... and a Cultural Interlude ...
CL
Japanese taxpayers' hard-earned money is being used to subsidize a nude
news program, according to Shukan Shincho (7/5).
The program being partially funded by public money is "Hadaka no News
Station (Nude News Station)," a Friday night program on adult-oriented
satellite channel Paradise TV where the female newscaster removes one
item of clothing with each news piece presented until she is fully nude.
It's a five-minute segment of the program that is earning it the
government money targeting those who want to buff up, literally, their
signing skills. This segment is called "Hadaka no Shuwa News (Nude Sign
Language News)" and features Miyabe Fujino, who dexterously sheds her
clothes while presenting the news in sign language. Text runs along the
bottom of the screen outlining what Fujino is signing.
Fujino also presents another segment called "One Point Sign Language
Lessons," where she teaches viewers the sign language for such terms as
"kiss me."
Public funding for the program is being provided by the National
Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), an
independent organization funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications. NICT is committed to subsidizing TV programs that
promote text messaging for deaf viewers, much to the delight of Paradise TV.
"We only get about 140,000 to 150,000 yen a month in subsidies," a
spokesman for Paradise TV tells Shukan Shincho. "But we're absolutely
thrilled that the national government officially recognizes our programs."
Paradise TV's website now proudly boasts of how its nude news is
sponsored by the government.
NICT, however, wishes the adult channel would get nicked.
"We are paying directly to the Broadcast Programming Center of Japan, a
charity corporation. The center has a contract with Paradise TV to make
a sign language news program," a NICT spokesman tells Shukan Shincho.
"We really wish Paradise would stop going around telling everybody that
it's being funded by the government." (By Ryann Connell)
July 2, 2007
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/20070702p2g00m0dm013000c.html
Peter
I liked this story, which sounds like something Wim might post.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/20070630p2g00m0dm002000c.html
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Peter