All India Radio is offering a course to the aspiring anchors, but it is standing out to be the revenue earning policy for the national public service broadcaster.
The AIR authority is receiving the applications along with the original receipt of the money order of Rs 300 and later asked the applicants to pay Rs 5,000 for attending the five-day crash course. It is only then the ‘successful’ applicants will get the “Vani Certificates”.
“We are flooded by the applications. Audition is going on and we will be making a panel with them,” said Pradip Kumar Mitra, station director, AIR Kolkata.
“One may think why AIR is taking money for Vani Certificates? But the amount can be earned back if they get the maximum of six-day duty. Not only that, the certificate carries additional weight for taking anchoring as the profession in AIR or any private channel,” he said.
“Besides anchoring, the heavyweight personalities of the industry are also sharing their views with them about the role and accountability of broadcasting media,” Mitra added.
Prasar Bharti has ordered to its arms, Doordarshan and AIR, that casuals must not be booked over six days a month. But the broadcasters never book casuals for the ceiling number.
Currently, a casual presenter gets minimum of Rs 500 per day and is being deprived by the authority since the later also books retired announcers and pay almost double the amount.
According to a well-placed AIR official, unwilling to be identified, the turnout of applicants is unimpressive. “How many people can pay Rs 5300 at a time? Moreover, the trainers are not at all heavywight personalities. I doubt their qualities, too. So, what will they teach?” he wondered.
According to some private FM officials, the Vani Certificate is not at all acceptable to them. “Rather, we discard the AIR experience,” an FM official comments.