Japanese Freelance Announcer Hiroshi Kume Dies at 81

Tokyo, Jan. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese freelance television announcer Hiroshi Kume, known for hosting popular music show “The Best Ten” and news show “News Station,” died of lung cancer on Jan. 1, it was learned Tuesday. Kume joined Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc. in 1967 and gained attention hosting quiz show “Pittashi Kan Kan.” From 1978, he hosted “The Best Ten” with actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The two’s quick repartee became popular. Kume left TBS the following year, but he hosted the show until 1985. After turning freelance, he hosted several shows such as Nippon Television Network Corp.’s show “Hiroshi Kume’s TV Scramble” with comedian Yasushi Yokoyama and talk show “Oshare.” At TV Asahi Corp.’s “New Station” from 1985, he broke the newscaster stereotype with his witty delivery, which brought the show high ratings. As a huge fan of professional baseball team Hiroshima Toyo Carp, based in the western Japan city of Hiroshima, Kume once declared on the show that he would shave his head if the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants beat Carp, and to his audience’s surprise he kept his word. Sometimes Kume’s outspoken comments raised controversy, but he said on the show’s final edition in 2004 that “it was only because of the harsh criticism that I was able to continue.” On that note, he poured himself a beer and bid his viewers, “Sayonara.” Aside from TV, Kume also had a radio program from 2006 to 2020, on which he spoke freely about current affairs and the media. In recent years he had been focusing on video streaming. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]