Tokyo: Japanese public broadcaster NHK said Monday that no performers who belonged to Johnny & Associates Inc. will appear on its year-end music show “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (red and white song battle) this year, due to a sexual abuse scandal involving the talent agency’s late founder.

NHK, or Japan Broadcasting Corp., followed its policy of not making new offers to the agency until compensation for sexual abuse victims is steadily implemented, an NHK official explained.

It is the first time in 44 years that the long-running music show, aired on New Year’s eve, will feature no performers from the talent agency, which has been renamed Smile-Up. Inc. in the wake of the scandal.

Around five to six groups and individuals from the talent agency have performed in the music show each year for the last decade or so.

In September, the talent agency held its first press conference on the scandal and admitted that the late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, had been sexually abusing young performers for decades.

JIJI Press