Media Release

Mangaluru, Mar 9: Programme Staff Association (PSA) of All India Radio and Doordarshan is the largest Association among the programme producing staff of AIR and DD. It has more than a thousand members in 190 units spread out all across the country. The Association has decided to undertake the avoidable path of agitation to register their protest against decades of neglect and apathy by various authorities, as far as departmental promotion and career progression at different levels in programme cadre are concerned.

PSA is organizing a peaceful silent march at Delhi, from Rajghat to Jantar Mantar, on March 11, followed by fasting at Jantar Mantar, to highlight the continuous neglect of decades-old pending and legitimate demands.

PSA members from Akashvani and Doordarshan Kendras, spread across the length and breadth of the country, are converging at Delhi to participate in the silent march and fasting. Most of them have not got their first regular promotion in a career spanning more than 25 years, in spite of the fact that sufficient promotional vacancies exist in the hierarchy. Hundreds of the content creating programme staff have retired humiliated and hurt, without getting a single promotion in their entire service career.

The primary reason for the dwindling audience and revenue of AIR and DD in the last few years is due to the sidelining of the content creators in this department. The agitation is to highlight two main issues, namely:

1. Stagnation in programme cadres due to non-convening of DPCs, and
2. Discrimination against programme staff by posting of ex-cadre officers and deputationists for posts belonging to the promotion quota of programme staff.

Due to Prime Minister's 'Maan ki Baat' programme, AIR and DD have been able to connect to the people. This can be sustained if Prasar Bharati takes effective steps to promote the content creators.