Prasar Bharati CEO Sarma demits office, no successor yet

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma, whose four-year tenure saw the launch of the country's first and only free direct-to-home service DD Direct Plus and many other successes for the public broadcaster, today demitted office on attaining the age of superannuation.

Mr Sarma, who played a significant role in increasing viewership and audience base for the Doordarshan and Radio and in generation of record revenue for both, however, retires without a regular successor to take his place.

An official release here said that the new CEO will be nominated by a high-powered three-Member committee headed by the Vice-President, but the interim arrangement will be announced shortly.

Yesterday Information and Broadcsating Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had told UNI that DD Doordarshan Director General Navin Kumar will act as CEO till a permanent arrangement was made.

A 1968 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh, Mr Sarma had entered the field of public broadcasting first as joint secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and later as DG Doordarshan during the 1990s.

Mr Sarma had assumed office on March 2002. He was the second regularly appointed CEO of Prasar Bharati, succeeding Mr S S Gill.

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