The Present Status and Problems of Deliberative Councils for Broadcast Programmes in Terrestrial Stations

Constituents of Council Members and their Management

Abstract

　The aim of this paper is to examine the Deliberative Organ （or Council）

for broadcast programmes （Bangumi Shingikai）, a statutory advisory body

established by each TV and radio station in accordance with Japan’s broadcast

act. Together with Programme Standards, the Deliberative Council is a significant

part of ‘Japan’s Regulation Model for Broadcasting’ that ensures the appropriateness

of the broadcast programmes. Designed to be self-regulatory, the

council enables broadcasters and audiences with high esteem to discuss the

quality of the programmes and consider whether they are appropriate for

broadcasting. Despite its importance, little research attention has been given to

the practice of this system. In reflecting upon the history of the system and the

gender and occupational ratio of committee members, this paper focuses on

how terrestrial commercial broadcasting stations have managed the council.

Surveys were also conducted among these stations in 2016, and the results indicate that the system is not fully regarded as a system of self-regulation among

broadcasters, although it is generally valued from the point of programme

improvement.