Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Shogo Hayashi said Monday the ministry will consider accepting sponsorship from advertisers to fund programs that NHK airs abroad.
Hayashi's remark came in response to a view expressed earlier this month by Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who said it might be necessary to run commercials if the public broadcaster is to increase its overseas programming and disseminate more information about Japan abroad.
NHK's operations are funded at present by fees collected from viewers -- in principle all TV owners in Japan, but the broadcaster has seen a huge fall in such fees after it became embroiled in scandals.
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