NHK has been hit by yet another financial scandal. It was revealed yesterday that a chief producer had swindled over ¥17.6 million in expenses up to April of last year. Ohshita Satoshi (43), in charge of sports programming in Sapporo, claimed expenses for 242 trips between the northern city and Tokyo over a five-year period up to shortly before his transfer to the capital last June. At the time, the national broadcast network was supposed to be cracking down following a revelation the previous year that another producer had pocketed money for fictional programs. NHK has been rocked by a series of scandals over the last few years that have led a growing number of people to refuse to pay their annual subscription fees. Executive Director General of Broadcasting Harada Toyohiko (58) gave a press conference on Monday and apologized for the scandal. There are expected to be calls for Chairman Hashimoto Genichi (photo, 62) to resign. Ohshita had been the No.2 man in the company’s sports department and was supposed to be in charge of programming for this summer’s World Cup in Germany.
• Crazy Cats, the comic-jazz band that was hugely popular in the 1960s, released their first new single in 20 years today. Singer/songwriter Matsutoya Yumi (52) wrote the song, “Still Crazy for You”, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Watanabe Productions management agency and performed it at a party last November. The single includes tracks recorded during live performances by now deceased band members such as drummer and band leader Hana Hajime (1930-93). Surviving members Ueki Hitoshi (79, vocals/guitar), Tani Kei (76, trombone), Inuzuka Hiroshi (77, bass) and Sakurai Senri (81, piano) are all still active in showbiz.
• Actress Hosokawa Naomi (31) is pregnant with her second child. She and actor Katsurayama Shingo (34) married in 2002 and had a daughter the following year. Hosokawa won a national beauty contest in 1988 and her baby is due on August 2, the day of this year’s contest.
• Another expectant mother, actress Adachi Yumi (24), has her next job lined up already. She will be the voice of the heroine in the upcoming Anpanman anime movie, “Soreike! Anpanman, Inochi no Hoshi no Dorii”. Recording begins in June, by which time Adachi will have delivered her first child with comedian Itoda Jun (33). The couple married in September of last year and are expecting their child on April 17.