Hiroshi Inoue, president of Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc., does not hide his displeasure when he talks about online shopping mall operator Rakuten Inc.'s attempt to make the broadcaster its affiliate.
"It's like you have a house of your own and, suddenly out of nowhere, someone comes up and tells you he wants to marry your daughter because he has purchased 20 percent of your land," Inoue said during a news conference June 6.
As tensions build between TBS and Rakuten ahead of the broadcaster's annual shareholders' meeting June 28, some observers note that behind TBS's fierce objection to Rakuten's bid is the fact that broadcasting has been a protected industry and its executives don't want outsiders to disrupt their vested interests.