Hisashi Hieda Steps Down as Fuji TV Advisor; Media Exec Expected to Leave Other Posts as well (UPDATE 2)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:49 JST, March 27, 2025

Fujisankei Communications Group (FCG) Chairman Hisashi Hieda stepped down Thursday as executive managing advisor at Fuji Television Network, Inc., the broadcaster’s parent company Fuji Media Holdings, Inc. said on the same day.

Hieda, 87, is also expected to step down as Fuji Media Holdings’ executive managing advisor after a general shareholders meeting scheduled for June. He has expressed his intention to step down as FCG chairman, according to Fuji Media Holdings.

Fuji Television Network held an extraordinary shareholders meeting and board of directors meeting on Thursday to put a new executive structure in place. Twelve directors, including Hieda and Vice Chairman Ryunosuke Endo, 68, were to retire as of Thursday, and the number of directors will be reduced from 22 to 10, including outside directors who will retire after the general shareholders meeting in June. In order to increase the transparency and objectivity of the board of directors, six of the 10 directors will be outside directors. The ratio of female directors was also increased to more than 30%.

After serving as general manager at Fuji TV’s programing and production department among other positions, Hieda became an executive managing director of Fuji TV in 1983 and served as president from 1988 to 2001.

From the 1980s, Fuji TV strengthened its lineup of variety shows and trendy dramas. Hieda led these efforts, which made Fuji TV the top-rated commercial broadcaster in Tokyo.

Hieda became the broadcaster’s chairman and was appointed in 2003 as chairman of FCG, which comprises Fuji TV, The Sankei Shimbun, Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc. and the Sankei Building Co. among others.

He had been Fuji TV’s executive managing advisor since 2017.