| Naked News is breaking in Japan market. |
Naked News, which features anchors and reporters who disrobe during newscasts, launched its risque take on current affairs in Japan.
Beneath a banner proclaiming Naked News as "The program with nothing to hide," Sunrise Corp. CEO Takuya Uchikawa described the service as "a unique concept for the Japanese market."
Sunrise, which specializes in sales of goods and services via the Internet, and Naked News owner eGalaxy Multimedia have set a target of 10,000 mobile subscribers in the first year.
"We would not have dared to come to Japan unless we were convinced that there was a definite market, and we now see there is a massive market here, we have a partner that understands that market and the technological skills to provide an enjoyable product," eGalaxy Multimedia Inc. CEO David Warga said.
Since making its debut in Canada in 1999, Naked News has become available via the Internet, television and mobile phones in North America, Australia and Europe.
"We believe there is a huge untapped market for the right kind of information if it was properly packaged," Warga said. "So we created a news-entertainment program in which women, and later men, informed while removing their clothing."
The service initially will be news that is provided for Naked News' existing markets but with Japanese subtitles. The plan is eventually to produce content in Japan that will appeal to a larger percentage of the population.
Another area being tested concerns the degree of nudity of the presenters. Initially, newscasters will strip to their underwear, but Uchikawa indicated that he hopes to be able to see how far Japanese obscenity broadcasting laws can be bent before they are broken.
Canadian-born presenter Lily Kwan has been peeling off her work clothes for five years and described the experience as "liberating."
"I love being able to go out onto the streets and take my clothes off," she said. "While we have been in Tokyo, people have been very surprised to see us with no tops on, but they're very happy and interested in talking to us."
(Agencies)
有傷風化的"裸體新聞"近日在日本推出時事新聞服務，這檔節目的特點就是主持人和記者一邊播報新聞一邊脫光衣服。
站在一個號稱裸體新聞"無絲毫隱瞞"的橫幅下，日本日出公司執行長內川拓哉稱，這種服務"對於日本市場是一個獨特的概念"。
日出公司和裸體新聞品牌所有者eGalaxy多媒體公司計劃在第一年發展1萬名手機訂戶。日出公司的主要業務是通過網絡推銷商品和服務
eGalaxy多媒體公司執行長大衛·沃加說："我們肯定這種服務在日本有市場，否則我們是不敢進軍日本的，我們現在看見了一個巨大的市場，我們的合作夥伴對了解這個市場，同時擁有提供這種娛樂產品的技術能力。"
自裸體新聞1999年在加拿大開播以來，北美、澳大利亞和歐洲的網際網路、電視和手機用戶都可以收看到它的節目。
"我們相信，如果包裝得當的話，日本的市場潛力將會相當巨大，"沃加說，"所以我們開辦了一個集新聞和娛樂於一體的節目，剛開始是女主持人一邊播報新聞一邊脫衣服，之後也有男主持人加入。"
服務最初將提供為原有市場製作的新聞，但是會配上日文字幕。公司計劃最後製作有關日本內容的節目，這將吸引更多日本收看人。
另一個被試探的領域是主持人的裸露程度。主持人們最初將脫到只穿內衣時為止。但是內川表示，他希望能夠試探出日本淫穢廣播法的底線。
出生在加拿大的關莉莉做了5年裸體新聞主持人，她認為這種經歷"很有解放性"。
她說："我喜歡走到大街上，脫掉身上的衣服。在東京，人們看到我們不穿上衣感到很吃驚，但他們很高興，而且對與我們交談很有興趣。"