Japan's Fuji Television and its parent company have decided to set up an independent third-party panel to investigate a scandal involving TV personality Nakai Masahiro and the broadcaster's handling of the matter.

Emergency board meetings of Fuji TV and Fuji Media Holdings on Thursday also decided that the panel should be set up according to guidelines compiled by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

The scandal surfaced last month when weekly magazines reported that Nakai, a former member of the now-disbanded pop idol group SMAP, got into "trouble" with a woman in 2023 and paid her a settlement.

The reports also said a Fuji TV employee played a role in the alleged scandal.

The broadcaster's president, Minato Koichi, said at a news conference on Friday last week that the company would set up a panel made up mainly of lawyers. He said he was not sure if the panel could be established in line with the bar associations' guidelines.

Critics expressed doubt that the probe could be independent.

US firm Dalton Investment and other parties, including outside directors, have urged Fuji Media Holdings to set up a fully independent panel. The US firm also demanded that Fuji TV hold another news conference that would be open to all media. Dalton owns more than 7 percent of Fuji Media's shares.

Meanwhile, NHK has learned that the telecom firm NTT Docomo, a major Fuji Media Holdings shareholder, has been also asking for an investigation into the scandal.

Sources said NTT Docomo urged Fuji Media Holdings on Wednesday to get to the bottom of the scandal.

NTT Docomo reportedly said it was briefed by Fuji Media for the first time on Wednesday on a series of responses to the scandal. It owns more than three percent of Fuji Media's shares.

Sources said NTT Docomo asked Fuji Media to report on the progress of the investigation.