Kozhikode : Kerala's fourth private TV channel, India Vision, is to have a former bureaucrat at the helm. Mr James Joseph, who had served the Central and State governments in various capacities, has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the new satellite channel.An engineer by profession, Mr Joseph had served as joint secretary, personnel, accountant general of Kerala, managing director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
India Vision Satellite Communications Ltd managing director and chairman Dr MK Muneer told The Financial Express that the core team of professionals required for the running of the channel has almost been finalised.
In addition to Mr Joseph, a senior executive from a private TV channel is also being selected as the chief operations officer (COO). Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, now working as the chief correspondent of The Hindu in Delhi, has taken charge as Executive Editor of the new channel on Saturday. He will be in charge of news and news-based programmmes.
Noted film director and writer M T Vasudevan Nair is the chief consultant, programmes. Muneer said a chief programme designer has also been finalised. She is now doing a course at London Film Institute. For the same reason, she will serve the channel for the next six months as its consultant, he added.The TV channel is likely to be beamed by the second week of April. The first phase of work for the channel, involving an investment of Rs 25 crore, will be completed by end-April. The total capital investment of the channel comes to Rs 80 crore. The second and third phases involving investments of Rs 25 crore and Rs 30 crore respectively will be completed over a period of two years.
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