Japan's Communications Ministry decided to oblige broadcasters to regularly report on investments made by foreign shareholders on Friday, as some broadcasting companies violated the foreign ownership rule, local media reported Friday.

According to Japanese broadcasting law, voting rights controlled by foreign shareholders need to be less than 20 percent in a broadcaster. The rule is designed for preventing foreign entities from exerting control over a broadcaster's local programming.

Broadcasters, which foreign investment ratio is found to surpass 20 percent, will be given a period of time to make amendments before revoking their broadcasting licenses so that their broadcasting services will not be affected due to a minor breach of the law.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will also require broadcasters to report each time that the proportion of foreign ownership changes.

Those decisions were made at an experts' panel meeting on Friday, following foreign investment ratios in Fuji Media Holdings, the parent company of Japanese broadcaster Fuji Television Network Inc. and Tohokushinsha Film Corp., were found to have exceeded the 20 percent limit.

The minister plans to submit a bill to revise related legislation to an ordinary Diet session to be convened early next year.

Moreover, the communications ministry decided to remove limits on foreign investment in the aviation radio industry, while cautiously considering easing restrictions in the space industry due to security concerns.

The panel had been discussing regulations on foreign investment in the information and communications industry since June, exchanging views with the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association as well as Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. 

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