- News>
- Newspapers
AIR: Desperately seeking D-G: The Pioneer
New Delhi, Aug 27: Marking a first in its 67 years, All-India Radio (AIR) has opened up its top post to individuals from the private sector. The Prasar Bharati Corporation has reconciled itself to the fact that it has not found a suitable candidate among Central and State government officials for the post of AIR Director-General for a past year-and-a-half,. The post has been vacant since February 2002 following Mr T K Malakar`s retirement.
New Delhi, Aug 27: Marking a first in its 67 years, All-India Radio (AIR) has opened up its top post to individuals from the private sector. The Prasar Bharati Corporation has reconciled itself to the fact that it has not found a suitable candidate among Central and State government officials for the post of AIR Director-General for a past year-and-a-half,. The post has been vacant since February 2002 following Mr T K Malakar's retirement.
The corporation has now designed an advertisement to be put out in newspapers soon. The advertisement states: "Prasar Bharati seeks a dynamic Director-General for AIR to implement ambitious growth plans." Further, it highlights (in bold) the requirement for a D-G from the "private" and public sector who can lead and achieve the objectives of AIR.
Officials of the corporation involved in the "scout for D-G" programme told The Pioneer that the public broadcaster has conceded it would be wise to look outside (the government), an internal search having failed. The officials said, media experts, former editors, broadcasters, film-makers or individuals with knowledge and experience of media management, planning and development would be "ideal" for the slot.
The AIR advertisement, however, does not de-recognise the potential, Government officials hold for the post. In fact, the advertisement places great emphasis on "Central and State government officials and public sector enterprise employees" with a minimum of 25 years experience where at least 15 years "should have been spent as senior executive in an organisation dealing in media or mass communication or public administration," to apply for the post. Since Mr Malakar's retirement, Prasar Bharati Chief Executive K S Sarma has been officiating as interim D-G. Mr Sarma is burdened with administrative and policy planning for the corporation and is understood to have found the ad-hoc arrangement a little taxing. Besides, Prasar Bharati officials said AIR's profile as a public broadcaster needs to change with the impending liberalisation of radio. Also, to orchestrate its 213 centres covering 100 nations, a full-term D-G is wanted.
Meanwhile, AIR's sister concern Doordarshan continues to be in a state of suspended animation with its D-G, S Y Quraishi, still making an official appearance till the Government finds him another posting after asking him to vacate the post.
Officials of the corporation involved in the "scout for D-G" programme told The Pioneer that the public broadcaster has conceded it would be wise to look outside (the government), an internal search having failed. The officials said, media experts, former editors, broadcasters, film-makers or individuals with knowledge and experience of media management, planning and development would be "ideal" for the slot.
The AIR advertisement, however, does not de-recognise the potential, Government officials hold for the post. In fact, the advertisement places great emphasis on "Central and State government officials and public sector enterprise employees" with a minimum of 25 years experience where at least 15 years "should have been spent as senior executive in an organisation dealing in media or mass communication or public administration," to apply for the post. Since Mr Malakar's retirement, Prasar Bharati Chief Executive K S Sarma has been officiating as interim D-G. Mr Sarma is burdened with administrative and policy planning for the corporation and is understood to have found the ad-hoc arrangement a little taxing. Besides, Prasar Bharati officials said AIR's profile as a public broadcaster needs to change with the impending liberalisation of radio. Also, to orchestrate its 213 centres covering 100 nations, a full-term D-G is wanted.
Meanwhile, AIR's sister concern Doordarshan continues to be in a state of suspended animation with its D-G, S Y Quraishi, still making an official appearance till the Government finds him another posting after asking him to vacate the post.