Japanese Broadcaster Seeks Overseas Shows : Media: The publicly funded network wants foreign programming sources to raise Japan’s international awareness.

Following the lead of Japan’s giant electronics companies, publicly funded Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) will buy and finance more programs made overseas, the chairman of the network said today.

NHK, which operates a host of television and radio networks, has set up a company to produce and buy shows overseas to expand its programming from foreign sources, NHK Chairman Keiji Shima told reporters.

The new company, Media International Corp., is part of a strategy to use broadcasting to raise Japan’s international awareness and to promote knowledge of Japan overseas, Shima said.

“Japan is basically domestically oriented and lacks international sensitivity. Foreigners need to learn that although the Japanese have money, the lifestyle of the average person is not so rich,” he said.

Media International was launched last month with $49 million in capital contributed by 47 companies, including major banks and trading companies, an NHK spokesman said.

NHK is not a shareholder but is contributing both staff and technical expertise. This has prompted criticism from Japan’s private broadcasters, which fear that the company will favor NHK. Shima denied this would be the case.

The chairman has become unpopular with private Japanese broadcasters, in part because of his efforts to expand and internationalize NHK--a network modeled on the British Broadcasting Corp., which does not carry advertising but relies on fees from television viewers.

Shima criticized Japanese-made programs, saying the generally poor quality, compared to those produced in Hollywood, compelled the move overseas. His comments echoed those made last week when Matsushita acquired MCA for more than $6 billion in Japan’s biggest foreign buyout.

“Japanese TV programs are so domestically oriented and closed,” Shima said.

Only about 5% of the programs aired on NHK are produced overseas, a ratio that will rise to 30% in the near future and 50% eventually, he said.

Shima, a former Washington news bureau chief, is moving closer to establishing an international consortium to provide round-the-clock television news for global distribution.

“I expect it can be organized within six months,” he said, adding that some major European broadcasters, but not the BBC, had expressed interest.

The basic idea is that several areas, such as Asia, Europe and America, would each produce eight hours of news daily about its region.

“Unfortunately, Asian news has low status. A worldwide news show could provide a means to put greater emphasis on Asian news,” he said.