Doordarshan plans to rope in professionals

Union I&B minister Prakash Javadekar announced on Thursday that separation of functions would be undertaken as all channels had a unique character. Officials aware of developments said the proposal would be placed for clearance before the Prasar Bharati Board, of which Doordarshan is the broadcast arm.

Shashi Shekhar Vempanti, CEO of Prasar Bharati, said, “To bring in professionalism into the content operations of Doordarshan and to ensure public service broadcasting is engaging and strikes a chord with the youth, it is essential to separate the content and creative functions from the administrative functions. This issue was deliberated by the Prasar Bharati Board in the past and is also part of the scope of the ongoing manpower audit.”

A dip in viewership of Doordarshan, which has separate channels for news and general entertainment, is the reason behind the decision.