प्रखर ने एनडीटीवी छोड़ा, वरिष्ठों की सेलरी में कटौती

एनडीटीवी के सीनियर आउटपुट एडीटर प्रखर श्रीवास्तव ने इस्तीफा दे दिया है। प्रखर नई पारी की शुरुआत इंडिया टीवी के साथ करने जा रहे है। प्रखर एनडीटीवी से पहले जी न्यूज में बतौर क्राइम हेड काम कर चुके हैं।

एनडीटीवी के वरिष्ठ और पुराने लोगों ने सेलरी 20 फीसदी कम करने के प्रबंधन के प्रस्ताव को स्वीकार कर लिया है। पिछले दिनों प्रबंधन की तरफ से एक मेल सभी कर्मियों को भेज कर मंदी की मार और निपटने के उपाय के बारे में बताया गया था। इसमें वरिष्ठ लोगों से सेलरी 20 फीसदी कम लेने की अपील की गई थी। मेल की भावना के अनुरुप पुराने और सीनियर लोगों ने जो काफी मोटी तनख्वाह पाते हैं, स्वेच्छा से अपनी तनख्वाह कम करने की इच्छा प्रकट की। प्रबंधन ने जो मेल एनडीटीवीकर्मियों के पास भेजा था, उसे यहां हू-ब-हू दिया जा रहा है- 

Dear All

It is now clear that the Indian economy is virtually in a recession and NDTV must prepare itself for this global and Indian economic downturn. Everyone should be ready to tighten their belts for a while please. This is also a good time to revisit our core strengths of excellence, professionalism and efficiency. Let’s take a pledge to reinforce these values and re-invent ourselves. There are many external factors that we cannot control – but there are many internal factors, intrinsic to our daily lives at NDTV that we can control – we need to reaffirm our command over these and take NDTV to a new and higher plane. The time for complacency is over. Each one of us needs to increase our productivity, our efficiency, our desire to learn and improve. Let us see this global economic crisis as much an opportunity as a challenge: this is the time to streamline our operations, excise any flab that the system may have gained in the boom times and return to being a lean, tough, strong, efficient and compassionate organisation. Let us take a pledge to cut costs and improve efficiency, without in any way compromising quality which should remain at the core of all NDTV’s operations.

1. Please be focussed on and careful about every bit of expenditure you may incur. Think before spending: is it really justified and necessary. Only if you’re fully convinced go ahead. If not, hold back and cut expenditure.

2. There will be no hiring of any new employees: there will a headcount freeze until further notice. Our salary costs are already far too high – higher than our counterparts in the industry. There is, you will agree, substantial flab too at NDTV (some people work very hard, while others seem to be floating along). No more ‘floaters’ should be accepted – it’s unfair on those who work.

3. Travel and telephone bills are also a very large part of NDTV’s expenditure. Please try and economise as much on these as possible and keep the expenditure as low as is feasible without dropping quality standards. Think before you travel or make a phone call – ask yourself: is it absolutely essential? We are undergoing an environmental audit too, which will ensure costs savings and make our organisation environmentally friendly. All suggestions on this are very welcome.

4. Send us ideas on how we can cut costs further. If you see any area in which there is unnecessary or wasteful expenditure at NDTV, please email us with your suggestions.

5. As a first step, many in NDTV’s senior management have volunteered to take a salary cut of 20% for the year 2009 – as well as ensuring other expenditure is curtailed too (for example, any upgrades to business class will be from each person’s personal account).

6. The daily allowance for personal expenses during all travel in India will based on actuals (capped at a maximum of Rs. 500 per day) – and internationally too, the daily allowance for each region will be rationalised. We hope that many of these are merely temporary measures and will not be needed once the economic slowdown is over. Nevertheless, this is also a good opportunity to cut wasteful expenditure forever and to be a lean, agile organisation for the future.Let’s take this opportunity to make NDTV a robust and efficient organisation – let’s build the foundations for a strong NDTV that will make us all proud and lead India’s media not just today but 50 years from now too. Think NDTV.

Thank you

January 20, 2009 12:14 PM