Year-End/New Year Special: Joint Program by 5 BS Commercial Broadcasters This time: "Back to the 21st Century"

On December 10th, the five BS commercial broadcasters (BS Nippon TV, BS Asahi, BS-TBS, BS Japan, BS Fuji) held a press conference at Dentsu Inc. Hall in Shiodome, Tokyo, to announce their annual year-end and New Year joint special programming.

This marks the 10th iteration of the special program, which began in 2006, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the five stations' launch.

Each year, the five stations produce programs based on a major theme, broadcasting the same program simultaneously across all five stations over five consecutive nights. This year's theme is "Back to the 21st Century: Before We Knew It, the Future Was Everywhere," featuring programs examining the turbulent 15 years of the 21st century.

Actor Kotaro Yoshida serves as the common presenter across all five programs. Yoshida portrays a fictional character, "Director of the Yoshida Future Research Institute," presenting research findings on the 21st century. Actress Reiko Mori appears as his assistant.

The program features five individuals who each slept for 15 years starting in 2000. Upon awakening, they are astonished by various societal changes. The show analyzes their surprise and discoveries through footage, unraveling the era.

At the beginning of the presentation, Mr. Ritsuya Oku, Head of the Media Innovation Lab at DENTSU SOKEN INC., gave a lecture titled "Prologue: 21st Century <BS> - The 15-Year Evolution of Five BS Commercial Broadcasters and the Future Beyond."

Mr. Oku stated, "BS, capable of multifunctional services, was a pioneer of smart TVs. The proliferation of channels and receivers brought about 'changes in the broadcasting environment.'" He then highlighted "Changes in Viewers": integrated management with terrestrial key stations enhanced program production capabilities, leading to shows that met viewer needs, increasing both core fans of specialized programs and new viewers. He also addressed "Changes in Society": with the growing elderly population, travel/information programs and news/economic programs expanded their share, establishing BS as a "mature" media platform. He also stated that the proliferation of smartphones has led to faster communication speeds and diversified content services, resulting in "changes in program production" where BS broadcasting provides carefully selected programs that satisfy intellectual curiosity amidst an overflow of information. He concluded that this trend is likely to become even more pronounced.

Yoshida and Mori, who were featured in the special programs, took the stage. Yoshida shared his thoughts: "I was anxious about whether I could handle such a large-scale program, but doing it made me realize anew how much the world has changed over the past 15 years." The two then discussed topics related to each special program's theme, weaving in their personal thoughts on "work they want to do going forward," "beauty in the 21st century," "people they consider monsters," "Tokyo in 2020," and "moments of happiness."

Yoshida remarked, "I think it's necessary to pause in daily life and reflect on the times. It's also interesting to confirm your own position at year's end. I'd be happy if the program helped with that."