I would like to extend my New Year's greetings as we enter 2025. At the end of last year, I was appointed to become Representative Director, President and COO of Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. (NTVHD) and Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV) effective January 1, 2025, an unusual timing for such a designation, upon the announcement of the establishment of Yomiuri Chukyo FS Broadcasting Holdings Corporation (FYCS). I joined Nippon TV in 1985 and since being assigned to the On-Air Commercial Operations Department of the Sales Division, I have been transferring between the Programming and Sales Divisions. After serving as President of the Production Division and President of the Programming Division, I became Board Director and Chief Content Officer in charge of Content Strategy and Corporate Strategy, a role I will continue to fulfill until June of this year. With no experience of being seconded or switching companies, I am a television industry veteran who has worked exclusively in this field.
　In 2024, Nippon TV tied for the top spot in the individual viewer ratings share for the Golden Time category. Although the share of our strategic core target (viewers aged 13 to 49) remained high, enabling us to achieve lucrative advertising sales, the second-ranked broadcaster is fiercely trying to catch up. With the downward trend in PUT showing no signs of slowing down, we face the immediate and urgent challenge of acquiring and maintaining the volume of our individual and core target demographics. Increasing the share of revenue from sources other than broadcasting is an important goal, but we must start by fundamentally reviewing our approach to the annual viewer ratings battle and building a strong timetable for our broadcasting business, which is the pillar of NTVHD. Morale across our content creation teams remains tremendously high, and barring any errors in our approach, we will recover. Strengthening the timetable is also an initiative that will form the basis for expanding our content business.
　Meanwhile, our high level of dependence on our broadcasting business remains the biggest risk. In the upcoming Medium-Term Management Plan 2025-2027 currently being finalized, we will further expand and develop the ‘content-oriented approach’ stipulated in the current Medium-Term Management Plan as the Nippon TV Group aspires to become an organization that is highly valued in the global market, one that boasts strong IP capabilities, as well as undertakings that contribute to the health of the public. We will work to reform our business portfolio and reduce our dependence on broadcasting revenue. To this end, relevant departments and group companies are proactively submitting proposals. Also striving to transform our business through technology, we are actively promoting the use of AI concierges to improve the efficiency of the content creation process and our very own Ad Reach Max (Nippon TV’s proprietary technology that provides a platform for advertising slot transactions), which aims to add new value to advertising sales.
　It has been 11 years since I began deciding on the Kanji of the Year at the start of each year and sharing it with the employees and staff of the departments I oversee. The kanji that will serve as the action guideline for the entire group this year is 動 (move). We will move towards the new goals that will be established in the upcoming Medium-Term Management Plan. For the Nippon TV Group to achieve growth in these difficult times, we must visualize our goals and immediately start moving towards them. If we stand still, we will simply be swallowed up by the flow of the times and the inevitable. It is time to fight back.
　As we welcomed the New Year, I received many encouraging messages from my role models. “TV broadcasters have a duty and responsibility to convey reliable information to as many people as possible. We do this by getting high viewer ratings. Don't hold back on your efforts to gather correct information,” one of them told me. Another mentor said, “I am angry at the tendency to see social media and online media as conveying righteousness. Television has infinite potential. Let's expand our business realm and pursue new possibilities.” The words of these experts in television have given me courage and vigor.
　At a time of drastic change in the media industry and the business environment in general, I feel that I have been fated to take on this role as NTVHD’s battle for survival is reaching its climax. NTVHD currently has 60 subsidiaries and is supported by approximately 10,000 executives and employees. With the help of my dependable colleagues, I intend to lead NTVHD in my own unique way. You can look forward to NTVHD and Nippon TV in 2025. I humbly ask you for your support.
　I wish you continued success and all the best in the year ahead.

Sincerely,

Hiroyuki Fukuda
Representative Director, President and COO
Nippon Television Holdings, Inc.
Nippon Television Network Corporation