DD to shift out of DD kendra for two days after death of a staff member

NEW DELHI: The country's national broadcaster Doordarshan will transmit its news bulletins and ground report shows from its central production centre for two days, instead of its regular studios in Doordarshan Kendra in Mandi house. The decision was made after a lighting assistant working with DD news passed away on Wednesday. His report today showed he was COVID-19 positive.
According to those in know of the matter, a 53-year-old employee of DD news who was working as a video journalist
passed away on Wednesday, minutes after he complained of breathing difficulties, and was taken to a private hospital in Shalimar Bagh. His samples were sent to a lab and the results said he was COVID-19 positive. The employee, according to his colleagues, was regularly attending press conferences called by the government and was on field most days till May 21.

Among the last assignments he had covered, included recording bytes of railway board chairman and civil aviation officials last week.

The shifting of the transmission was being done to disinfect the studios of the news broadcaster, and also sanitise all the equipment being used, an official said.

An internal email said, "it has been decided to shift the transmission of DD News for two days from 6 am on May 29. The TV broadcasting schedule involves an Hindi and English live bulletin every two hours. Scroll and flashes s for DD News and DD India will be telecast from CPC. DDG Engineering may do the needful for the transmission arrangements from 6 am onwards from CPC Khelgaon."

All section heads may direct all shift staff to report for duty at CPC. Officials said the move is just a precautionary protocol to sanitize the studios - DD has around seven, spread across the Kendra and CPC.

A staffer in DD said off late more reporters and camera persons associated with Doordarshan were on the field, covering COVID-19 related stories. "We all have Arogya Setu and it has been showing a lot orange in the last few days. All asymptomatic people concerned with news gathering are coming to office. A lot of us have been unknowingly coming in contact with COVID-19 patients."

Anguished colleagues of the deceased lighting assistant said it was important the national broadcaster came up with an insurance plan for both its contractual and payroll employees. "A year ago, a colleague died in a maoist blast. We work under risky situations. There should at least be some assurance of a proper compensation," a reporter with Prasar Bharati said.

The email also asked the camera section may depute camerapersons to be deployed in studio of CPC in this both shifts, and ensure availability of paper for printing of bulletins. "DDG Engineering may kindly note that the YouTube streams of DD news, DD India, PMO youtube and Namo YouTube from the existing Newsroom," it said.