PROPOSAL FOR CADRE REVIEW OF ANNOUNCER S OF ALL INDIA RADIO

Transcription

1 PROPOSAL FOR CADRE REVIEW OF ANNOUNCER S OF ALL INDIA RADIO 1

2 CONTENTS SL.NO. CHAPTER PAGE NO. 1. Role of Announcer In Akashvani 3 2. Method of Recruitment of Announcer, Eligibility Criteria, Duties & Functions 3. Back Ground (i) The Announcer Pay Upgradation Review (ii) Efforts Taken by the Akashvani Announcer s Association Present Cadre Strength of Announcers 7 5. Present Status of Announcers 8 6. Comparison with various Cadre Unit-Wise (i) Comparison with NRT 9 (ii) Comparison with TREX 10 (iii) Comparison with Production Assistant Present disparity explained with pay scales from Third Pay Commission onwards Proposal for Upgradation o the Payscales of Akashwani Financial Commitment Details of various committee and Court Judgment in favour of Announcers Important points at glance & conclusion 16 2

3 1 ROLE OF ANNOUNCER IN AKASHVANI An Announcer is an important member of broadcasting station. He is the constant direct link between the listener and every one whose work leads up to the microphone. He personifies the station. A large number of listeners unconsciously praise or blame him for every thing that goes out. An announcer s voice and manner and the working of his announcement will very largely determine the attitude of the listeners to the item he announces. [Hand Book for Junior Programme Staff (Prasar Bharati) Revised third edition 2000, Page No.17] Announcers take part in outside broadcast as well. Major events that occur in different parts of the country, such as sports events, important functions of political, cultural and national events and other such programmes that originate from outside the broadcasting studio. Announcer takes part in talks and discussions, election broadcasts, plays and features, Invited Audience Programmes like Music and Special Audience Programmes by compering and presenting them. Whenever a disaster-natural or man made occurs, such as flood, famine, drought, earthquake, serious accidents, strikes, agitations, war etc. AIR Announcer has a special role. Depending on the nature and extent of damage, Akashvani Announcer is compelled to be in the studio, alert all the time for any sudden broadcast/dissemination of information. So, Programme Announcers of All India Radio play a vital role in Broadcasting. They are the Live Link between All India Radio and its listeners. They are unique to a Broadcasting station and have no similarity with any other cadre of any other organization. 3

4 2 METHOD OF RECRUITMENT OF AKASHVANI ANNOUNCER, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, DUTIES & FUNCTIONS Akashvani Announcer is an integral part of programming. The Qualifications required for recruitment as announcer are: Age: Educational and other qualifications: A degree from a recognized University Voice suited for broadcasting with good pronunciation and accent. Knowledge of the language relevant to the vacancy. Fair knowledge of music, drama and literature of the area concerned. Acquaintance with National and International affairs. Desirable: Knowledge of one other Indian Language and Devanagri Script CANDIDAGTES POSSESSING HIGHER EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE PREFERED. It need not be overstressed that Akashvani has right from its inception, exercised utmost care in the selection procedure of its Programme Announcer. Apart from a strict written test and interview, there is the all important audition conducted by a duly constituted expert committee which assesses the presentation, diction, pronunciation voice quality and talents of the applicants. Naturally, Programme Announcers thus selected possess remarkable aptitudes for the job. Announcers are performing all the following functions/duties: To prepare announcements for broadcast, Play back recordings of various programs and anchor them, give live announcements, handle the Announcers consoles, broadcasting equipments. CD players, Gramophone players, Tape decks, Phone in programme console and Computer Work station etc., and on-line production and broadcast of various programme of AIR and play back the commercials etc., strictly according to the plan as detailed in the cue sheets. Selection of records, researching and writing scripts for special audience programms. Reply the listeners queries and comments etc., in special programmes earmarked for reply to listeners after verifying the logbooks, coordinating with all the concerned section of AIR and give feedback to their colleagues about the comments of listeners with regard to the programme produced etc. Fill in fault reports, log books etc. for the transmission in which they are on duty. Attend to the functions of the Duty Room as and when necessary in all local Radio Stations. Take part in Dramas, features and special Audience Programme and to anchor, the invited audience shows. Write, translate and edit scripts for various programmes assigned to them from time to time. Conduct rehearsal, record, edit, dub and produce plays, dramas, features etc. assigned to them from time to time. Assist the Station Heads in Planning, producing and related work such as wetting the scripts, putting up proposals, booking artistes, forwarding contracts and maintaining all such records and registers relating to the programme activity of the station. Attending DD Direct + Direct to Home DTH Service 24 Hrs. Officiate in any other post in the programme wring with similar work responsibility as and when required. 4

