DD appoints Amitabh Chakravorty as additional DG

NEW DELHI: Completing the so-called ‘de-toxication’ of Doordarshan News, Amitabh Chakravorty was today appointed as an additional director-general (news) in Doordarshan.

Chakravorty is an official of the Indian Information Service (IIS), which had been a bete noire of professionals from outside hired by DD News, including Aaj Tak’s Deepak Chaurasia.

The new appointee replaces Sanjiv Dutta, who had shed his additional responsibilities at DD News in the wake of other changes effected in DD News.

Dutta, however, remains an ADG (administration) in Doordarshan, which is managed by Prasar Bharati or the Broadcasting Corporation of India, an autonomous body modelled on the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Still, Prasar Bharati sources maintained that Chakravorty’s new appointment is ‘routine’ and has nothing to do with a de-saffronisation process set in motion by the present coalition government led by the Congress party.