Book Review: “Content Leaps Forward, Natural Selection in the Media”

Hirohiko Kadokawa’s “Content Leaps Forward, Natural Selection in the Media”

The large-scale restructuring of American media centered around Apple, Google, Amazon, and Netflix, and the structural changes and limitations of Japan from communications/broadcasting convergence to terrestrial digital broadcasting. My name also appears in this book, I’m very excited. I will read it.

(* is my commentary.)

-       A description of the declaration by the gang of 4 of Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon that they will begin content delivery.

* I also see this as the starting gun for worldwide delivery and communications/broadcasting convergence.

In Japan at the time Live Door-Fuji Sankei and Rakuten-TBS had stopped moving after their battle, and it took three years for NHK On Demand delivery to start. Those three years were huge.

-       It is pointed out that dynamic movements like the AT&T/Time Warner merger can’t be seen in Japan, where NTT occupies the position of Establishment.

* Conversely, NTT will continue to be a key player. Depending on their movement, the composition will change greatly.

-       It is also argued that the 1985 NTT law had a strong regulatory color.

* In fact, NTT also reigns as champion knowing well how it feels to be tied up. However, as the telephone network that lasted 150 years moves to all IP, they themselves know that they should change.

When will the NTT law be abolished? What will happen at that time? I think that this is the final task of communication policy.

-       In 1996, Masayoshi Son took a stake in Murdoch and TV Asahi.

* At that time, I introduced Mr. Son to his first management position at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

At that time, I was under fire from the office side, and Mr. Son gave me quite a shock.

Eventually, Mr. Son gave up TV and became absorbed completely in the internet.

-       The role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications + NTT + NHK in the outfitting of fiber optic and mobile networks should be praised, a recognition that Japanese innovation is led by the government.

* Certainly the government is good at infrastructure and foundational technology. They aren’t so good at the upper layer.

However, there are also things that got the better of the world, like Nintendo and Sony.

-       The three departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications have a viewpoint that is compatible with communications/broadcast convergence.

* My last job as a bureaucrat was a shift from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

However, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, posts, and Telecommunications has reduced the number of communications, broadcasting, and policy stations to two.

It is Mr. Suga, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication, who fixed it into the 3 divisions of Foundation, Distribution, and Policy.

-       The criticism that the so-called “Takenaka kon” of 2006 could not have achieved the desired result.

* The roundtable also covered the regulations of NTT and NHK, but its essence was the promotion of fusion.

As a result, the more than 10 telecommunication and broadcasting division laws were reduced to just 4, and significantly deregulated. It became a world-class institution, but the private sector is not yet able to make use of it.

-       Movement in motion picture distribution appeared alongside that of the broadcast industry.

Alongside the efforts of NTV + IIJ and NHK, attention is also paid to “Osaka Channel,” where Kansai TV stations are gathered.

* It is an important point that Yoshimoto Kogyo and NTT Plala provide a platform for the TV stations.

Osaka is more volatile in this field than Tokyo. It is the same composition as during the launch of radiko.

-       The viewpoint of Mr. Joi Ito that the side holding the brand, network, and platform wins out over the side holding intellectual property.

* The model of the game has changed.

Communication liberalization in 1985, the multimedia boom of the 1990’s, communication/broadcast convergence in the 2000’s, the 4 screens of the 2010’s.

And now we are heading toward 2020.