Another round of restructuring is in the offing at the country’s oldest news broadcaster, New Delhi Television (NDTV).
Around 40 staffers of the lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times in Mumbai and New Delhi have been asked to relocate to other NDTV channels, such as NDTV Profit, which is going through a process of restructuring.
While a new work profile has been agreed for most of the workers, the company has not been able to find suitable positions for around 15 staffers, official sources said.
Though the 15 staffers would continue to be on the rolls for another 3-4 months, they have been told to look out for other opportunities.
Vikram Chandra, Chief Executive Officer, NDTV, said: “NDTV Good Times is seeing a change in programming to cement its position in the market.
“A number of people from Good Times are moving to other positions within NDTV, where there are manpower requirements, such as NDTV Profit (for areas such as technology and auto) and for other special projects.
“There are still a handful of people who we are in discussion with as to what the best fit for them would be.”
NDTV has been on a cost-cutting spree for several quarters now, as it seeks to stay profitable in a competitive market.
Last year, the company laid off close to 50 employees.
Earlier this year, the company asked several employees to shift base, as it moved the production control room of NDTV from Mumbai to New Delhi.
This year is turning out to be a challenging year for television news companies.
Recently, Network 18 had sacked about 500 employees across its centres.
While Bloomberg TV is set to lay off around 30-60 staffers, including some of its head of departments.