RAJYA SABHA TV BEGINS HUNT FOR PERMANENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The Rajya Sabha secretariat has started searching for a full-time chief executive officer for its official channel, RSTV, according to an office order accessed by Hindustan Times.

A selection panel headed by A Surya Prakash, chairperson of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, has been set up to pick a new CEO for the channel, the order said. Shashi Shekhar Vempanti, the CEO of Prasar Bharati, currently holds additional charge of the position.

According to officials involved in the process, who asked not to be named, the new person will be the first full-time CEO since 2014.

According to the order put out by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, the selection panel also includes Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Swapan Dasgupta, Vempanti, secretary of the Rajya Sabha secretariat PPK Ramacharyulu and journalist Rahul Srivastava.

Vempanti did not respond to requests for a comment.

The position of CEO was last held by Gurdeep Singh Sappal, who resigned from his position in August last year.

Vempanti was subsequently given additional charge.

Rajya Sabha TV is owned and operated by the upper house of Parliament. Apart from telecasting live coverage of Rajya Sabha proceedings, it also produces programmes based on analysis of parliamentary affairs.

THE SELECTION PANEL HAS BJP MP SWAPAN DASGUPTA ALONG WITH A JOURNALIST AND PRASAR BHARTI CEO SHASHI SHEKHAR VEMPANTI