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Fuji TV has conveyed its intention to its sponsors not to ask them to pay for their January commercials that have been replaced with public ads by Advertising Council Japan. — Bloomberg
TOKYO: Despite the lengthy press conference by executives of the scandal-hit Fuji Television Network Inc (Fuji TV) on Monday, it remains uncertain whether its sponsors will resume their suspended commercials anytime soon.
The session was negatively perceived by many sponsors, as one advertiser said, “Many of their answers were evasive, and I found their explanations insufficient.”
Fuji TV has conveyed its intention to its sponsors not to ask them to pay for their January commercials that have been replaced with public ads by Advertising Council Japan, a public interest incorporated association, saying it cannot do so given the current situation.
As for commercials in February and afterward, Fuji said advertisers will be able to choose whether they will maintain their commercial slots or cancel them.
NTT Docomo Inc, which secured its commercial slots from February, has already decided to suspend its commercials.
“We’ll suspend our commercials in February and March,” said a person in charge at a manufacturer after watching the press conference.
“We won’t resume our commercials until we get a convincing investigation report (from the third-party committee).”
Shionogi & Co Ltd, which suspended its commercials for Music Fair, a music programme exclusively sponsored by the firm, released a comment, saying, “It is unacceptable if a series of reports are true. Fuji TV must uncover the truth and give explanations.”
The broadcasting industry will soon enter the sales battle for spring when companies air a large number of commercials targeting those who get a job or enter a school.
“Negotiations for commercial sales for April have practically been in halt,” said Fuji TV’s new president Kenji Shimizu at the press conference.
It is apparently difficult for the firm to break in the deadlock.
In its mid-term earnings report as of September 2024, Fuji TV posted revenues of 71.2 billion yen from commercials on terrestrial broadcasting, meaning that its monthly revenues from the business would be 11.8 billion yen. — The Japan News/ANN