The 60-minute program, broadcast weeknights at 10 p.m. since October 1985, became popular as an "unconventional" news program, with Kume gaining fame for his frank comments and unique presentational style.

But the program sometimes drew harsh feedback from viewers, and in several instances the program and TV Asahi found themselves embroiled in controversy.

Last October, the Supreme Court judged that a report shown on the program in 1999 on dioxin contamination in vegetables grown in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, had offered no proof, quashing a lower court decision that rejected damages claims by local farmers, and ordering the case back to the Tokyo High Court.

In the Nov. 9 general election, the governing Liberal-Democratic Party snubbed TV Asahi's election coverage and the party leadership refused to appear on the program, saying its coverage "lacked balance."

On April 5, TV Asahi plans to unveil a new program, Hodo Station, in the 10 p.m. slot with a new anchor, 49-year-old Ichiro Furutachi.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 3, 2004
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