5 3 BACK GROUND (i) THE ANNOUNCERS PAY UPGRADATION REVIEW There are 1140 (sanctioned strength) Programme Announcers in AIR. There has been no cadre review for the Programme Announcer in the last 46 years. Announcers should be re-designated to attract candidates of the requisite caliber keeping in view the demand /need for professionals in the field in the wake of growing competition from PFMOs. Announcer who is to present the programmes fall in the category of specialized staff. Because of high level of education, skill and specially privileged talent, they will inform, educate and entertain public. Expansion of AIR station in the last 16 years is 187%. i.e., Radio Stations and after 16 years Radio Station are there. But since 1992 around 871 Announcers have been working out of 1140 sanctioned strength. Today only 711 Announcers are working. i.e., 160 Announcers were retired in last 16 years. * Sanctioned strength of Announcers Name of Post No. of Posts Scale of Pay Next Grade promotion eligibility time Announcer Grade-IV 436 Rs years Announcer Grade-III 618 Rs years Announcer Grade-II 66 Rs years Announcer Grade-I 20 Rs The announcers in All India Radio though a unique cadre, have been consistently denied and deprived of all the benefits that accrue to the other staff categories. An Announcer once appointed, retires as an Announcer and if he / she is lucky enough, he/she may get 2 or 3 ACP s at the most in his/her entire service career. Gradations are seldom given, even if an Announcer Manages to get a gradation, the financial benefit becomes negligible. 5

6 (ii) EFFORTS TAKEN BY THE AKASHWANI AN OUNCERS' ASSOCIATION Time and again announcers have cried, pleaded, agitated and even gone to court of law, but with no result. There has been no sympathetic consideration of the observations of the Hon ble Courts. The Hon ble Supreme Court of India in its judgment that delivered on 5 th April, 1990 observed- While dealing with the Artists as a class it is necessary that their special status be born in mind. It is a class of people who are indeed specially privileged either by natural gift or by their own culturing of the art. This category of people cannot be equated with ordinary Government Servants for each purpose. Accordingly, the Government decided to constitute a High Power Committee and that committee submitted its report in January The Committee has already recommended uniform conditions of service for Staff Artists/Artists in paragraph 2.7 of this report. As regards the question of promotional avenues to the Staff Artists, the committee noted that in the 1982 Scheme, Government had introduced a higher fee scale in each of the category of performing artists who were designated as Artists. This was done with a view not only to give better promotional avenues but also as an inducement since Artists were to be given only five years contract at a time. The higher fee scale in each of the category of Artists was not available to those Staff Artists who did not opt for the Artist category. The committee, after careful consideration, recommends that the higher fee scale which was made available to various categories of Artists mentioned in para 1.1 of this report should be made available to all Staff Artists with the designations as mentioned in para 1.1 irrespective of their options in terms of the revised scheme now recommended. ( Vardhan - Committee Report) In spite of this very strong recommendation, Announcers did not get any up gradation of pay or financial benefits. They lost faith in the organisation and again approached the courts. If the grievance had been sympathetically considered by the Department by taking appropriate measure at the right time much of the discontentment in the cadre could have been mitigated. Enough documentary evidences are available, in the form of office orders and letters of commendation etc. to prove that none of the above claims is baseless. Programme Announcers of All India Radio discharge varied duties entrusted to them so often, with great enthusiasm and zeal. They take pride in being indispensable in the organisation. The track record of several Programme Announcers who have bagged umpteen number of Akashvani Annual Awards (given for best productions) and the fact that Announcers, with their lively presentations, have endeared themselves to listeners, goes to prove their unrelenting involvement in all the facets of broadcasting. 6

