As the heads of Red FM, Radio Mirchi, Club FM and Big FM got together at Kanakakkunnu, we were treated to leg-pulling, some girly talk, amidst their professional conversation.
Deepti Sivan, Station head, Red FM (93.5)
Deepti Sivan, an advocate, loved to be behind the camera, though she had a brief stint with cinema. Working as an associate producer of Priyadarshan for the Miss World show in Bangalore was the first lesson. And once she became Sanjeev Sivan’s wife, Deepti, 34, got into the role of production designer for the works of her husband and that of the Sivan family. Once she shifted her base to Thiruvananthapuram somebody suggested about the offer from Sun Network and she was more than happy to take up the job.
Challenges: I was assigned the job three-and-half years ago. It was very tough because, initially, I had the responsibility of setting up everything in five centres- Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kannur, Kozhikode and Thrissur. It involved finding the building, recruiting, programme schedule, administration etc. Nearly 35 people were at each centre. It was like starting from the scratch. Then came up the most important task of getting people tune into 93.5. The marketing team did their best and from my part I had to ensure that we brought in variety everyday to the listeners. And, in the last one-and-half years we had to tell people that we are Red FM now and not S FM.
Balancing profession and family is no easy task, especially with two children (Shreyas, 5, and Sidhansh, 1) around. I am proud to say that I was in office even on the eve of the delivery of my second child. I have been managing both quite well.
Cherished moments: We have won close to some nine awards since we started and that is a big boost for me personally.
Men at work: If you know your job well, the men you work with will give you respect and accept you. There have been ego hassles and if they can pull the strings, they will do it. But, I am proud that I have earned the respect of the men in my team.
Sreevidhya K, Programming Head, Club FM (94.3)
Sreevidhya, 28, has been a go-getter. The first appointment at the station, she has grown with the station. She became a working woman soon after her Plus II. She chose to do distance education studies rather than go to a college so that she could work and support her mother. She worked with LIC, then, became an RJ with the Ras Al Khaimah Broadcasting Authority and fulfilled her dream of working in the Media City after completing her degree.In fact, she had applied to 106 companies there! Six responded and she opted for a job with an international production house. It was during her trip to India to renew her visa that she chanced upon the FM boom happening in Kerala. Soon, at the age of 23, she got selected as the programming head of Mathrubhumi’s Club FM.
Challenges: The initial challenge was competing with the other three national stations in the capital city. Once the broadcasting became smooth, there came the challenge of serving something unique for the listeners, which we call ‘stationality’. Also, since we are a Mathrubhumi product, there were some expectations. Even though we spoke chaste Malayalam, there were people who criticised. Many didn't like the pace of talking of the RJs. So, we clearly defined our work- catering to those young at heart. We have also tried to be different and refrained from airing cheap comedy stuff.
On the personal front, I stay away from the city and I am blessed that I have my mother to take care of my two kids Agnivesh, 7, and Agneya, 2 (her husband Santhosh is working abroad).
Cherished moments: We were just a week old. On seeing a newspaper report on two unfortunate girls who needed financial help, we ran a campaign for three days, seeking financial help. Three days later, we got a call from their father saying they had received nearly ` 25,000 from our listeners.
Men at work: It has been a smooth affair, except that I have had to deal with subordinates elder to me.
Parvathy Nair, Programming head, Big FM (92.7)
A television anchor for the last 10 years, Parvathy Nair, however, never wanted to be in media field. She took up science since she wanted to do research, but once she finished MSc she understood she was not cut out for research field. She joined for MBA at Kerala University. Once she got settled in Thiruvananthapuram post her marriage to a senior journalist and her MBA studies, Parvathy, now 27, found herself taking up the offer from Big FM.
Challenges: Shifting from television to radio itself was a big challenge (she has done shows like ‘Movie Mix’, ‘Pen Parvam’ and many others on different channels). RJ -ing is different. Especially because, an RJ, unlike a VJ, is considered a member of the family by the listeners. In fact, the radio is a habit for many and our work has to be in accordance with that. Above all, we have to be updated with what is happening in print, visual and cyber space. It was not easy for me to leave behind my three-month-old son (Keshav) and rejoin duty after my three-month maternity leave. I am happy that I could work till the last days of my pregnancy, thanks to my husband, my parents and in-laws. I make it a point not to mix work and family, but there have been days when I work late at night back home.
Cherished moments: We have run three seasons of ‘Vande Keralam’ campaign which encourages people to quit any form of addiction. The heart-warming moments are when the near and dear ones of these people call up and thank us. Some even come with food and sweets to see us. We have told them to keep us informed if they pick up the habit again.
Men at work: The new generation is little bothered about whether your head is a woman or a man. In my case, it is all about teamwork. However, I personally feel that a female boss can be more understanding and can easily relate with the problems of her subordinates. She can also deal with unpleasant situations.
Malini Nair, Programming head, Radio Mirchi (98.3)
Malini Nair, 24, is new to the city (she joined the station only in January this year). But the experience of having worked in visual and audio streams have kept her in good stead. Post her journalism studies, she worked with CNN IBN and later switched over to an FM station, Chennai Live. After marriage and a six-month break, here she is, as the head of Radio Mirchi.
Challenges: My experience has taught me that radio is an emerging medium.
The FM channels are going to play a big role. My inspiration to get into media has been my grandmother Indu B Nair, who has been writing for a leading women’s magazine. The medium is such that everyday you start on a clean slate. You have to keep yourself updated. Also, you have to inspire a team full of creative people. Then, you have to deal with competition and come up with something which has an identity.
On the personal front, a supportive family is essential and I am blessed to have got that. Being a marine engineer, my husband (Arvind) is away for a few months every year, which means I have to stay alone. In any case, I ensure that I don’t over-work. I also deal with the challenge of working late at night sometimes and then reaching home safely.
Cherished moments: Though I have only a few months’ experience, I am happy that I could be a part of some really good initiatives. One was that we distributed onions to listeners when the onion prices touched shocking figures. Also, when there was milk shortage, we gave away two packets milk to those who walked in.
Men at work: I have not faced any gender discrimination. Also, we all have evolved and you see women heading a lot of organisations and establishments.
m_athira@expressbuzz.com