My Life: Interview with TV Director Yasuko Isono, Part 13
Jun. 26, 2013
Assuming a Leadership Role
by Takahiro Yamase, Staff Writer
First female executive in the commercial broadcasting industry
In June 1988, when she joined the board of directors of the Yamaguchi Broadcasting Company in the city of Shunan, Yasuko Isono received public attention as the first female executive in the commercial broadcasting industry.
My husband heard the news earlier than I did about the possibility of me being made an executive director at the company. Chairman Yukihiro Nomura called my husband at home and asked his opinion about tapping me for an executive post. Mr. Nomura was concerned about the public’s response to a female executive. I also heard that someone at a women’s organization was asked for her view on my appointment.
So when I was summoned to the president’s office, I wasted no time telling them, “I’ll do my best.” It was a great honor to become the first female executive among the commercial broadcasters. Men aren’t the only ones that make up the viewing audience--it’s important to produce programs from the viewpoint of women, too. I wanted to do my best to reflect well on the company.
In 1990, the company launched a live television broadcast of the road race held in the city of Hofu. In 1997, it created the TV drama “Graduation Photograph” starring Tsunehiko Watarase and Hikaru Nishida and set on the island of Okikamurojima in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The live broadcast of the race was a demanding task. Because of the mountainous terrain of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it was difficult to transmit the TV signal; if the live broadcast was interrupted, it would inconvenience the sponsors and dissatisfy the nationwide networks. During the broadcast, we also sought to promote Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Dramas and documentaries are a completely different challenge. In documentaries, various scenes are shot and then edited together into a whole. But in dramas, the needed scenes are filmed in line with a script. A production company in Tokyo supplied the script, while we tried to convey the reality of life on the island. Because of the aging population there, the number of people who were 65 or older accounted for 50% of the residents. We introduced the island, though depopulated, as Japan’s top island for longevity.
I still have an important mission: nurturing the younger generation of TV professionals. I didn’t want our work to simply end up as local programming. I squeezed funds from the budget, and sent our directors to study their trade in Tokyo. The most valuable honor I received was the “Prix Futura Berlin” [Berlin Future Award]. This award recognized our efforts to create and record English versions of our programs for international viewers. Toward this end, I sought to train our staff in these skills. Taking advantage of my personal connections, I asked the nation’s best editors and directors to instruct them.
Ms. Isono was appointed senior managing director in 1999, then retired from this post in June 2001.
I’m proud of myself for surviving in this highly competitive industry. People kept telling me that the broadcasting profession, with its furious pace, would be too tough for a woman. But I had no hardships and I found it very rewarding. I feel satisfied with my experience and glad that I could help pave the way for other women in this industry.
(Originally published on December 21, 2010)
by Takahiro Yamase, Staff Writer
First female executive in the commercial broadcasting industry
In June 1988, when she joined the board of directors of the Yamaguchi Broadcasting Company in the city of Shunan, Yasuko Isono received public attention as the first female executive in the commercial broadcasting industry.
My husband heard the news earlier than I did about the possibility of me being made an executive director at the company. Chairman Yukihiro Nomura called my husband at home and asked his opinion about tapping me for an executive post. Mr. Nomura was concerned about the public’s response to a female executive. I also heard that someone at a women’s organization was asked for her view on my appointment.
So when I was summoned to the president’s office, I wasted no time telling them, “I’ll do my best.” It was a great honor to become the first female executive among the commercial broadcasters. Men aren’t the only ones that make up the viewing audience--it’s important to produce programs from the viewpoint of women, too. I wanted to do my best to reflect well on the company.
In 1990, the company launched a live television broadcast of the road race held in the city of Hofu. In 1997, it created the TV drama “Graduation Photograph” starring Tsunehiko Watarase and Hikaru Nishida and set on the island of Okikamurojima in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The live broadcast of the race was a demanding task. Because of the mountainous terrain of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it was difficult to transmit the TV signal; if the live broadcast was interrupted, it would inconvenience the sponsors and dissatisfy the nationwide networks. During the broadcast, we also sought to promote Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Dramas and documentaries are a completely different challenge. In documentaries, various scenes are shot and then edited together into a whole. But in dramas, the needed scenes are filmed in line with a script. A production company in Tokyo supplied the script, while we tried to convey the reality of life on the island. Because of the aging population there, the number of people who were 65 or older accounted for 50% of the residents. We introduced the island, though depopulated, as Japan’s top island for longevity.
I still have an important mission: nurturing the younger generation of TV professionals. I didn’t want our work to simply end up as local programming. I squeezed funds from the budget, and sent our directors to study their trade in Tokyo. The most valuable honor I received was the “Prix Futura Berlin” [Berlin Future Award]. This award recognized our efforts to create and record English versions of our programs for international viewers. Toward this end, I sought to train our staff in these skills. Taking advantage of my personal connections, I asked the nation’s best editors and directors to instruct them.
Ms. Isono was appointed senior managing director in 1999, then retired from this post in June 2001.
I’m proud of myself for surviving in this highly competitive industry. People kept telling me that the broadcasting profession, with its furious pace, would be too tough for a woman. But I had no hardships and I found it very rewarding. I feel satisfied with my experience and glad that I could help pave the way for other women in this industry.
(Originally published on December 21, 2010)
