s

Doordarshan to revamp news division once again

Doordarshan is planning to revamp its news division once again. The news department of DD has been in the news for the last few months whether it is a matter of starting a news channel, its visibility, shifting of news wing of Doordarshan to CPC (Central Production Centre) at Asiad village or appointments of very expensive news anchors. Last week Ms Deepak Sandhu, Addl.. Director General, News, took a meeting of Doordarshan’s news readers which was attended by 30-35 news readers. In that meeting, Ms Sandhu revealed her plans to improve DD’s news presentation. But sources in Mandi House (now Doordarshan Bhavan) say that DD bosses are not in favour of allowing the present set of news readers to read prime time news bulletins. According to DD officials, in the wake of competition from private satellite news channels like STAR News and Zee News, DD’s news reading department will have to be more professional.

To bring the much needed ‘professionalism’, DD has recently appointed two news ‘anchors’ to read its prime time news bulletins.

These two anchors are Rahul Dev (earlier with Jansatta and Aaj Tak) and Mrinal Pande (former editor of a national daily and also worked with STAR News) who are being given a salary of Rs. one lakh per month.

Umesh Upadhyay was also supposed to join in the same capacity at the salary but things could not materialise, sources say.

Now these anchors will be presenting the prime time news bulletins of Doordarshan and the present lot of news readers who have been reading the prime time news bulletins will be asked to read non-prime time news bulletins. But Doordarshan authorities say that every news bulletin is important. Since the prime minister of India watches the afternoon news bulletin, its importance is no less than the prime time news bulletins.

Sources in Doordarshan inform that Doordarshan is going to appoint a review committee to review the performances of existing news readers. This review committee is being set up in accordance with the recommendations of an earlier committee of same nature which was appointed during the tenure of former CEO of Prasar Bharati, SS Gill. The earlier committee had recommended the removal of some news readers like Kaveri Mukherjee and Salma Sultan and also divided the news readers in three grades i.e. Grade A,B and C, A being the top grade, B, the average and C, the lowest grade.

But because of protests from different quarters, some news readers were brought back. According to sources, Ms Sandhu, ADG, News, has promised the news readers that the new review committee won’t have any present or former DD official, as its members or advisor. DD has also decided to abolish the system of categorisation. Now only those new readers who will score 60 per cent and above will be asked to continue, others will have to go.

Meanwhile, Doordarshan, has decided to increase the remuneration of the news readers. Now onwards, payment to news readers will be based on a particular time frame and not on a news bulletin.

Rs 1,500 will be paid for one news bulletin and 2 headlines. The news headlines come every hour. That means a news reader will have to stay in Doordarshan for at least 5 hours, considering the fact that news readers have to report 2 hours before the news bulletins.

It is not clear yet what Doordarshan expects from the new anchors, Rahul Dev and Mrinal Pande. Both of them are experienced (experienced journalist and television presenters but whether they are expected to gather news, prepare their own script and finally present the bulletin is not yet known.) But sources say that Rahul Dev has asked Doordarshan to give him a research assistant.

The CEO of Prasar Bharati, RR Shah is trying hard to improve DD’s functioning and also aims to enable DD’s news channel to get sponsors. He has commissioned good programmes for the news channel but somehow the channel still lacks its identity.

Many people feel that Doordarshan has every right to appoint new faces for the news presentation but others feel that content and credibility is more important than the presentation.

Amitabh Parashar