Hirofumi Kasamatsu

"We heartily apologize to those affected, relevant parties and our viewers and listeners," Hashimoto said on a TV program.

As a penalty, Hashimoto said that he will give up 30 percent and three other executives 10 percent of their monthly salaries for the next three months.

On Nov. 5, police arrested Hirofumi Kasamatsu, a 24-year-old reporter at NHK's Otsu bureau in Shiga Prefecture. According to investigative sources, he admitted to the June 5 attempted arson charge and to his involvement in some cases of suspected arson in Otsu.

NHK President Genichi Hashimoto

Kasamatsu was quoted as telling police, "I did it because I was in a foul mood due to stress over work-related trouble."

Already hit by viewers refusal to pay subscription fees, NHK's call center had received 523 complaints from viewers by 6 p.m. Nov. 6, mostly saying "employees should be taught better from now on," according to the NHK public relations department.

The suspect lives just across the road from a house that caught fire, and a neighbor reported to have seen a man resembling him near the site, the police said.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 12, 2005
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