FM Karuizawa's New Challenge
The Role of the Region's Only Broadcast Media

UNI-SQUARE April issue features FM Karuizawa for the first time! Established in 2001, FM Karuizawa has been loved by locals and visitors alike for 24 years as the only broadcasting medium in Karuizawa. In 2013, we became a subsidiary of Oak Capital (now UNIVA・OAK Holdings, hereafter referred to as UOH) and have been serving as the media business of the UNIVA Group, connecting Karuizawa with people and businesses. FM Karuizawa aims to deliver content that can be enjoyed not only by people living in Karuizawa Town and its surrounding areas but also by anyone in Japan through internet radio. In this issue, we interviewed Mr. Hiroyuki Takahashi, the station manager of FM Karuizawa, about the past and future of FM Karuizawa.

Thank you, Mr. Takahashi, for your time.

The unique approach to community radio in "Karuizawa"

Are you all familiar with Karuizawa Town in Nagano Prefecture? Spread out on a plateau at an altitude of 1000 meters, Karuizawa offers dazzling fresh greenery in spring, a refreshing coolness in summer that makes you forget about the scorching heat, autumn foliage so beautiful it leaves you speechless, and winter snow scenes that look like paintings. You can enjoy the beautiful nature in all four seasons. The population of Karuizawa Town is about 20,000, with approximately 16,000 vacation homes. And what's surprising is the number of tourists! It's estimated to be a staggering 8 million visitors annually. What kind of media is FM Karuizawa, which has been the only broadcast media in such a unique place for 24 years?

"FM Karuizawa is one of the 340 community radio stations nationwide. In other words, it plays the role of broadcasting over a small wattage to provide information about the area to the people in that area. However, FM Karuizawa can be listened to not only in Karuizawa and its surrounding areas but throughout Japan through internet radio. Therefore, we focus on creating content that can be enjoyed not only by people living in Karuizawa or those who have vacation homes there but also by those who want to visit or are interested in Karuizawa. For ordinary community radio stations, it's challenging to produce broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so they often source programs from other stations. However, a unique feature of FM Karuizawa is that all of its programs are independently produced."

Karuizawa is a unique place where people can engage in various ways, such as living there, having a dual-residence lifestyle, or visiting as tourists. Therefore, the production department creates programs with two approaches in mind: one focusing on Karuizawa Town, and another that is not limited to Karuizawa-specific content. FM Karuizawa consists of three teams: the essential sales department for the advertising medium, the broadcasting department, and the administrative department that manages them.

"Currently, we are producing over 50 programs with about 30 staff members, but some of our personalities consider this not just a job, but their life's work. Half of our personalities don't even live in Karuizawa. After going through the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become normal to record in other locations and receive audio data to create programs, allowing us to make more interesting shows that transcend geographical boundaries."

What is FM Karuizawa's proud program?

"95% of FM Karuizawa's revenue comes from advertising. We can't secure advertising without creating good programs, so here, the production department and the sales department work hand in hand, with each striving to aim higher."

Let's have Mr. Takahashi introduce us to FM Karuizawa's proud program that he recommends!

"Karuizawa is one of Japan's premier resort areas, accessible from Tokyo in just over an hour by bullet train, and is home to many wealthy individuals who own vacation homes there. Karuizawa Dispatches! Tadashi Ota's 'Free-ranging' Economics and Finance' is popular among such people. This program delivers market news from around the world and Japan, selected by Tadashi Ota, an economic and stock analyst. The one-point lessons on asset management are also popular. As it is also distributed as a podcast, it is watched by a truly large number of people. As a long-running program of over 10 years, it has become an icon of FM Karuizawa.

Another one is 'Hiroyuki no Yukisaki Mitei' (Hiroyuki's Unknown Destination). This is the only radio program hosted by Hiroyuki Nishimura, famously known as 'Hiroyuki'. It's a proud program of FM Karuizawa, created by Hiroyuki-san who is suitable for talking about the future, and radio which is a medium for discussing the present."

In addition, they are focusing on programs such as "Karuizawa Book Journey," which invites authors and translators associated with Karuizawa to lead guests into the world of books, as well as entertainment programs that pique the intellectual curiosity of affluent individuals. In the future, we are also considering programs where celebrities who own vacation homes in Karuizawa can casually drop by FM Karuizawa.

From rock bottom to profitability: The future FM Karuizawa aims for

While FM Karuizawa says it has experienced many difficult years over its 24-year history, it has achieved profitability in the past two years. Having said that, the radio industry as a whole is in decline, isn't it? Looking ahead, what kind of plans do you have for the development of FM Karuizawa?

"While it's true that the major radio stations that once dominated the market have seen significant declines in both listener numbers and advertising revenue, I believe FM Karuizawa, which started as a small radio station, still has room for growth. There's still potential to create good programs, and there are many untapped areas where we can secure advertising. To achieve this, we want to invest in recruitment going forward, focusing first on strengthening and developing our sales team. Above all, we want to give back to the staff who have worked hard with limited numbers up until now."

Not only will we enhance broadcasting operations and internet content, but we will also actively take on event promotion orders in the future, with a view to creating corporate projects and businesses that leverage the Karuizawa brand.

"The target audience of FM Karuizawa has very favorable demographics. Increasing FM Karuizawa's value for such listeners is an urgent task."

The true role of community radio

Mr. Takahashi says that the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, made many people realize the role of radio.

"One of the roles of the 340 community radio stations across the country is to act for the people in their area when a disaster occurs and deliver accurate information." I believe our value lies in continuing to be a reliable presence for those involved with Karuizawa.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake, radio was an important source of information as it could be used even when power outages and communication disruptions occurred. Additionally, the widespread adoption of internet radio was largely triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Internet radio, which allows people who are worried about their families and hometowns to obtain real-time information about their hometowns from distant places, has become widely recognized by many people.

FM Karuizawa had been participating in internet radio for a while before this, but it was really the 2011 earthquake and the involvement with UOH (then Oak Capital) in 2013 that laid the foundation for the current FM Karuizawa.

Lastly, please tell us about the changes since becoming part of the UNIVA Group.

"Before joining UOH, we had been going through a prolonged period of financial difficulties, and our employees had to endure a lot. So, the biggest change was being given the opportunity to grow. We're still experiencing favorable conditions now, and we're getting that sense from both inside and outside the company. We want to solidify this positive momentum, grow as a business, and aim to become a broadcasting station that can be of even greater service to the people of Karuizawa.”

Thank you, Mr. Takahashi!
Everyone of NAKAMA, please enjoy FM Karuizawa as well.
The podcast link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/60ERGAgi0uLG6jSAzw8MPI?si=a72080bc4b7e4750&nd=1&dlsi=79bc37c84b89446e