7 4 PRESENT PROBLEM OF ANNOUNCERS The condition of Announcers working in various station of All India Radio is very much pitiable. In India there are currently around 711 Announces in position out of 1140 sanctioned strength. 429 Post are vacant. 1.NORTH (9 States 188 Announcers) CH-05 DL-36 HP-12 HR-06 JK-12 PB-17 RJ-48 UK-06 UP-46 2.SOUTH (7 States 159 Announcers ) An-01 AP-44 KA-44 KL-27 LD-00 PY-03 TN-40 3.EAST 4.WEST (4 States 101 Announcers) BR-15 JH-21 OR-27 WB-38 (7 States 198 Announcers) CG-16 DD-00 DN-00 GA-06 GJ-30 MH-97 MP-49 5.NORTH EAST (8 States 65 Announcers) AR-05 AS-22 ML-10 MN-04 MZ-09 NL-05 SL-03 TR-07 There are 4 Distinct Grades of Announcers - Grade IV to Grade I. (Rs.5,000/- for Gr.IV, Rs.5,500/- for Gr.III, Rs.6,500/- for Gr.II and Rs.10,000/- for Gr.I) The 6 CPC has brought Announcer Gr-IV, Announcer Gr.III and Announcer Gr.II in the same level i.e., Pay Band 2, Rs.9,300-34,800 with Grade Pay of Rs.4,200 / 4,600. In spite of the heavy odds the Announcers have helped the organization by earning sizable commercials earning during this period. According to 6 CPC Announcer Grade I is in Pay Band with Grade Pay Rs.6,600/-. So instead of present 4 grade structure, new 3 grade structure is suggested. 7

8 a) Scale of Pay 5 PRESENT CADRE STRENGTH OF ANNOUNCERS b) Sanctioned strength of Announcers in each Grade (Total 1140) c) Existing strength Announcer in position available in each grade (Total 711) d) Total number of Announcers posts vacant (Total 429) e) Promotion opportunities Grade-I Grade-II Grade-III Grade-IV (S-19) f) Stagnation 8 yrs in Gr.II STAGNATION CHART: (S-12) (S-10) (S-9) Nil - only up gradation to next grade 3 yrs in Gr.III 5 yrs in Gr.IV Entry Level Grade Next Grade Eligibility Years without up gradation IV III 5 Years 10 Years III II 3 Years 20 Years II I 8 Years 30 Years STAGNATION PERCENTAGE: No. of Announcers Year of Stagnation Completing more than 30 years Completing more than 20 years Completing more than 10 years % of Stagnation 3% 68% 29% 8

9 6 (i) COMPARISON WITH VARIOUS CADRES UNIT-WISE COMPARISON WITH NRT (News Readers / News Readers cum Translators) (NRT Pay scales - Rs.6500, Rs.10000, Rs.12000) Announcers and News readers were in the same scale of pay till 1972, when the payscales were revised by the Ministry vide its order B(A) dt 7 th Feb The Announcers continued to enjoy a parity in scale of pay with TREXes and Production Assistants and also with the Engineering Assistants, until the pay scales of subordinate Programme and Engineering cadres were revised by the Govt. in 1996, thereby upsetting the parity / similarity that existed until then. The Vardhan Committee had recommended that Announcers must be given a higher pay scale on par with NRTs. Announcers have suffered a lot in terms of pay scales at the time of rationalization. After rationalization, News Readers were given higher pay scales. Announcers and News Readers should be treated at par in respect of pay scales as already reported by the High Power Committee- The committee, after careful consideration, recommends that the higher fee scale which was made available to various categories of Artists mentioned in para 1.1 of this report should be made available to all Staff Artists with the designations as mentioned in para 1.1 irrespective of their options in terms of the revised scheme now recommended. (High Power - Vardhan - Committee Report) Ref: No.45011/26/80-B (A), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi, dated 26 th August Point No.3. 9

