News programmes in other networks
Although Japanese rely heavily on NHK for news programmes, the public broadcaster, which has 68 broadcasting stations and 29 overseas bureaus, has been facing increasing challenges from commercial networks that also try to develop more news programmes. For example, the Fuji News Network (FNN) of Fuji TV also provides around-the-clock news coverage. With offices at 28 affiliated stations of the Fuji Network System throughout Japan as well as 19 overseas desk, FNN is one of the largest news networks in the country.

Investigative reporting is done by the day-time "wide-shows," which are live action reporting, whose audience are mainly housewives. Other popular news programmes include TBS's Sunday Project (Japan's top rated news-related programme) and Strong Things About the Japanese; NTV's NNN Weekly Magazine; TV Ashai's New Station, Super J Channel, Asamade Nama TV (All Night in Discussion) and The Scoop.

Below is an overview of these news programmes:

* Sunday Project: hosted by Shoichiro Tawara and presented in the format of roundtable discussion of politicians. It is the top news-related programme in Japan (90 percent rating), mainly because it is shown on Sunday morning without significant competition and the host Tawara is not afraid of controversy and likes his guests to debate.

* Strong Things About the Japanese:a debate show hosted by Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi). The programme serves as a kind of political National Geographic, introducing Japan to people from every horizon and presenting confrontational debates on topics like delinquency and promiscuity among the young, racism and the troubled relations with Korea.

* NNN Weekly Magazine: a 26-minute programme with subjects taken from daily broadcasts, such as current events, professional sports, business and politics, entertainment news and general subjects

* News Station: first broadcast in 1985, an 80-minute news program shown weeknight at 10

* Super J Channel: an evening news show

* Asamade Nama TV (All Night in Discussion): a debate forum for experts from various fields on political themes

* The Scoop:a news show featuring in-depth reports ranging from political scandals to AIDS and sexual harassment

Nikkei CNBC
One recent development in Japan's broadcasting industry is the launch of the new business television news service, Nikkei CNBC, on 1 October 1999. The new service brings together Nikkei's television news service, Nikkei Satellite News and CNBC Japan and is the first joint venture in the television news business in Japan. The new company, Nikkei CNBC Japan Inc., is owned 51 percent by Nikkei and 49 percent by CNBC Japan, which is CNBC Asia's Japanese affiliate.

The new service is predominantly a Japanese language channel comprising live programming, business and general news and live real-time stock market and financial data during the day, and with live programming from CNBC US airing overnight. The joint venture further consolidates Nikkei's role as the leading business news and market information provider in Japan.

According to Professor Ronald Yates of the University of Illinois, the Nikkei/CNBC joint venture means a lot more coverage of international financial news, especially news from Japan (for CNBC) and from the U.S. (for Nikkei). He also thinks that this will be a good trend if producers in Japan are willing to use stories that are critical of Japan's economic and trade policies.

Yoichi Shimatsu from the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at HKU said that the Nikkei-CNBC joint venture will not disturb things too much, since Asahi has had a contract with CNN and CBS, NHK has an alliance with ABC and SkyPerfect-DirecTV has almost every major international news organization on their satellite channels.