Taking broadcasting reform from debate to action

 ■ Taking broadcasting reform from debate to action

The Regulatory Reform Council submitted 120 recommendations in 7 fields to Prime Minister Abe, including in the field of reform of the broadcasting system. The central pillars of these recommendations are constructing a new platform, encouraging the entry of new players and laying the foundations for local bureau operations. Subsequently, the MIC compiled reports from the Broadcasting Issues Investigatory Panel and the Future of Broadcasting Subcommittee. These engaged in a deeper consideration of matters alongside the Regulatory Reform Council. I was involved in both bodies, and submitted my opinions mainly on the outlook for and policies related to the convergence of broadcasting and telecommunications. I believe the debate moved in a positive direction as a result.

This was the first time in 14 years that I have been engaged with broadcasting policy, since my previous involvement with DTTV issues and in a MIC conference that debated fundamental revisions to the legal framework underpinning the telecommunications and broadcasting sector. However there hasn’t been a great change in policy themes since then. That is a problem.

The MIC report lists the following policies:

1. Technological measures for the effective utilization of bandwidth.

2. Network reform

3. Diversification and enhancement of services, net connectedness

　・ Revitalization of the content industry (fostering human resources, systemic support, support for overseas expansion, streamlining of rights processing)

　・ Promoting combined services (using viewer data, realizing new video streaming)

4. Setting up a framework for providing information

　・ Investigating how to strengthen the foundations of local bureau operations, etc.

On the whole, these are appropriate points.

I made three comments on the compiled reports.

1) The two priority areas going forward are the full-scale roll-out of combined telecommunications and broadcasting services as well as the expansion of content overseas.

　　These are developments in services and businesses, so are issues for private enterprise. I believe that the role of policy is to put pressure on business to proactively pursue these matters.

2) In terms of promoting combined services, I agree with viewer data and video delivery being raised.

　　Data is becoming the key difference between telecommunications and broadcasting. With telecommunications, the accumulation of AI learning through use of data will affect competitiveness. On the other hand, while the whole country uses broadcasting, data is not harnessed. As the structure of all industries shifts toward centering upon data, the use of data within broadcasting will become a key theme.

3) KDDI and Netflix have recently announced cooperation on a package price

　　However, this did not involve the introduction of unlimited data plans in the way that T-Mobile has done in the United States. It is said that the President of KDDI believes this is because net neutrality in Japan is a gray zone. If this is the case, and President Trump’s abolition of net neutrality has knock-on effects in Japan, then this may lead to massive advances in video streaming by the telecommunications system. Telecommunications policy will largely determine the shape of broadcasting.

　　When thinking of the convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting, it will be very important to consider broadcasting policy and telecommunications policy in a unified manner. The same goes for content policy and ICT policy.

　　I hope Government thinking is along these lines.