Editing NHK (section)

==License fee==
NHK is funded by {{nihongo|reception fees|受信料|jushinryō}}, a system analogous to the [[television licence|license fee]] used in some English-speaking countries. The Broadcasting Act which governs NHK's funding stipulates anyone with equipment able to receive NHK must pay.<ref name="cs"/> The fee is standardized,<ref>{{cite web |title=NHK受信料の窓口-英語 |trans-title=NHK reception fee window-English |url=http://pid.nhk.or.jp/jushinryo/multilingual/english/index.html |access-date=27 July 2015 |publisher=NHK |language=en}}</ref> with discounts for 6 and 12 monthly payments, as well a different fee rate for residents of [[Okinawa prefecture]]. For viewers making annual payments by credit card with no special discounts, the reception fee is 12,765 yen per year for terrestrial reception only, and 21,765 yen per year for both terrestrial and broadcast satellite reception.<ref name="cs">{{cite web |title=The Receiving Fee System |url=https://www.nhk-cs.jp/jushinryo/multilingual/english/index.html |website=NHK Receiving Fees |publisher=[[NHK|Japan Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213084458/https://www.nhk-cs.jp/jushinryo/multilingual/english/index.html |archive-date=13 December 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, the [[Broadcasting Act (Japan)|Broadcasting Act]] specifies no punitive actions for nonpayment; as a result, after a rash of NHK-related [[scandal]]s including an [[accounting scandals|accounting one]], the number of people in 2006 who had not paid the license fee surpassed one million watchers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 2006 |title=Japan cracking down on NHK license fee nonpayment |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/japan-cracking-down-nhk-license-143223/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119035923/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/japan-cracking-down-nhk-license-143223/ |archive-date=19 January 2025 |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> This incident sparked debate over the fairness of the fee system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asahi.com/english/opinion/TKY200502240170.html |title=Turned off: Fee falling: Viewers are not only boycotting their NHK payments, they are now also seeking a complete overhaul of the system at the public broadcaster. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218004624/http://www.asahi.com/english/opinion/TKY200502240170.html |archive-date=2014-02-18 |website=[[The Asahi Shimbun|IHT/Asahi]] |date=24 February 2005 }}</ref> That year, the NHK opted to take [[legal action]] against those most flagrantly in violation of the law.<ref>{{cite web |title=Summary of Press Conference (November 2006): On the demanding of fee payment through legal proceedings |url=http://www.nhk.or.jp/pr/english/toptalk/kaichou_e/k_e0611.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411195311/http://www.nhk.or.jp/pr/english/toptalk/kaichou_e/k_e0611.htm |archive-date=11 April 2013 |publisher=[[NHK|Japan Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> By fiscal year 2023, the amount of those refusing to pay had gone up to 1.66 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 June 2024 |title=ＮＨＫ受信契約が４年で１００万件減、不払いは倍増「テレビ離れがどう影響しているか答えるのが難しい」 |url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/culture/tv/20240627-OYT1T50088/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727182121/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/culture/tv/20240627-OYT1T50088/ |archive-date=27 July 2024 |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=Yomiuri |language=Japanese}}</ref>

This fee and how it is charged is unpopular with some citizens. This led to the formation of the {{Nihongo|[[NHK Party]]|NHK党|NHK tō}},<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/29/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-lawmaker-sparked-scandal-russia-war-remarks-join-anti-nhk-party/ |title=Japan lawmaker who sparked scandal with Russia war remarks to join anti-NHK party |date=2019-07-29 |work=[[The Japan Times]] |access-date=2019-07-30 |language=en-US |issn=0447-5763}}</ref> also known as {{Nihongo|N-Koku|N国}},<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907250055.html |title=After stunning election win, anti-NHK party sets higher goal |website=[[The Asahi Shimbun]] |language=en |access-date=2019-07-30 |archive-date=28 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728233457/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907250055.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> a [[single-issue political party]], which has protested this fee with representatives in the [[House of Councillors (Japan)|upper house]].

In the 2025 fiscal year, NHK will have a projected shortfall of 40 billion yen in license fees.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Forrester |first1=Chris |title=NHK suffers major licence fee deficit |url=https://advanced-television.com/2025/01/10/nhk-suffers-major-licence-fee-deficit/ |work=Advanced Television |date=January 10, 2025}}</ref> But the network seeks to fill the hole left by non-paying and no-television-watching watchers by collecting fees for a new streaming service planned to start at the beginning of the year. According to NHK, the new "internet-only" fee of 1,100 yen (USD $7) a month, the same as the broadcast fee, could add around 100 million yen (USD $634,000) to its yearly budget.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 January 2025 |title=Bleeding Cash, NHK to Collect "Internet Only" License Fee |url=https://unseen-japan.com/nhk-fee-no-tv/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119010924/https://unseen-japan.com/nhk-fee-no-tv/ |archive-date=19 January 2025 |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=Unseen Japan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 September 2024 |title=Q&A;: How will Japan public broadcaster NHK's new streaming service affect viewers? |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240916/p2a/00m/0et/008000c |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119014120/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240916/p2a/00m/0et/008000c |archive-date=19 January 2025 |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=Mainichi English}}</ref>