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Diet OKs simultaneous streaming by NHK

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99% of Japanese TV is so boring, the 1% that's interesting isn't on NHK and it's simply those stupid activity TV Shows.

NHK International as made available via Cable, is just as bad, just listening to their English presentations is like driving a car that stop/starts throughout the entire journey, or fingernails being dragged down a chalk board.... You may as well get Microsoft Sam to read the newstories, or "Talking Tom"...

Also, NHK can't promote themselves as a Service to the Foreign Community, as their information during disasters is either out of date, or simply wrong - 2011 was good example.

Does anyone actually watch NHK ?

To me, this is just another Government Tax - but one that has been disguised as being a fee for having access to a rubbish Service.

One day, I hope, broadcasting Laws will modernize and allow users from anywhere in the World to subscribe to a provider anywhere else in the World. At present, you aren't allowed to circumvent local distributors of media. Though I doubt this will ever happen, as Japan has airbrushing laws to blur parts of the body during nude scenes..... Trump should latch onto this as a Protection racket.... and if he did that, then maybe just maybe we'd start seeing a new Global revolution in media provision without local restrictions, forcing the Dinosaurs such as NHK to produce decent content. Dream talk...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"subscription" is not the correct term to use for NHK.

That's not the correct term. "Contract" is not the correct term.

The correct term is "an offer you can't refuse".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What people are being compelled to pay for:

NHK apologizes for fabricated documentary on renting friends

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

May 30, 2019 at 15:40 JSThttp://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905300046.html

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Supreme Court made this ruling but they still cannot compel you to sign a contract that you do not agree with. If you refuse to sign the contract there is nothing they can do and no obligation to pay anything.

exactly , its the government job to make laws enforced with punishments , same as taxation. if you live in Japan you can never avoid consumption & taxation, but you can avoid NHK broadcast. If you don't consume a NHK product them then you should never agree to their conscriptions.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Osaka_Doug I am not sure about any restrictions of streaming because the broadcast law.

I'm aware that the program owners are restricting live streaming depending on the rights. For example if the rights for French Open are bought by Wowow no other broadcaster can air or stream live!

I remember there was basketball world cup in Japan several years ago and I couldn't find even news on it because probably only SkyPerfect had the rights...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Dec 2017 

Supreme Court rules television owners legally required to sign up and pay fee.

The Supreme Court made this ruling but they still cannot compel you to sign a contract that you do not agree with. If you refuse to sign the contract there is nothing they can do and no obligation to pay anything.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Why does it need to be repeated every time that for ordinary households the contracts are by household, not the number of devices within the household? No matter how many TVs or other receiving devices you own, you pay the same fee. There are even discounts if you have family members, such as workers assigned a position out of town or students temporarily living elsewhere. This information is available on NHK’s web site, even in English.

The English site only states about TV's in the household and there is no specification regarding other devices. Per a recent court case where a man was forced to pay the NHK fees by a court because of his vehicle having the capability of receiving their TV signal.

The law, again, only states that TV's and there is no mention of anything regarding "other" devices!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

when you buy a brand new TV from the store, the seller never mentions anything about the 'compulsory' NHK charge incurred for having the TV.

Every shop I've ever bought a TV set from has asked if we already had NHK charges set up. Granted they didn't demand proof of payment, but it isn't the case that it wasn't mentioned at all.

too many elderly that cant or wont pay

There are exemptions for them wot can't afford it - those on welfare, those earning too little to pay income tax, students from low-income families, those with physical/mental/learning disabilities, those who are sight/hearing impaired, etc.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Backdoor for imposing charges huh :(

PMJ1974 - when you buy TV you can find several leaflets in the box that say you have to pay NHK the fees. Also if you have BS antena and watch NHK BS channels there is semi transparent warning you should call and subscribe with the additional fee.

I wonder why they just don't include a small loyalty fee in the price of the TV-receiving sets like it's done for the DVD standard or the recordable CDs ? I guess the industry will strongly oppose though...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

its very easy , if they have no laws that fine you or threaten penalties for non payment then just dont pay its simple. Forcing the J governement to mandate laws to punish people for non payment wont happen, too many elderly that cant or wont pay and the J government dont want to pee of those voters. I will never pay this extortion fee until a court hearing or legal fine is presented to me for non compliance, or the fee is mandated as another tax enforced by J law. your move NHK

WTF Japan, I agree. I also wonder why the 'law' states you must pay NHK the fee but when you buy a brand new TV from the store, the seller never mentions anything about the 'compulsory' NHK charge incurred for having the TV. The legalities of it all is very unclear. How could anybody happily pay the fee when NHK employees are embezzling the revenue earned through these subscriptions and a certain percentage of people just plainly refuse to pay it?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

hahahahahahaha. No thank you. Good luck with that though! Because I know when they come to the door and I say "I don't have a tv, only a PC!" they're going to say "Well you still have to pay because you watch NHK!" To which I shall graciously slam the door in their faces!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Step one: Stop the collection service. Step two: Get directly paid by government from the taxes collected.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If you have access to the internet, you have to pay.

its very easy , if they have no laws that fine you or threaten penalties for non payment then just dont pay its simple. 

