Fuji TV plans to establish a third-party committee to investigate whether there is a culture of using female TV presenters at the broadcaster to entertain male celebrities, amid rising criticism over the broadcaster’s handling of alleged sexual misconduct by former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai, media reports said Friday.
The media conglomerate’s president, Koichi Minato, announced the move in the firm’s first news conference since the allegations against Nakai came to light in mid-December. Nakai admitted to paying a settlement of ¥90 million to a woman, without elaborating on the reasoning due to a confidentiality agreement with her.
Fuji TV has been in hot water since, especially after Dalton Investment sent a letter earlier this week saying it is “outraged” by the “serious flaws” in the broadcaster’s corporate governance in relation to its handling of the recent uproar sparked by Nakai. Dalton is a major shareholder of the Japanese media conglomerate.
