The Hindu : New chiefs for Doordarshan, AIR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 09, 2004

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National

New chiefs for Doordarshan, AIR

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 8. The Prasar Bharati Board today cleared the appointment of Naveen Kumar, a Bihar-cadre IAS officer, as Director-General of Doordarshan (DG DD), and Brajeshwar Singh, a Tamil Nadu-cadre IAS officer as Director-General of All India Radio (DG AIR). While search is on for a person to head the fledgling Doordarshan News (DD-News), the Board cleared the appointment of 10 persons - all from the private competitors — to the channel launched late last year.

The post of DG AIR had been lying vacant since February 2002 after the last incumbent, T. R. Malakar's retirement. The post of DG DD fell vacant mid-term in September 2003 after S. Y. Quraishi was transferred to the Steel Ministry.

The delay in appointment of DG AIR was because no suitable person was found either through promotion or transfer on deputation for the post. Thereafter, the post was thrown open for "market recruitment'' on a three-year contractual basis.

Both new appointees belong to the 1975 batch and are expected to join office by this month-end. The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, K.S. Sarma, said all eligible officers from the Indian Information Service (IIS) were being interviewed for the post of DD-News. Mr. Sarma sought to put a cap on speculation of IIS officials being sidelined in DD-News. Prasar Bharati had asked for more personnel from the cadre. There was a move to appoint at least 50 anchors/correspondents from outside in phases. And, in the first phase cleared at today's meeting, 10 new appointments were made — Eight from Aaj Tak itself from where DD-News had got its "star anchor," Deepak Chaurasia.

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