The situation at Focus News has become more precarious and talks of exit of Group Editor Sanjeev Srivastava Ji are getting stronger. If Srivastava Ji goes, then the entire core team of focus will be in jeopardy as the main person behind the establishment of the news channel will go. There are talks of search for a new editor and it is rumored that sailesh ji or Sanjeev Paliwal Ji may take role of Srivastava ji. Indications (though remote possibility) say that Jindal company has finally offered to patch up with Sandeep Bamzai Ji, who had become whistleblower after his exit.
If bamzai ji agrees to patch up offer given by big official in jindal center, he may be back as he knows working of focus and can be better than a new editor coming in place of Srivastava ji. A decision will happen soon as focus is heading for a relaunch in August and a new editor who can turnaround the channel is being hunted rigorously. Meanwhile interference of Jspl has increased and their employees are increasing their say in day to day working of the channel inspite of the strict vigil on funding of the channel. Even anchors for every slot will now be decided at jindal office by people who have no idea of running news operation. Now reporters and cameraman also go in shared taxis for their assignments to reduce cost, if story is not ordered from jindal office.
A new appointee of JSPL is working as proxy editor and threatening other staffers to work alongwith him or risk their jobs. The entire top brass including Amit Tripathi ji are under scrutiny and have been told to perform or perish. Naveen jindal sir is rumored to have told the staff to raise TRP to 3 within one month but staff is bewildered on how to raise TRP when there is no distribution apart from Tata sky videocon and dd. even Airtel Dth is not carrying focus news.
Other employee who are performing and due for raise are also fearing salary cut let alone hike. The example if JSPL is given where staff has been reduced by 25% and no employee has got last year bonus till now and no pay hike is happening to fund focus news expenses of 50 crore. Reason given is that when JSPL staff is not getting bonus and raise, how will focus staff get raise; we should be happy with getting salary on time unlike the time of Matang Sinh ji when salary was delayed for months.
This way the channel will die it’s slow death and Many of us will get jobless due to mis management. Many employee hope Naveen jindal ji will get free from troubles and give free hand to experienced newsmen to run the channel rather than cutting budget and putting JSPL officers to manage news channel. In hope of a focus to come soon.
एक पत्रकार द्वारा भेजे गए पत्र पर आधारित.
