Broadcaster in Niigata Underreports Income by 1.1 B Yen

   Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--NST Niigata Sogo Television Co., a broadcaster in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, has been found to have concealed some 1.1 billion yen in taxable income over the six years through March 2024, informed sources said Tuesday.
   After the investigation by the Kantoshinetsu Regional Taxation Bureau, the broadcaster was ordered to pay about 400 million yen in back taxes and penalties.
   According to the sources, NST booked subcontract expenses by paying and inflating production costs for fictitious TV commercials that were not scheduled to be broadcast to several production companies. It then had its client production companies kick back the expenses, which were spent on such things as entertaining advertising agency staff.
   The broadcaster was established in March 1968 and started broadcasting nine months later. Fuji Media Holdings Inc., the parent company of Fuji Television Network Inc., is NST's largest stakeholder.
   NST's revenue stood at 6,749 million yen in the year ended in March 2024, according to research company Teikoku Databank Ltd.

(2025/06/03-17:36)