Doordarshan’s DG Mayank Agrawal appointed Prasar Bharti CEO

Mayank Kumar Agrawal, director general, Doordarshan and Doordarshan News has been given additional charge as chief executive officer, Prasar Bharati. Agrawal takes over from Shashi Shekhar Vempati who completed his five-year tenure as CEO of the public broadcaster.

“These past years have been an enriching experience working with seven ministers at the ministry of information and broadcasting. From late Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu, Smriti Irani, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Prakash Javadekar, Anurag Thakur, Dr. L Murugan. They have all guided, mentored and supported every step of way,” Vempati tweeted on Thursday calling Doordarshan and All India Radio intrinsic elements of his formative years. “I feel blessed to have given back to these two vital organisations to the best of my abilities. My sincere wishes to all those who have made them the most trusted media brands in India.”

Congratulating Agrawal, whom he referred to as a dear colleague, Vempati thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he deemed an opportunity to contribute to the nation over the past five years as the CEO of Prasar Bharati. “It has been a great learning experience and I am happy to have made a difference to Doordarshan and All India Radio,” he said.

It was a leap of faith on the part of Modi, Vempati added, to entrust responsibility (of the state broadcaster) to a rank outsider from the private sector. “His laudable initiative to bring lateral professionals into government needs to be strengthened and institutionalised for sustained impact. I would also like to thank the several secretaries of I&B ministry, and additional secretaries who have been fellow Board Members and the joint Secretaries, IIS Officers who have been great partners in this transformational journey,” he wrote.