Doordarshan Chennai Kendra: PM speech not aired live, DD official suspended

While Doordarshan News, Delhi and several other channels telecast Modi speeches live, DD Podhigai, handled by Vasumathi, skipped the broadcast of the PM’s first speech at IIT-Madras.

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the attendants at the Singapore-India hackathon, at IIT Madras in Chennai, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. (PIB/PTI Photo) (PTI9_30_2019_000158B)

R Vasumathi, the assistant director (programme) of the Chennai Doordarshan Kendra, has been suspended, reportedly after Doordarshan’s Tamil language channel failed to broadcast live a speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Chennai on Monday.

While Doordarshan News, Delhi and several other channels telecast Modi speeches live, DD Podhigai, handled by Vasumathi, skipped the broadcast of the PM’s first speech at IIT-Madras.

“We carried his speech addressing a small gathering at the airport on his arrival (in Chennai) and his speech at the IIT-Madras Convocation ceremony but missed his speech at the India-Singapore Hackathon 2019 event,” said a DD official.

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An order dated October 1, signed by the Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, did not mention the reason for Vasumathi’s suspension but cited sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services Rules (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.

A senior official said, “She had a standing instruction to telecast both speeches live. But she chose to skip one event (PM Modi’s first speech at the IIT-Madras research park)…The decision to suspend her came to Prasar Bharati from the top level.”

However, another official said Vasumathi just made a mistake. “She seems to have had a belief that there is a model code of conduct in place ahead of state bypolls (for the Vikravandi and Nanguneri Assembly constituencies, scheduled for October 21),” the official said.

When contacted, the Prasar Bharati CEO said, “It is an internal administration matter and I will not be offering any comment on the same.”

Vasumathi was not available for comment.

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