FM Gold suffers from Station Director’s Stooge
All India radio Delhi’s very popular and only infotainment channel FM Gold has been in the news for the last two years for all the wrong reasons. Due to the late payment to its casual presenters, high handed attitude of the channel head or the much talked about frequency change issue (termed as a scam by various news papers), the credibility and reputation of the radio channel has gone for the toss.
Though many of these issues had been resolved only recently after the media reported the irregularities, severe plight of the presenters still remained there. Presenters of FM gold channel also gave representations to the higher authorities of AIR early this year but their grievances were never addressed.
Harassed presenters gave several representation to the authorities on the issues of anomalies in their duties, payments, unnecessary auditions, poor equipment and working conditions and of course their job security, so that they could serve the channel with a new zeal.
In a representation submitted to the office of I&B Minister Ambika Soni on 16 September, 2011 they got an assurance (though not an appointment with the minister) from the office of the I&B minister as well.
With discontentment getting all too visible, the Director General of AIR Leeladhar Mandloi called a meeting with FM Gold presenters on 25th of November, 2011. According to the sources this meeting was called because of the pressure from the ministry.
Mandloi though gave some vague assurances to the presenters but when they asked about regularisation of job or appointing them on long term contract he out rightly threatened them by saying that if they insisted on such demands they should remain prepared for a ruthless screening.
Ever since the meeting, the presenters are living in dismay that they may be a victim of witch-hunting just because of asking for job security. Some presenters say that now the higher-ups may target them either through screening or by making false allegations against them.
And the apprehension is gradually turning to be true. Few days back, Dushyant, a senior presenter of FM Gold received a call from FM Gold Programme Executive Danish Iqbal that a lifetime ban had been slapped on him. When Dushyant asked about the reason for this ban Danish could not give a satisfactory answer and said you had used the word “Fool” against the Director AIR, Delhi station Lakshmi Shankar Vajpayee during your altercations with duty officer N.K.Verma. Dushyant tried to clarify that the whole episode was a false story concocted by N.K. Verma, but nothing worked as he was seemingly obeying the orders of the Director, AIR Delhi station.
However, according to the victim, duty officer Verma had barged in the live studio while he was doing his show and started shouting like anything. He politely asked him to leave the studio as it is against the general practice of AIR to talk to or distract a presenter who is doing his show. Angry Verma -who himself is a retired announcer-left the studio threatening Dushyant that he would write a strong report against him and ask the Director to ban him.
N.K.Verma, who is considered as Director L.S.Vajpayee’s stooge, though has no substantial experience as a duty officer but being close to Vajpayee he has been given this job.
Verma is known for his boastful attitude and he often makes comments on reputed presenters and threatens some that his adverse reports can keep them away from AIR for the lifetime.
Ironically, Verma himself has served AIR in his capacity as announcer throughout his career and the job of an announcer is to read few often routine lines every time on the other hand a presents writes an informative as well as entertaining script for each programme but still this loquacious and obsequious servant of the Director AIR Delhi station things himself superior to these presenters.
Now the presenters of the said channel are really annoyed with this guy and want his removal at any cost otherwise “it will cost the FM Gold dear”, as the presenters openly say.
About Public Reporter
Dushyant is a senior programme presenter on FM Gold, Delhi. He has been working with this channel for the past seven years. A familiar voice for those who enjoy FM Gold’s popular evening programme “Yeh Sham Mastani”, Dushyant is a witness to the change in the AIR work culture.