When will they start requiring internet and smartphone service providers to add an additional fee in the customer bills? Some people pay ¥1000-¥3000 for the bills. I doubt they are going to want to pay double or triple their current bill.

When will NHK force employers to remove i from their monthly salaries?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@yubaru. Not true. One household, one fee.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If you have access to the internet, you have to pay.

its very easy , if they have no laws that fine you or threaten penalties for non payment then just dont pay its simple. Forcing the J governement to mandate laws to punish people for non payment wont happen, too many elderly that cant or wont pay and the J government dont want to pee of those voters. I will never pay this extortion fee until a court hearing or legal fine is presented to me for non compliance, or the fee is mandated as another tax enforced by J law. your move NHK

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is another tax folks

6 ( +6 / -0 )

So, now consumers have no excuse not to pay the extortion fees of NHK regardless of whether you watch it or not. If you have access to the internet, you have to pay. What a bunch of money-grubbing, conniving a$$holes!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

The broadcaster has already decided to cut the subscription fee starting in October 2020, a year after a consumption tax hike scheduled for this October.

Doesn't this mean we won't be expected to pay for NHK from October of next year?? Why is everybody complaining?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Just wait until NHK tries to get a major corporation like Toyota to pay the fee for all their employees who have a computer. They have somewhere over 200K or 300K?

> The law will get changed right quick!

Yes Yubaru, you're probably right. However, my guess is that work computers and work phones will get a special exemption, and that's it. The rest of us who have no lobbying power will still end up getting shafted.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

In Japan, people who possess a TV set are required to pay for an NHK subscription, but the revised law does not require any additional fee.

No ADDITIONAL fee, but now NHK will come after anyone with an internet connection and a computer - or a smartphone and demand the current extortion, er, fee.

You beat me to it!!! Let's not fool ourselves. this is another way to force people to pay for the NHK. The gov and its cronies are more rotten to the core than even the worst criminals in this country.

Any guesses on how long it will take them to start?

A couple of months after NHK begins streaming. That's my bet. Expect the NHK man to come knocking.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Just wait until NHK tries to get a major corporation like Toyota to pay the fee for all their employees who have a computer. They have somewhere over 200K or 300K?

The law will get changed right quick!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

No ADDITIONAL fee, but now NHK will come after anyone with an internet connection and a computer - or a smartphone and demand the current extortion, er, fee.

Any guesses on how long it will take them to start?

Exactly, didn’t see that at first thought, but you are right! By next year, anyone with a computer will be charged. You can imagine the money they must be dreaming that they will be “getting” but I can’t imagine the sheep Japan taking this lying down. Even the cellphone idea isn’t really being enforced because if it was, you would see the LDP lose big time. People are fed up with NHK and another 2,500 fee a month for a cellphone and then another for one’s computer would force a change.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

More options to consume Pravda Niponica

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The bill cleared the House of Representatives on May 16.

Damn, the folks here are backed up nearly two weeks! Need to find people who can type faster!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Funny how DPRK, sorry NHK cadre, sorry again, management, keep these problems regarding collection of fees out of the national/mainstream media.

Anyone who owns a smart-phone, laptop, desktop, tablet, TV, anything that can possibly receive a signal from NHK should by law be paying, for each individual device? That's BS, sorry BS is ANOTHER friggin service of NHK, and it costs more too!

In a (cough cough) friends house, "they" have probably 15 different devices that could receive NHK's signal, "he" told me they lost count when their son moved back from college. So they are supposed to pay nearly 50,000 yen a month for NHK?

I was laughing my butt off!

6 ( +11 / -5 )

in Japan, people who possess a TV set are required to pay for an NHK subscription, but the revised law does not require any additional fee.

"subscription" is not the correct term to use for NHK.

Subscription: the action of making or agreeing to make an advance payment in order to receive or participate in something

I don't agree and have not signed a contract however, by law, must pay it.

I thought that you can not receive a service, i.e. Netflix unless you SUBSCRIBE for it. Once subscription is approved and BOTH parties can you then receive the service. NHK on the other hand, forces the service on you, then requires you to pay for it whether you use it or not, want it or not.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

In Japan, people who possess a TV set are required to pay for an NHK subscription, but the revised law does not require any additional fee.

No ADDITIONAL fee, but now NHK will come after anyone with an internet connection and a computer - or a smartphone and demand the current extortion, er, fee.

Any guesses on how long it will take them to start?

20 ( +20 / -0 )

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