NHK has established a new organization, the “Receiving Fee Special Measures Center,” to strengthen its civil procedure for demanding payment from households and businesses that have signed contracts but have failed to pay their receiving fees, according to an interview with a person in charge. The demand for payment is planned to be expanded to more than 10 times that of the previous fiscal year in the second half of this fiscal year alone. The center is a nationwide organization specializing in civil procedures and is staffed by lawyers and sales staff. The center was established on October 1 within the Viewers Bureau, which is in charge of receiving subscription fees. The basis for the demand for payment is the Civil Procedure Law, which allows NHK to file a petition with the Summary Court for compulsory execution, including seizure, if no objection is filed by the recipient of the demand. If there is an objection, the case will be transferred to a civil lawsuit. The number of households that have not paid their subscription fees for more than a year has increased from approximately 700,000 in FY2019 to approximately 1.7 million in FY2012, a 2.5-fold increase. The number of petitions for civil proceedings against non-payers was 125 in the previous fiscal year, but is expected to increase more than 10-fold to ensure that the fair burden is borne.
Asahi Shimbun