The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) held the 7th meeting of the Broadcasting and Distribution Content Industry Strategy Study Team, accelerating comprehensive strategic discussions on broadcast system directions in the digital age and enhancing international competitiveness of Japan"s media content industry. This meeting advanced the formulation of new media industry policies responding to OTT (Over The Top) service expansion, 5G/6G technology development, and global video streaming platform emergence through verification of public comment results on the "draft summary" and opinion exchanges.
Current discussions position the arrangement of convergence and competitive environments between broadcasting operators and internet distribution operators, protection of viewer and consumer interests, ensuring content diversity, and maintaining/strengthening local information dissemination functions as major themes. Particularly noteworthy is the strategic challenge of how to strengthen Japan"s content creation and distribution foundation while overseas platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ rapidly expand in the Japanese market.
From an economic perspective, further expansion of Japan"s media content market (approximately 13 trillion yen) and improving the effectiveness of "Cool Japan" strategies to counter Korean content"s international success are important policy objectives. Specifically, discussions include supporting overseas expansion of uniquely Japanese content such as anime, dramas, variety shows, and documentaries, expanding content production investment, and strengthening industrial competitiveness through digital distribution technology advancement.
Regarding technological innovation, the initiative aims for revolutionary viewer experience improvement and new revenue model creation through 8K/4K ultra-high-definition video technology, VR/AR technology, AI-utilized content production, and live streaming technology advancement. Additionally, important discussion items include addressing digital-era-specific legal system challenges such as balancing copyright protection with fair use expansion, harmonizing personal information protection with personalization technology, and balancing youth protection with freedom of expression.
Ensuring local media sustainability is also positioned as an important issue, with policy development to maintain media regionality and diversity through local broadcasting station management stabilization, regional content production support, and disaster information transmission function maintenance/strengthening. From international cooperation perspectives, the initiative aims to improve Japan"s media industry international standing through content circulation promotion in the Asia-Pacific region, international coordination of digital technology standards, and multilateral cooperation in anti-piracy measures.
This strategic discussion requires comprehensive approaches to complex policy challenges including balancing deregulation with consumer protection, innovation promotion with existing industry protection, and global competition with domestic industry development, attracting attention as an extremely important policy process that will influence the future of Japan"s media and entertainment industry.