10 (ii) COMPARISON WITH TREX (Transmission Executive) Trex Pay Scale Rs.6,500/- The prescribed qualifications for Recruitment to posts of Transmission Executives and for the post of Announcers Gr.IV are almost similar except that the Announcer should pass through a voice Test. This is an additional requirement. In fact some of the qualifications mentioned as desirable for the Transmission Executives have been made essential for the Announcers. As regards duties, the main duties of the Transmission Executives viz., making log book entries and connected work have also been included in the duties of Announcers. Further, it is a matter of record that the Announcers have been performing the duties of Transmission Executives periodically as and when required in the absence of regular incumbents for several years and in most of the AIR stations, and almost regularly, these days. The duties of editing/dubbing of programmes which were not included earlier for the Trexes have now been included consequent on the merger of the category of Production Assistants with that of Trexes. In case of Announcers, it can be said that, they have already been doing this part of the work in addition to their normal duties of making announcements, for a long time. When the Property Assistants, Floor Managers in Doordarshan have been equated to and merged with Transmission Executives, it is not only unjustified but also utterly disappointing that Announcers, who are directly connected with presentation of programmes and have been performing additional duties of various types connected with production of programmes, were not extended the same equation when they were declared as Government Servants retrospectively from The demand of the Announcers for equation with Transmission Executives should not be brushed aside merely as a demand for pay-parity. The demand is something more than that. It is an accepted fact that employees should be provided with realistic opportunities to move upward. Though this principle has been applied in the case of other categories of staff artists eg., Production Assistants etc., the case of the Announcers has not yet received an equally realistic attention from the Government. A person entering service as Announcer performs the prescribed duties of making announcements etc. besides additional duties connected with production and presentation of programmes during his entire service of over 30 years or 50 but retires only as Announcer. 10

11 (iii) COMPARISON WITH PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (Production Assistant Pay Scale Rs.6,500/-) Prior to 1982 a large group of employees, called the STAFF ARTISTS, were functioning in AIR as Contractual Staff, performing various jobs of Production Assistants, Translators, Producers, Editors, Musicians, News Readers and Announcers etc. Most of the incumbents were on long term contracts upto 58 years of age and were governed by CCS(Conduct) Rules. In the year 1982 the Government and classified the entire group of Staff Artists into two; Performing and Non-Performing Artists. It assumed that Performing Artists were those who faced the Microphone and Non-performing were those who did not. Thus, Production Assistants, Script Writers, Translators etc. who, while performing their routine duties, did not have to face Microphone directly, were termed Non-Performing Artists. The Non performing Artists were then equated with their counterparts drawing the same scale of pay like the TREXes and were made eligible for promotion to the next higher post i.e. the PEXes, in the case production assistants on a prescribed variable ratio based on the comparative numerical strength of both cadres, where as the performing artists were kept as a separate category. Consequent to the above orders, Staff Artists like production assistants script writers got promotion as PEXes following screening by UPSC. 11

