- Nihon Shinbun Kyokai
- NSK News Bulletin
- NSK News Bulletin December 2012
NSK News Bulletin December 2012
New NHK Advisory Body to Promote ‘World TV’
The top decision-making body of Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) decided on Nov. 20 to set up an expert advisory committee to help promote the dissemination of NHK’s international English TV channel, “World TV.”
According to NHK’s Board of Governors, the advisory group will be set up in January with the task of coming out with a proposal on measures to promote the international TV channel by the end of May 2013.
NHK World TV is broadcast around-the-clock in English for foreign audiences. The program is available in about 130 countries and regions around the world.
Kenichiro Hamada, chairman of the NHK Board of Governors, said that despite improvements in the viewing environment and the broadcast of high-level content, the availability of NHK World TV is yet to be widely recognized abroad, necessitating action to promote the service to a broader audience.
National Press Clubs of 7 Asia/Pacific Countries Forming Common Association
An inaugural meeting was held in Hong Kong on Nov. 10 to establish an association of national press clubs and foreign correspondents’ clubs from the Asia/Pacific region.
Seven press clubs from seven Asia/Pacific countries/areas agreed to set up a common association to promote exchanges among the member clubs. The Japan National Press Club is among the founding organizations.
The participants at the first meeting agreed that the secretariat of the new association be based at the premises of the National Press Club of Australia. In addition to the seven founding member clubs, eight other press clubs from eight countries have already expressed interest in joining the new group.
Strong Quake Triggers Tsunami Alert, Safety Broadcasts
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 jolted northeastern and eastern Japan on Dec. 7, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami alert for Pacific coast areas in the Tohoku and northern Kanto areas.
According to the Meteorological Agency, the quake jolted northeastern and eastern Japan at 5:18 p.m. with an epicenter close to that of the magnitude-9 killer quake that devastated the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011.
The agency immediately issued a tsunami alert for the Tohoku and northern Kanto coastal areas, and national public broadcaster NHK switched to a special earthquake-alert program.
An announcer at NHK repeatedly directed viewers to move to safe areas with a strongly worded message. “Remember last year's quake and tsunami," he said. "Call your neighbors and flee to higher ground now!"
A ticker was running across the screen of the NHK TV channel, reading “Tsunami Coming! Evacuate!” in line with the new manual adopted in November of this year based on lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Announcers at NHK’s news studios repeatedly asked, “Where are you now?” and “Are you in a safe place?” when seeking updates from NHK reporters in the field or officials at evacuation centers and local government offices.
All alerts and warnings stopped by 7:20 p.m. and the special quake-news program came to an end. No serious damage was reported from the earthquake.
According to an NHK spokesman, a review will be made of the mode and manner of the special quake-news program in the aim of further improvement.
