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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Audition Rules clear on age-bar for AIR presenters and radio jockeys


RnM Team    23 Jun 14 16:51 IST


NEW DELHI: All India Radio (AIR) has clarified that the directive asking certain presenters and radio jockeys to quit because they have crossed the age bar for the channels in which they were working, is only implementation of the relevant audition rules.

AIR Director General Faiyyaz Sheheryar told Radioandmusic.com that it was also incorrect to say that these persons would be rendered jobless, since most of them were either employed elsewhere and working part-time for AIR or were doing this work as a hobby or to supplement income. 'None of them are employees of AIR', he emphasised.

He says that although the Audition Rules have always been there, it was only a few months earlier that Prasar Bharati decided to implement them as competition increased with the private FM channels.

Under the rules, those working in the primary channel of AIR on medium wave could continue to be presenters up to the age of sixty, while those working for the AIR FM Gold or FM Rainbow could do so only till the age of 35. The Rules had also provided that those in the now-defunct Yuva Vani could work as radio jockeys or presenters till the age of thirty.

AIR sources also denied reports that young persons were being forced to interview personalities with whose work they were not conversant. The sources said that all presenters and radio jockeys were asked to do adequate research before conducting programmes where they had to converse with or interview senior classical artistes or performers.

While not disputing the view that it was sometimes not possible to tell the age of a person from his or her voice, the sources said that every organisation has to lay certain criteria and in any case these presenters and radio jockeys were aware of this when they agreed to come on board in the public broadcaster. 

It has been learnt that the directive will affect around 200 presenters or RJs. Official sources said they were aware that many of these persons were already well past the age set in the Audition Rules, and therefore it had been decided to implement those rules.

Read More at:
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/audition-rules-clear-age-bar-air-presenters-and-radio-jockeys

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