12 7 PRESENT DISPARITY EXPLAINED WITH PAY SCALES FROM THIRD PAY COMMISSION ONWARDS Prior to First Pay Commission (1947) Shift Assistant, Announcer and Non Performing Artist, Translator, Sub Editor were in the pay scale of Rs.175 to 200. Hon'ble Justice Srinivas, in the 1 st Pay Commission, recommended the pay scale of Rs for all those mentioned above. Govt. accepted and implemented, Second Pay Commission (1959) 2 CPC recommended the pay scale of Rs. 210 to 470 to Announcers and alike cadres 1& B Ministry letter no: 13(19)/65B(P) dated implemented as follows: implemented since Junior Grade Rs. 170 to 335, except Delhi, Bombay,Calcutta & Madras. Intermediate Grade Rs. 235 to 530 Senior Grade Rs. 425 to 770 In this scenario non performing Staff artists like script writer, Production Assistant were also given same or lower pay scales. This govt. order created some anomalies in the per structure of Staff Artists. resulting in another govt. order dated Announcers were again categorized into 3 Grades Junior Grade Rs. 170 to 335 Senior Grade Rs. 210 to 470 Selection Grade Rs. 350 to 470 Production Assistants were in the junior pay scale of Rs. 210 to 470 Third Pay Commission Justice Raghuveer Dayal recommended & the Ministry of I & B through its Circular dated accepted. The recommendation. Announcers & Production Assistants were given the scales of pay of , alongwith the TREXes. Fourth Pay Commission 4 CPC came into effect from In this too, Announcers, Engg. Assistants, Trexes were given the identical pay scale of Rs.1400 to Fifth Pay Commission 5 CPC came into effect from Announcers, Engg. Assistants, Trexes were given the identical pay scale of Rs to Announcers TREX & EA Grade IV III Pay Commission (1978) IV Pay Commission (1986) V Pay Commission (1996) VI Pay Commission (2006) The three cadres, i.e. Programme Announcers, Transmission Executives and Engineering. Assistants are working together as a team and are being recommended similar pay scales by all the pay commissions for the last 40 years. In Local Radio Station Announcers are performing the duties of TREX (Transmission Executives) also. This was upset when the pay scale of subordinate Engineering and Programme Cadres were revised w.e.f

13 8 PROPOSAL FOR UP GRADATION OF THE PAY SCALES OF AKASHVANI ANNOUNCERS Keeping in view that the 6 th CPC has clubbed V CPC scales of 5000, 5500 and 6500 into one pay band to a rational revision has to be made in the existing structure of 4 grades of Announcers Grade IV- 436 Grade III -618 Grade II 66 Grade I-20 Into 3 grades 1. Junior Presenter Entry Grade Total 600 Posts. (Merging of V CPC scales of 5,000 5,500 and 6,500) SHIFT STAFF Total 600 Posts. Proposed Pay Scale (PB2 Rs with Grade Pay of Rs.4600), DUTIES: 1. Transmission Duties giving announcements and compering for the programmes while playing them. 2. In stations where Senior Presenter is not present, Senior among the Junior presenter will draw the duty chart of Junior Presenters and casual presenters, casual comperes and will get it approved by STATION DIRECTOR. 3. Attends Live Phone-ins, Chat Shows and Talk Shows, whenever necessary. 13

14 2. Senior Presenter Announcers who have completed 10 years of service or more as Junior Presenter. Proposed Pay Scale (PB3 Rs with Grade Pay of Rs. 6600). SHIFT STAFF Total 400 posts. Pay Scale, (PB3 Rs with Grade Pay of Rs. 6600) DUTIES: 1. Transmission Duties giving announcements and compering for the programmes while playing them. 2. LIVE PHONE IN, CHAT SHOWS, TALK SHOWS, etc Supervise the work of Junior Presenters, casual presenters, casual comperes for all composite programmes and transmissions. 4. Section allocation of Jr. Presenters, Casual Presenters and Casual comperes on the request of Programme wing. 5. Drawing the duty chart of Junior Presenters, Casual Presenters and comperes, signing their contractual formalilties and payments. 6. Responsibility of selection procedure of casual presenters by conducting the auditions, vani certificate training programmes with the guidance of the station director and chief presenter of the attached Regional Station. 7. whenever entrusted other responsibilities like Drawing and Disbursing Officer, Asst. Security officer, Any special assignment on temporary basi, whenever there is a need or demand arises. Total 400 posts. 3. Chief Presenter Non-shift Announcers who have completed 10 years of service or more senior Presenter Pay Scale (PB 3 Rs with Grade Pay of Rs.7600) Total 140 Posts DUTIES: 1. Attends to important CHAT SHOWS, TALK SHOWS, LIVE WITH VVIPS from different fields. 2. Supervises the Senior Presenters, junior presenters and the Selection Procedures of junior presenters, casual presenters, casual comperes Auditions, Vani certificate Training Programmes in the regional station and local stations attached to the regional station, in association with the Station Director of the Station Concerned. 14

