News Broadcasting
DD, AIR call off strike for time being
NEW DELHI: The programming staff association of Doordarshan and All India Radio have deferred a decision to go on strike from today. The decision comes after an assurance of redress of their grievances from Prasar Bharati chief executive K S Sarma and Information and Broadcasting secretary Pawan Chopra, after a series of meetings held last week.
However, indiantelevision.com learns that it has been conveyed to the authorities concerned, that the various contentious issues should be resolved as soon as possible and a broad decision should be arrived at, preferably, within a week’s time.
Pointing out that he appreciates the association’s decision to defer the proposed strike, which would have certainly affected DD and AIR’s functioning partly, chief executive of Prasar Bharati, K S Sarma, said, ” Meetings were held both at Prasar Bharati and the information and broadcasting ministry last week and we are seized of the matter. Ways to redress grievances of the programming staff are being worked out.”
Till the time of writing this report, the association representatives could not be contacted for comments on latest developments.
The programming staff association,one of the three associations in Prasar Bharati, while threatening to start a stir, had said in a statement last week, “The association is trying to attract attention of the authorities towards the acute shortage of programme staff which is hampering the efforts to meet competition from other channels and increase the revenue of the organisation to make it self reliant.”
Indiantelevision.com also learns from government sources that I&B secretary Chopra met up with the association representatives on Saturday and conveyed to them that a package involving promotion and training of programming staff has been almost finalised by the ministry for implementation soon.
“In the wake of all this, the association was requested to reconsider its decision to go on strike from this week,” a government source said, adding that the association in-principle agreed to defer the proposed stir for some time.
However, there seems to be some rift amongst the three associations in Prasar Bharati that still functions like a government organisation with unions often holding authorities to ransom in a bid to make them agree to their demands.
The other two associations – the programming welfare association and the one which has Indian Information Service employees as its members, are not part of the proposed stir. Government sources also indicated that the present stir threat is nothing but “arm-twisting tactics,” especially when a ‘babu’ culture of mediocrity still rules Prasar Bharati.
DD and AIR has about 13,000 programming staff on its rolls as part of a 40,000-odd employee base of Prasar Bharati Corporation that has been modeled on another public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation.
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. AICC’s Praveen Chakravarty weighs ‘Power Sharing vs Principles’, while former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joins the fray. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
