Achievements

The aim of this paper is to discuss the status and issues of community-based services of local commercial broadcasters, which they think it as their raison d'etre, by analyzing their present situation from the perspective of institutional isomorphism. Local broadcasters have an incentive to obtain originality in the prefectural areas in which they do business. And they have a common understanding about community-based services. However, in small-scale companies, they cannot grasp the exact needs and ways of being accepted by prefectural people except by relying on conventional methods such as audience ratings surveys. In this situation, it is also difficult to carry out self-evaluations which are an essential part of their management judgement. According to the above, amending broadcasting policy such as the deregulation of structural control will work effectively only when it becomes possible for local broadcasters to grasp the actual conditions of prefectural people at the same time.