Young Japanese women have their own TV show

Press, 8 May 1985, Page 16

Young Japanese women have their own TV show

Women are challenging tradition in an early morning news show produced by a youthful staff. FREDERICK H. KATAYAMA, Associated Press, reports from Tokyo.

Two revolutionary newscasts are capturing the attention of Japanese viewers: they feature attractive, intelligent young women who freely air their own opinions — something uncommon even among men in this male-dominated society.

The format challenges the standard Japanese TV fare of late-night shows featuring trendy, fun-loving co-eds and leering, sex-oriented entertainment.

Called “C.N.N. Daywatch” and “Ohayo (good morning) C.N.N.,” the programmes are the Japanese early morning versions of news shows produced by Cable News Network, the 24-hour all-news operation owned by the American entrepreneur, Ted Turner.

In return for royalties, C.N.N. allows Asahi National Broadcasting Company (TV Asahi) and its subsidiary, Japan Cable Television (J.C.T.V.), to receive its taped news reports by satellite and broadcast them nationwide in Japan. In Tokyo, the footage is interspersed with dialogue and commentary by Japanese newscasters, academics and artists with international backgrounds. Aired from a Tokyo newsroom, the programmes are produced by an all-Japanese staff with an average age of under 30. The roster includes a female director,

and the youngest newscaster, also a woman, is 24. Afterward, it’s not unusual to see men serving tea to the staff — unheard of in any Japanese business office.

Normally, women on Japanese television play subordinate roles. Their observations usually are passive, what Japanese call "aizuchi,” agreeable echo responses to what male colleagues say. When the man makes an observation, they sigh, gasp, titter behind their hands like schoolgirls, or utter the oft-heard, “Ah so desu ka? (Is that so?)” Late night shows regularly feature such things as bosom-comparing contests. On one recent Saturday night programme, young women were called on to remove their underpants on stage and tack them on a bulletin board beneath their photographs. No such antics on C.N.N., where the anchorwomen include 27-year-old Minami Watanabe, a graduate of prestigious Ochanomizu (women’s) University, who

spent a year in New York as an exchange student, and is fluent in English. The only anchorwoman regularly listed on the TV logs of major dailies, Miss Watanabe not only comments on the content of a news story, she’ll sometimes discuss C.N.N.’s own handling of it. “C.N.N.’s coverage seemed sympathetic toward John Zaccaro,” she told viewers, referring to the story about the husband of former United States vice presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro, .pleading guilty of scheming to defraud as a result of his financial dealings. Such forthrightness annoys some Japanese who aren’t accustomed to women acting that way, on or off the TV screen. “Don’t be so conceited or stern. You should act more sweetly (like a woman),” she quotes viewers as telling her.

Miss Watanabe may irritate some viewers, but she has drawn raves from media critics. The respected periodical, “Bungei Shunju,” called her a “woman newscaster with opinions.” The daily “Asahi Shimbun” praised her as “a tough, talented woman with a refreshing smile.” “She’s not just a decoration. She talks,” said Katsutoshi Yamashita, an editor for the weeklv. “Shukan Asahi,” which designated her one of “eight women who sparkled in 1984.” Male co-anchor, Shinji Samejima, also praised Miss Watanabe. “Despite the criticism, she continues to express her opinions. For this society to accept her, she’s going to have to keep up her persistence, step-by-step,” said Samejima, TV Asahi’s former New York correspondent. Anchorwoman, Yuko Ando, aged 26, who attended the University of California at Berkeley for two years, also draws mixed reviews from the audience. Some viewers call in with supportive comments, but most are negative, she says. “They say that for a woman, I’m presumptuous,

cold, stern. Sometimes I get so lonely because I feel so isolated, even from women viewers who might be more interested in what I wear than in what I say,” said Miss Ando, who attributes her candid manner to having lived abroad. The programme isn’t a big ratings winner. In February, “Ohayo C.N.N.” pulled only one-fifth of the audience of the rival “Morning News” show on Tokyo Broadcasting System, according to Video Research, which monitors TV ratings.

C.N.N.’s anchors are active in the editorial process, from choosing stories to writing their own scripts. Both Miss Watanabe and Miss Ando say they are determined to struggle for acceptance among Japanese viewers.

“If I succumb to criticism, I’ll be forever stuck in a position where I can’t air my opinions ... Even if I’m called conceited ...” said Miss Watanabe.

Despite sometimes feeling depressed, Miss Ando says she also feels optimistic about the chances for success. “Behind the clouds, the sun’s still shining,” she said with a grin.