Interviews with Presidents of Five Commercial Broadcasters: Outlook for BS's 16th Year Part 5: President Masayoshi Miyauchi of BS Fuji

BS digital broadcasting, which began on December 1, 2000, has now entered its 16th year. The five commercial BS broadcasters have steadily expanded their fan base and continued to grow through programming that leverages the unique characteristics of the medium. Marking the 15th anniversary milestone, we interviewed the heads of each company about the appeal and strengths of their content, their future initiatives, and asked them to share a single kanji character representing the future of BS and the thoughts behind it.

Showing what no one else has achieved is what defines BS Fuji

──You served as president of Okayama Broadcasting, part of the Fuji TV network, for eight years and have now been in your current position for half a year. Could you share your current impressions?

The most frustrating thing about being at a regional station is that the content we create rarely reaches a national audience. Whether it's documentaries, news, or events. This was incredibly disappointing and sometimes infuriating.

BS broadcasting reaches the entire nation simultaneously. I am filled with the desire to develop and broadcast content at BS Fuji that fully leverages this unique characteristic.

Another unique advantage of BS is the ability to create programming schedules throughout the entire day, without the constraints of network affiliate crossovers like terrestrial broadcasts. For example, during "BS Fuji LIVE Prime News" airing weekdays at 8 PM, if we have a big guest and the discussion with the anchor gets really heated on a timely topic, why not extend the show like a baseball broadcast? Of course, it's not that simple considering viewers looking forward to the subsequent program, but I feel we should be willing to take that kind of bold approach.

──Starting this fall, we've expanded our adult-oriented entertainment programming under the banner "BS Fuji's 10 PM: When You Become Yourself Again" for weekday nights at 10 PM. Please tell us about the core content for this 16th year.

"Prime News" remains our core. We're taking it to a new level. Simultaneously, we're steadily increasing content that makes people say, "BS Fuji really delivers, doesn't it?"

As you know, BS's core target audience is seniors. It's important for broadcasters to prioritize their satisfaction, and when advertisers effectively reach this demographic, it creates a positive cycle.

While maintaining strong programs like "Onihei Hankachō," we will also pursue high quality in new programs aimed at our main audience.

One example is the original period drama based on Shuhei Fujisawa's work, co-produced with Nippon Eiga Broadcasting, which we announced recently. Nippon Eiga Broadcasting is led by President Narimichi Sugita, director of "From the North Country." He was one of ten colleagues who joined Fuji TV straight out of college, and he's one of only two remaining from that cohort still serving as president. He's like a mirror image of our generation. We've talked about not limiting ourselves to period dramas and exploring many other things together.

On the other hand, since BS channels generally share the same core target audience, I do notice that when looking at each station's programming, shows with similar angles tend to stand out. Whether it's nostalgic music, Kyoto travelogues, period dramas, or Korean dramas, there's a lack of distinctiveness. Since our audience prefers a leisurely pace, the programs and scene compositions need to match that rhythm. However, I believe we can still bring out the "BS Fuji uniqueness" within that framework. We must incorporate that distinctiveness somewhere and create something truly new.

BS Fuji LIVE Prime News (Monday-Friday, 8:00 PM - 9:55 PM)

──What does President Miyauchi envision as "BS Fuji's unique identity"?

It's about showing things no one else has achieved. We'll come up with ideas that delight viewers, advertisers, and advertising agencies by suddenly presenting something not found in existing programming lineups.

I want to achieve results beyond just programming. During my time at Fuji TV, I loved handling projects like bringing in Cirque du Soleil and the Bologna Opera House. I utilized the station's news programs and the group's print media, and traveled around the network for promotional events. Even now as president, I'm itching to get started on such projects.

For the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, this Odaiba area will also serve as a competition venue. Looking ahead to 2020, it will become a stage that broadcasts to the nation and the world, capturing global attention. And we at BS Fuji are uniquely positioned right at the heart of it all as the only BS broadcaster.

Overcoming various hurdles and surpassing my own experience

──As we head into our 16th year, please share the vision President Miyauchi has for BS Fuji.

Our company holds the top operating profit position among commercial BS broadcasters, and I take over in that state. I aim to make us number one in sales, operating profit, and ordinary profit.

Furthermore, we are in a dizzying era where the media landscape, including BS, can change dramatically in just six months. Major institutional reforms and deregulation directly affecting us also occur frequently. While we cannot predict what will happen next year, we want to build a structure that can respond swiftly to these changes, ensuring BS Fuji is always the first mover.

Fuji TV has now unveiled its "4M" strategy—linking terrestrial broadcast, BS, CS, and web platforms. By truly embodying this strategy beyond mere words and implementing it through programming, content, and events, we can rapidly elevate our overall presence.

──Could you describe the future of BS in one kanji character?

Starting next year, BS will begin test broadcasts of 4K and 8K. Thanks to technological advances, these formats should be firmly established by the time of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. There will be hurdles to overcome, but BS Fuji aims to be the first to clear them, standing right at the heart of innovation. For this reason, I chose the character "超" (superior, surpass).

This is also a character I personally want to keep in mind. While I mentioned my time at Okayama Broadcasting and Fuji TV, one could say that's terrestrial broadcasting experience. I want to leverage that experience, yet not be bound by the past, surpassing myself to advance BS Fuji to a new stage. We will take bold challenges, so please look forward to BS Fuji next year.

15th Anniversary "BS Exhibition 15 Festival"

To commemorate their 15th anniversary, the five BS commercial broadcasters will hold the "BS Exhibition 15 Festival" starting December 1 (until January 31, 2016). During this period, they will broadcast over 60 carefully selected archive programs from all five stations, including travelogues, documentaries, and films, totaling 130 hours. Furthermore, during the year-end and New Year period (December 28th to January 3rd), the five stations will jointly present the special program "Back to the 21st Century," airing for two hours daily on a rotating basis across the stations. Actor Kotaro Yoshida will portray the "Director of the Yoshida Future Research Institute," presenting research findings on five themes of the 21st century: "Monsters," "Work," "Tokyo," "Women," and "Time."