NHK

I'm beginning to realize that I write more about the news then about myself. Maybe it's because my life isn't very interesting. The latest news article I read, found in the Japan times, was about NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.日本放送協会)going after people who haven't paid their subscription fees.

NHK is kind of like PBS only people watch it. It is a government run corporation (there's an oxymoron for you) that broadcasts the news and various television programs. However unlike PBS which takes donations, NHK requires its subscribers to pay a subscription each month of about $12. The fucked up part is that every television in Japan recieves NHK, thus making every owner of a TV a subscriber: even people who do not watch NHK.

>Before Japan developed, the government played a large role in its business sector; in effect, helping certain industries thrive while allowing others to fail. In the beginning this was an effective way to jump start its economy and help certain businesses obtain behemoth status. However, there are various other channels where people can get news and entertainment now: why make them pay for NHK?

>NHK has a pretty loyal viewing audience and it would only be natural for the company to earn its revenue in the same fair method all the other TV stations do: commercials. The current structure of NHK is a monopoly and while I'm not familiar with Japan's anti-trust laws, I do know they exsist.

Now, NHK is seeking the courts to prosecute non-payers whom it selects at random. In other words, they are trying to scare the people into paying. This sounds great to NHK, but they forgot to include a clause about what to do with the scoundrels who do not pay! Forking up $12 bucks a month is mandate from the government with no consequences to those who don't. To me it sounds like the law was written with the intention of one day aboloshing the subscription system.

To me, this sounds like NHK's last cry for help and I don't think the court is going to help it this time. NHK has been hit with scandals, ranging from bribery to arson amongst top employees and reporters, and it's revenues have been falling. Remember how NHK makes its money? Anyone owning a television pays for NHK; in theory it's revenue shouldn't be falling as fast as it. The answer my friends is that the natural market forces are prevailing inspite of government interactions: people won't pay for a product they don't want. Simple.