Traditionally, Nihon TV has opted out of the nightly news competition. Whereas TBS, TV Asahi and Fuji TV present hourlong, in-depth news shows, Nihon TV settled for a half-hour bulletin-style report called "Kyo no Dekigoto (Today's Happenings)."
However, on Monday, the network jumps into the race with both feet. "News Zero" (Monday to Friday, 10:54 p.m.) is being touted by the media in general as a challenge to the most popular 11 p.m. news show, TBS's "News 23" with veteran journalist Tetsuya Chikushi.
The anchorman of the new hourlong program will be 50-year-old Nobutaka Murao, who is not a journalist. In fact, he doesn't even have experience as a TV announcer. He was a high-ranking bureaucrat in the Ministry of Finance when it was still referred to as the Okura-sho. Murao's main claim to fame was taking on Liberal Democratic Party stalwart Muneo Suzuki, accusing him of misappropriating funds. Later, Murao quit the ministry to run for governor of his home prefecture of Mie, but lost. Since then he's been a lecturer at Kansai Gakuin University.