Mezamashi TV

Mezamashi TV
Format	News program
Starring	Norikazu Otsuka Yuko Shono Shinichi Karube Minako Nakano Aiko Kaito
Country of origin	Japan
Production
Running time	155 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Fuji Television
Picture format	480i (SDTV), 1080i (HDTV)
Original run	April 1, 1994 – Present

Mezamashi TV (めざましテレビ) is a Japanese news magazine show broadcast every weekday on Fuji TV from 5:25 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. but not on TV Oita because there is "ZIP!" produced and copyrighted by Nippon TV on TV Oita.

Mezamashi is a form of the Japanese verb mezamasu (to wake up). Hence the title is quite close to the English morning show or breakfast TV.

Times for broadcasting

• Fuji TV, TV Miyazaki and other 23 TV stations except TV Oita: from 5:25 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Fuji TV, TV Miyazaki and other 23 TV stations except TV Oita (after association football broadcasting): from 5:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Kansai TV (on January 17 every year): from 5:55 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Ishikawa TV and TV Nagasaki: from 5:55 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

History

In the first half of the 1990s, several newsmagazine shows of Fuji TV in the morning were discontinued after a short period because of low television ratings. In order to get high television ratings, Fuji TV carried out several strategies. Firstly, it appointed two persons who were thought to be suitable as main newscasters, Otsuka Norikazu (大塚 範一) and Yagi Akiko (八木 亜希子); Otsuka was a free-lance announcer who had been an announcer at NHK, and Yagi was one of the most popular announcers in those days. Secondly, it tried to come up with a news program that attracts young people. Several contents such as entertainment information or fashion information were included for young people. Then, on April 1, 1994, Mezamashi TV was born as a newsmagazine show of a new style.

In fact, the television ratings did not rise at first. However, Fuji TV did not give it up. In 1997, Kojima Natsuko (小島 奈津子) was appointed as an additional main newscaster. She was got close to young people by a nickname of ’’nacchan’’, and became popular. After that, the television ratings of Mezamashi TV gradually rose.

In 1998, Yagi retired and Kisa Ayako (木佐 彩子) was added for 1 year.

In 2003, Takashima Aya (高島 彩) was appointed as a new main newscaster. Not only was she popular, but she also had an ability to adapt to circumstances.

In June 2005, Mezamashi TV achieved the highest rating out of the 4 main newsmagazine shows. Fuji TV spent 11 years and achieved its aim at last. Although the television ratings of Mezamashi TV have fallen slightly recently, it still has a deep-rooted popularity among young people.

Main parts

Entertainment news part

The most notable characteristic of Mezamashi TV is its entertainment news segment. In the 1990s, entertainment news was not yet taken seriously at any TV stations in Japan, although there were some programs that dealt with gossip. The entertainment news segment of Mezamashi TV dealt with only entertainment information, not gossip. This segment was so innovative that other TV stations imitated this method afterwards.

Exclusive entertainment information is often aired in this segment, such as information on newly released CDs that have not yet been aired by other TV programs.

Kyou no Uranai CountDown!

Kyou no Uranai CountDown! (今日の占いカウントダウン！ "countdown of today's fortune-telling") is a fortune-telling segment. This segment has continued since the beginning of Mezamashi TV. In fact, it was rare that fortune-telling was aired as part of a newsmagazine show at that time. Like the entertainment news segment, this part targets young people.

Kyou no Wanko

Kyou no Wanko (きょうのわんこ "today's doggie") is a segment that shows interesting dogs in Japan. This segment has been continuing since 1994. The narrator of this part is Nishiyama Kikue (西山喜久恵). In this segment, dogs’ funny habits or characteristics are presented.

Every December, the grand prix dog is selected and a trophy is presented to the dog.

An accident

On September 2, 1998, Kikuma Yukino (菊間 千乃), a reporter of Mezamashi TV, fell from a 5th story window while reporting on a device to help occupants escape in an emergency. The accident happened when she tried to demonstrate the use of the escape system designed to lower an occupant to the ground from a window. The device was improperly secured to the building and so failed resulting in a fall from four stories onto padding placed on the ground as a safety precaution for her planned descent. Kikuma survived, sustaining an injury to her waist. It took her three months to fully recover.

After this accident, Fuji TV announcers instituted a policy of avoiding dangerous reports.

Main announcers

Otsuka Norikazu

Otsuka Norikazu (born September 28, 1948) is a free-lance announcer. He is from Edogawa, Tokyo. He graduated from Waseda University and became an announcer of NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation. In 1994, He retired from NHK and became a free-lance announcer. In Japan, many free-lance announcers belong to entertainment offices, but he does not belong to any entertainment offices. He is an original newscaster of Mezamashi TV and has been a main newscaster since 1994. In Novmeber 2011, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Takashima Aya

Takashima Aya (born February 18, 1979) is a free-lance announcer. She is from Kōtō, Tokyo. She graduated from Seikei University and became an announcer in 2001. When she was selected as a main newscaster of Mezamashi TV, she had been an announcer for only 2 years. However, her newscasting was steady and welcomed.

Nakano Minako

Nakano Minako (中野 美奈子 born December 14, 1979) is an announcer of Fuji TV. She is from Marugame, Kagawa. In 1999, she was selected Miss Keio, and she is one of the most popular announcers in Japan. She graduated from Keio University and became an announcer in 2002. She is a newscaster of information now.

Karube Shin-ichi

Karube Shin-ichi (軽部 真一 born October 8, 1962) is an announcer of Fuji TV. He is from Tokyo. He graduated from Waseda University and became an announcer in 1985. He has been in charge of the entertainment segment since 1994. He has published a book about movies. He is an original newscaster of Mezamashi TV, like Otsuka Norikazu.

Kaito Aiko

Kaito Aiko (皆藤 愛子 born January 25, 1984) is a free-lance announcer and belongs to cent. Force CO., LTD. She is from Yotsukaido, Chiba. She is a Waseda University student majoring in literature. She has been a weather caster since 2005. Apart from being a weather caster, she is an actress, too. She has appeared in Densha Otoko in 2005 and Chibi Maruko-chan in 2006.

External links

• Mezamashi TV's official site on FujiTV