Women in broadcasting feel at the mercy of male bigwigs
An independent investigative panel's report about rampant sexual harassment and abuse at a TV broadcaster was described by some media outlets as 'shocking.'
But for one woman in her 30s, the report's details revealed nothing new. In fact, it brought back memories of her own horrible experiences as a TV announcer.
'Reading the panel's report left me heavy-hearted,' said the woman who formerly worked for a major TV network. 'This was just like what happened to me.'
The report resonated with many women who have experience in the broadcasting industry.
The panel of legal experts was commissioned by Fuji Television Network Inc. to look into allegations that TV celebrity Masahiro Nakai engaged in sexual misconduct against a TV announcer.
The report, released in March, concluded that Nakai sexually assaulted the woman. It also said sexual harassment and abuse were rife in Fuji TV working atmosphere, and female workers, including announcers, were expected to tolerate sexual advances from VIPs.
The woman in her 30s who worked at a different Tokyo-based broadcaster said a well-known TV personality harassed her when she was in her second year at the company.
At the tforime, she appeared in a late-night entertainment show on an irregular basis.
After each taping, a wrap-up party was held. She was always made to sit next to him, and he constantly put his arm around her waist and gave her hugs.
When the parties ended, she frantically did her best to avoid him. But staff members often tried to get her to take a taxi with him alone.
One day, after the last show was recorded, she managed to catch a taxi alone. But she received a text message from the celebrity before she reached her apartment.
'Where are you now? Where is your place? I will be there,' the text said.
The woman, flustered, replied: 'My place is so cluttered that there is no space for you to sit down.'
His response was: 'I can do 'it' while standing in the entrance.'
The woman was so shaken by the sexual insinuation that she did not reply.
The following morning, when she told her boss about the text messages, he showed concern, saying, 'That must have been tough.'
He promised to arrange her shifts so that she could avoid bumping into the celebrity when he visited the TV station.
After the texting incident, however, she heard from multiple colleagues that she was expected to be cast as a new MC of a popular program bearing the TV personality's name because he had asked, but she had been removed from consideration at the last minute.
She was also bypassed for roles in other programs.
'I was shocked as my work was disappearing,' the woman said. 'All I did was protect myself from sexual abuse.'
She said she sometimes wonders even today whether she would have been better off if she had tolerated the celebrity's sexual advances.
But her answer always comes back as 'no,' and she has no regrets, she added.
The report about Fuji TV said the sexual assault against the woman occurred in June 2023 after the announcer attended a private dinner with Nakai as an 'extension' of her work.
The victim told the panel she felt she had 'no choice but to go along with a bigwig in the entertainment industry,' given his clout in the broadcaster.
She also feared she 'might not be cast in programs' if she refused to meet him, according to the report.
LOST JOBS AFTER REJECTING TV HOST
A magazine late last year broke the story about Nakai's 'misconduct.'
A 28-year-old announcer with a local TV station said she initially wondered why the Fuji TV announcer did not take steps to avoid the danger and protect herself.
But after reading the findings of the independent investigation, she said her view shifted.
'The same thing could have happened to me if I had been put in her situation,' the woman said.
She said she is aware that 'professional skills alone are often not enough to land a role in popular shows.'
She has witnessed numerous instances in which announcers in the good graces of the company's board members have been cast in prime programs.
In hopes of advancing her own career, she has attended drinking parties with client companies on the request of the broadcaster's sales department.
The woman said the Fuji TV victim, like her, worked hard with the goal of appearing in a certain program she had in mind.
The Fuji TV announcer's drive was used to sexually exploit her, the woman said.
The Fuji TV investigation committee described women in broadcasting as 'vulnerable' to sexual harassment due to a power imbalance.
'While they are employees of a broadcaster, they can appear in a program only after being cast by the program's producer, putting them in a position where they need to be selected,' the panel's report said.
'It is not surprising for female announcers hoping to be cast in a program to feel they are not equal to people with the authority to appoint,' the panel stated.
These powerful people include officials in programming departments, producers, directors and TV show hosts, it said.
MERIT-BASED HIRING
Yasuhiro Kato, who runs a school for students aspiring to be TV announcers, said he focused on professional skills when he was in charge of the department of announcers at Mainichi Broadcasting System Inc. in Osaka.
He insisted on having the final say on whether an announcer sought by a program production crew should actually get the assignment.
'I had repeatedly told the production staff that an announcer's job is to grab the hearts of viewers and listeners by the way they deliver the news. They must work hard for years to hone these skills,' he said.
Kato suspects that viewers, not to mention influential executives, place the emphasis on the looks of women who read the news.
He called for a change in the way society thinks of female professionals and the value of being young.
(This article was written by Midori Iki and Saori Kuroda.)
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