
