‘Good Morning J&K’: Everything Not Good With The Show

SRINAGAR – After hogging the newspaper headlines for all the bad reasons, Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar’s live morning socio-cultural show telecasted daily is again in the news, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Sources said that the senior and prominent presenters and anchors have gone on strike after they were directed to pay back 50% of their programme fees in credit to what they call is some of the “corrupt officials and the station director.”

 “They are minting money like anything. They don’t want the quality of the programme but they want money out of programme for themselves. I had been communicated through some channels that, if I wanted to continue with the programme, I must work on 50, 50 sharing basis,” a senior presenter, anchor of the programme told Kashmir Observer, wishing not be named.

“This is an utter shame on their part. Earlier this programme disappointed the general masses after one of its anchor’s name surfaced in a sex scandal,” the presenter said.

The ‘Good Morning J&K’ was embroiled in controversy after the then female anchor, involved in an alleged case of ‘moral turpitude’ was dismissed from hosting the one hour live morning show. The higher ups of Doordarshan headquarters, New Delhi had to intervene and bring some changes in the programme scheduled, followed by the change of the then station director, Shami Shair, who was sent to New Delhi office.

After the tainted female anchor was dismissed from the show, the prominent actor and anchor, Masood Muntazar, was assigned the job and simultaneously the authorities’ at DDK, Srinagar called application for the auditions for the popular programme. However, shockingly, the authorities allegedly sent an unwritten communication to the presenters for setting a “deal to share their money with the director’s office.”

“I cannot comment on anything, but everything is not going good with the popular show,” Masood Muntazar told Kashmir Observer.

“After the female anchor was shown the door, we were assigned the job and we had to felt embarrassing situation most of the times in the society. Then we got the unwritten communication to share our programme fees. We are now more embarrassed because people think we too had done something wrong,” another prominent anchor, Dr Javaid said. “Director is violating the basic norms of the Prasar Bharti by involving un-auditioned anchors,” he added.

Ironically, the former Programme executive, Manzoor Khan -who retired recently, has been assigned the job of monitoring the show and choosing the list of guests and programme details.

It may be recalled here; the show began in 2000 but was then named Subhai Subhai. The show was presented by many anchors and also won DD’s National Award for best anchor. Though the show ran successfully, however, it came to a halt after two years. In 2007, initiatives were taken to restart the program. Though the program ran for three years it could not achieve the success as earlier. Officials said that the proposal was then again resent to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for starting Good Morning JK in 2010 again.

Talking to Kashmir Observer, director, DDK, Srinagar, Qayoom Wadera said that his office and officers would never indulge in any “illegal activities”.

“I don’t know what kind of feedback you have been given. My officers are not like that. We give chance to everyone. It’s a public broadcast, so everyone has a right to make his mark here. If you have any talent you can also come and anchor any programme,” he said, “Once the minister himself asked me if I was getting money from Masood Muntazar to make him continue the programmes.”

When asked why un-auditioned anchors involved in the live show were, he said “I think, you cannot always get real talent by means of audition.”

 “We want to reflect the real Kashmir, it has to touch the local cord, that is why we have identified various anchors who we think are doing good. We cannot always engage Masood Muntazar and Hajni’s son, that is not possible,” he added.

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