Fuji Television Board to Address Misconduct Allegations

The board of directors at Fuji Television Network is scheduled to convene on Monday to deliberate on the ongoing controversy surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct involving former television personality Masahiro Nakai. Sources familiar with the situation disclosed this development on Saturday.

The board meeting aims to evaluate the network's response to increasing demands for accountability from Fuji's leadership, including President Koichi Minato, regarding the scandal. Following the meeting, the company intends to hold a public news conference to address the issues.

Reports indicate that an employee of Fuji TV was implicated in an incident from June 2023, during which Nakai allegedly assaulted a woman and subsequently paid a significant sum to settle the matter. Despite the allegations, Fuji Television previously issued a statement denying any involvement of its employees in the scandal. However, in light of the escalating criticism, the network established a committee comprised of independent legal experts on Thursday to investigate the events surrounding the case. This committee is expected to deliver a report by the end of March.

Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Fuji TV continued to air programs featuring Nakai, which has further fueled public outrage. A recent press conference held on January 17 saw limited media attendance and restrictions on video coverage, leading to accusations of a lack of transparency from the network. The response from Fuji Television has drawn considerable backlash, with several advertisers choosing to withdraw their commercials from the network.

During an internal meeting held on Thursday, numerous employees voiced their concerns and called for the resignation of President Minato and other executives, reflecting the growing dissatisfaction within the organization regarding the handling of the situation.