Danica Davidson
February 11, 2025 
Fuji TV continues to be in hot water from the sexual assault scandal that’s rocked it. Otaku USA readers might recall that in December 2024, Japanese magazine Weekly Bunshun reported that Masahiro Nakai from the boy band SMAP — who was a TV host on Fuji TV — had allegedly forced sexual activities on a woman against her will. Allegedly Fuji TV president Koichi Minato knew what Nakai had done, but didn’t do anything about it. After that report, many sponsors pulled their funding from the channel. Since then, Nakai has retired, and Minato and Fuji Media Holdings Inc’s chairman Shuji Kano both resigned.
Anime producer Kenji Shimizu was brought in as Minato’s replacement, with some people wondering if this meant Fuji TV wants to do more anime. Shimizu also promised that things at Fuji TV would change, and no sexual assault was going to happen while he was in charge, saying he would “never tolerate acts that violate human rights.” But whatever he’s doing, and whether Fuji TV wants to make more anime or not, it needs sponsors — and it still doesn’t have them.
A Fuji TV worker who wished to remain anonymous told the Japanese news outlet Shūkan Gendai, “Even in February, there is still no prospect of sponsors returning, and the program schedule from April onwards is almost entirely blank.”
Fuji TV did a second panel about the sex scandal, thinking this might help things. It didn’t. The TV channel has lost 80-plus sponsors.
AC Japan is playing nonprofit PSAs on the channel, and anime like Chibi Maruko-chan and Sazae-san no longer have sponsors. Shūkan Gendai predicts that the lack of sponsors will cost the station 23.3 billion yen, or about $150 million.
The anonymous Fuji TV worker told the news outlet, “Without sponsors, it’s unclear how much budget can be spent, and there is no prospect of new programs. The situation on the ground has completely stopped.”
Source: ANN
____
Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
Related Posts
