Japanese radio programs have long been in a trial and error situation in their struggle to compete with TV programs. In this process the "midnight broadcasting" programs are one of the most radio-like in nature and nowadays a set format has been established for them. Nevertheless, various experiments still are being tried by each of the radio stations concerning what content should be broadcast at night and during the midnight hours. For example, the audience rating chart shows us that JOJF(Nippon Hoso) is widely listened to by the so-called "young" generation, and that JOKRS(Tokyo Hoso) focuses on the "young adult" generation. These experiments, however, have not necessarily offered a steady barometer for success. Among the current hot programs is "Young Paradise, " a talk show broadcast at midnight during the week whose DJ (called 'personality' in Japan) is actor Yuji Miyake. This program presently is receiving a high audience rating. According to Mr.Akinori Inaba, the organizing director of Nippon Hoso, the secret of "Young Paradise's" success is "to permit the DJ to talk freely and 'play' in the program and to show various points of view about the kind of information that young listeners wanted to know." In short, an all-out playful spirit seems to make "Young Paradise" successful. But in fact, it's success is due to the elaborated efforts in planning by the professionals of radio program organization and production. Here we can find the characteristics of modern radio journalism for young listeners. About ten years or so ago the style of radio programs was quite different from what it is today. A good example is JOKR's "Puck in Music." This too was a talk show featuring DJ's, but many of the topics treated on the program were serious ones such as, "war experience", "worries about school life and exams", "love" and "lust", and so on. But programs of this nature ended with the new way of life which began around 1982 and which shows a preference for keihaku-tansho, the "not heavy, the light." And the older type of program was taken over by omoshiro-syugi, the "happy-go-lucky" orientation outlined above. In order to consider the characteristics of modern radio journalism it is unrealistic to deny this "happy-go-lucky" line. But in the author's opinion, it also may be a chance to show the ability of radio journalism to produce some programs that treat in some way the young listener's views of the world, their dissatisfactions and hopes, etc., which can be found in the depth of their minds or their social psychology.

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