15 3. Assess the Appraisal reports of junior presenters, Sr presenters of the regional station and the local stations attached to it. 4. Constitutes the DPC for MACP or PROMOTION of Junior Presenter, in consultation with the DDG of the Zonal Station. 5. Correspondence regarding the presentation wing with the Directorate and Station Directors of Local Radio Stations of the region, shall be done the Chief presenter of the regional station.. 6. To attend the co ordination meetings representing Presentation wing- to get updated with latest developments and decisions to be made in the co ordination meetings. 7. May be entrusted the additional responsibilities of Drawing and Disbursing Officer or Asst security officer or any other special assignment by the station Director whenever the demand or need arises. Proposed Pay Scale (PB 3 Rs with Grade Pay of Rs.7600) Total Number of Junior Presenter Senior Presenter Chief Presenter Total = 1140 Posts The re-categorization is recommended, as at present, there are more Grade III Announcers than Grade IV, thereby creating an anomaly in the pyramidal structure. S 15

16 10 DETAILS OF VARIOUS COMMITTEE AND COURT JUDGMENT IN FAVOUR OF ANNOUNCERS Report of the High Power Committee on matters relating to staff artists/artists of All India Radio & Doordarshan, dated the 31 st January 1991 enclosed (Annexure-1) 8 pages Excerpts from the Judgment o the Hon ble Supreme Court of India dated 25 th April 1988 in civil writ petition Nos of 1983 and of 1984 (Annexure-2) 1 page Judgements of other Courts 1. CAT BANGALORE 2. CAT BANGALORE (REVENNA) 3. CAT CHANDIGARH 4. CAT ERNAKULAM 5. CAT HYDERABAD 6. CAT MUMBAI 7. CAT NAGPUR (Annexure-3) 7 pages Total No. of pages enclosed = 16 16

17 11 IMPORTANT POINTS AT A GLANCE & CONCLUSION Hon'ble Supreme Court of India (Vide dated 25th April 1988 in civil writ petition nos of 1983 and of 1984) observed "while dealing with the artists as a class it is necessary that their special status be born in mind. It is a class of people who are indeed specially privileged either by natural gift or by their own culturing of the art. This category of people cannot be equated with ordinary government servants for every purpose." News Readers/News Reader Cum Translators were on the same pay scale as that of the Announcers. The pay scale of News Readers was upgraded in 1972 and later the post became gazetted. The three cadres, i.e. Programme Announcers, Transmission Executives and Engineering, Assistants are working together as a team and are being recommended similar pay scales by all the pay commissions for the last 40 years. In Local Radio Station Announcers are performing the duties of transmission executives also. The pay scales of EA (Engineering Assistants) & TREX (Transmission Executives) were upgraded subsequently. The High Power Committee (Headed by Sri K.A. Varadan, Addl. Secretary of I & B, 31st January 1991) recommended "Announcers and News Reader should be treated at par in respect of their scales... Anomaly should be rectified." Now Private FM RJ's are drawing attractive pays more than All India Radio Announcers. After Completing 30 years of service also Announcers are getting less than private RJ's. Announcer s (Voice of Air) is the cadre which is involved totally in broadcasting activity from "Vandemataram" to" Jai Hind", (Everyday Radio Stars with an Announcement of "Vandemataram" and ends with" Jai Hind"). There is No Similar Cadre like programme Announcers in any department of the Central Government. This cadre is unique to AIR. Hence, there will be no cascading effect. The financial implication will be minimum because Announcers are less in number. In India there are around 711 Announcers in position now out of a sanctioned strength of In view of the above, the problem of Announcers is quite genuine and deserves to be considered sympathetically by re-structuring their grades to settle the issue once for all. As it is a long pending issue requires immediate attention and action. 17