NHK fined in rights case

Broadcaster, two production houses fined

By MARK SCHILLING

TOKYO -- Pubcaster NHK and two production companies were fined Y2 million ($16,529) Monday by the Tokyo High Court in a program censorship case brought by a women's rights group.

Six years ago NHK aired a documentary about a mock trial of Emperor Hirohito for alleged war crimes in WWII, including the authorization of Japanese military brothels staffed by Asian sex slaves.

At the time NHK execs met with then-chief cabinet secretary Shinzo Abe, now prime minister, and Shochi Nakagawa, another politico from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who reportedly complained about the anti-imperial tenor of the show and urged the pubcaster to be objective.

NHK took the pols' words to heart and re-edited the program, lopping off the guilty verdict at the end as well as the incriminating testimony of Japanese soldiers.

A group that organized the trial, Violence Against Women in War -- Network Japan, brought suit against the pubcaster, saying they were not consulted on the re-edit.

On Monday the Tokyo High Court found NHK guilty of inflicting "moral damage" and fined it, together with two production companies that NHK had subcontracted to make the show.

Abe and Nakagawa, who insisted they had only expressed views and not issued orders, were not punished.

NHK called the verdict "unjust" and "unacceptable" and said it would appeal.

Although NHK insists it is not a state broadcaster, it has been known to buckle to political pressure, especially from the majority LDP party, which sets the pubcaster's annual budget.

In October, communications minister Yoshihide Suga, also an LDP member, stirred up a spat when he called on NHK to step up its short-wave radio broadcasts about North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals, with the objective of pressuring the North Korean government.

NHK prexy Genichi Hashimoto responded with a statement saying NHK would "maintain its independence."