LAHORE, March 9: The Pakistan Television (PTV) has appointed telephone operators, typists and personnel officers as producers, with the aggrieved candidates threatening to go to court.

The PTV had recently announced vacancies for 12 producers. According to the selection criteria set by the administration in letter No HPP/101/8624 dated Oct 29, 2001, the applicants were supposed to have five years of experience in the field of production in addition to a Master’s degree.

The aggrieved applicants made a presentation to highups, which was turned down. Talking to Dawn, they claimed that the management had shown helplessness in the face of political pressure by successful candidates.

“Otherwise, it is impossible to appoint telephone operators or typists as producers,” they claimed. Of the 12 newly appointed producers, two had been working as telephone operators, three as personnel officers, one as computer operator and another one as technician.

As many as 25 professional assistant producers had applied for the posts, but all but two of them were ignored in favour of the “outsiders”, they asserted.

“The new appointments clearly show the preferences of the new management,” said a former general manager of the PTV. Most of its senior production staff would be retiring during the next few years, and look at the stuff that is going to replace them.

The absurdity of the decision can be best appreciated against the background of the ever-expanding scope and reach of electronic media in the country. There is a host of new TV channels entering the scene with many more waiting on the wings.

Such dubious appointments would only take the production standard further down and spell disaster for PTV’s future, he said.

The Interview Committee, comprising director programme and controller administration, had recommended a different list of candidates, said one of the applicants. The committee, he said, could not do anything but sympathize with those whose candidature was rejected. “We are going to the court to stay these appointments,” he claimed.