Japanese TV veteran Tatsuhiko Inoue named president of broadcaster NHK

NHK veteran Tatsuhiko Inoue has been promoted to the role of president at the Japanese broadcaster, succeeding incumbent Nobuo Inaba when his term ends on January 24, 2026.

Tatsuhiko Inoue

Inoue is elevated from his current position as vice president, with his new role marking the first time an NHK executive has become president since 2005.

The appointment was decided by NHK’s board of governors on Monday, with Inoue subsequently holding a press conference to outline his vision for the Tokyo-based broadcaster’s role amid an evolving media landscape.

Inoue joined NHK as a news reporter in 1980, beginning his career at NHK’s Nagasaki Station in southern Japan. From 1986 onward, he specialised in political and foreign affairs reporting, later rising to become head of the political news division in 2005.

He subsequently served as controller of editing in the news department. In June 2011, in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, he assumed the role of director of the programming department.

Inoue became a member of NHK’s executive board and was appointed senior director in 2014, a role that involved shaping NHK’s strategies and corporate plans. From 2016, he served for six years as president and CEO of two NHK technical affiliates – NHK I-Tech and Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) – where he oversaw initiatives supporting broadcasting technologies and Japan’s satellite broadcasting infrastructure.

In February 2023, Inoue was appointed EVP of NHK in recognition of his network of relationships and managerial experience.

Before Inoue, six consecutive presidents came from outside the broadcaster’s own ranks. He is the first NHK official to assume the top role since Hashimoto Genichi in 2005.

Inoue said: “Even as social conditions and the media landscape undergo profound changes, NHK remains steadfast in its mission to deliver accurate information and provide high-quality, enriching content.

“At the same time, the challenges before us are clear: further adapting to the digital era, expanding our international presence, fostering the next generation of talent, and ensuring the sustainability of reception fee revenues.

“I regard the management team as a single, united force, and together with the entire NHK Group, we will confront these challenges with determination and collective strength.”