For the first time advertising the editor post of the BBC Sinhala Service, BBC World Service is to recruit a new editor to end nepotism and favouritism in the section, a source close to BBC told Colombo Telegraph.
The BBC has now advertised in its website, under the Careers Section the vacancy for the post of Editor of the Sinhala service, promising a salary in the range of 43000- 46000 sterling pounds per annum.
The advertisement says; “BBC Sinhala Editor will ensure content to the Sinhalese speaking audience in Sri Lanka and worldwide meets the highest standards of journalism and is always delivered in accordance with BBC editorial guidelines”. “It seems none of the permanent employees of the BBC Sinhala would be suitable to apply for the post”, someone who has seen the advertisement told Colombo Telegraph.
During last three years most of the senior BBC Sinhala broadcasters were sacked, forced to resign or removed from their duties and the section was under caretaker managers who were not the speakers of Sinhala Language.
Editor Priyath Liyanage was removed from his editorial duties in November 2013 due to unsound editorial judgements and since then BBC Sinhala service has been without a sitting editor to oversee the day today administrational functions.
In 2015, Senior Producer Chandana Keerthi Bandara was sacked on bullying and harassment charges and Producer M. J. R. David had to resign from his post due to ill health and also following a bullying and harassment allegations. The only producer remaining at the BBC Sinhala Wimalasena Hewage is to take voluntary redundancy with the proposed restructuring, Colombo Telegraph reliably learns.
Of the remaining two senior staff, presenter Saroj Pathirana was accused of a bogus marriage to get permanent residency in the United Kingdom. It is alleged that he married a woman who had her first marriage when Pathriana was a seven years old boy and the issue is now under investigation, Colombo Telegraph further learns.
Another presenter at BBC Sinhala, Thisara Aravinda Rathuwithana, a son of popular astrologer and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s advisor, Piyasena Rathuwithana was accused of money laundering.
Neither Saroj Pathirana nor Thisara Aravinda Rathuwithana have had any journalistic training or media experience at the time they got their jobs at BBC and many questions were raised about certain appointments of the section during the editorship of Priyath Liyanage including the appointment of the current Colombo correspondent. It was alleged that the Editor Liyanage was under investigation for ethics violations when he sat on the interview panel to select the Colombo correspondent.
Considering all these facts the BBC is trying to recruit a new Editor who can deliver the ethos of public sector broadcasting with due regards to the values of BBC and follow its guidelines, Colombo Telegraph learns.
The closing date for BBC Sinhala Section Editor post is 27th of January 2016. We publish below the advertisement in full.
Editor, BBC Sinhala Service
Job Introduction
BBC Sinhala is part of the BBC Asia Region which consists of 11 dynamic languages that produce multimedia content in text, video, interactive and audio for radio, online, mobile and Social Media platforms. BBC Sinhala delivers content to the Sinhalese speaking audience in Sri Lanka and around the world through its desktop and mobile sites, as well as through social media platforms. The service also delivers radio output on shortwave and via FM partners.
Role Responsibility
BBC Sinhala Editor will ensure content to the Sinhalese speaking audience in Sri Lanka and worldwide meets the highest standards of journalism and is always delivered in accordance with BBC editorial guidelines. They will also be responsible for commissioning creative and innovative content for all the service’s platforms. The incumbent is expected to, with the help of the Regional Editor for Asia, determine the overall strategic direction for BBC Sinhala. They will also provide editorial and managerial leadership to production teams in London and overseas.
The Ideal Candidate
This role will require a successful track record in an editorial role in TV, radio, online or print media and demonstrable experience of making sound judgements on editorial and political issues. You will have fluency in both written and spoken Sinhala and English and the ability to communicate effectively in both languages. You’ll have a sound knowledge of production and distribution processes, techniques and technology, and how emerging technology can most effectively be harnessed for the benefit of the audience. Detailed current knowledge of Sri Lanka and the wider target area as well as the changing needs of the audience and the developing media situation. This position will also need you to have business planning experience, have the ability to manage finances and resources and have recent and relevant knowledge of the region’s history and culture, coupled with detailed current knowledge of Sri Lanka and the wider target area. You will have previously lead and developed a team and managed budgets
Package Description
Grade 9D
Permanent
Salary Package Range – £43,994 to £46,500 pa (including allowances)
About the Company
We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are very important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours in the document attached below. You’ll be asked questions relating to them as part of your application for this role.
To apply click here
Amarasiri / January 3, 2016
RE: BBC Sinhala To End Nepotism; Looking For New Editor For Fresh Start
BBC:
Why do you want to end Nepotism in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, aka Lanka, Sri Lanka, Illankai, Eelam, Thambapani, Taprobane, Serendib or Ceylon?
It is a Local Tradition and part of the Culture, followed by the Sinhala Buddhists, Sinhala Christians, Tamil Hindus, Tamil Christians, Muslims and others in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho.
Please look at the Traditions followed since independence, and recently by Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maitripala Srisena.
In fact, traditionally, our women did not wear brassieres, and at a recent Western Musical show, our women expressed their displeasure by throwing their Western Brassieres, and even some knickers.
Why are you trying to impose your Western Cultures and values on us? Don’t you know that this is a Sinhala “Buddhist” Country with a 2,500 year civilization introduced by the Paras from India? Just because Para-English spent 150 years as war loads do not give you that right.
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F. N. Stein / January 3, 2016
Is personal integrity and honesty a difficult commodity among the Sinhalese of the current vintage? I know this comment will infuriate a large number of Sinhalese. The act is the last few decades in Sri Lanka has seen the rapid deterioration of the once decent Sinhala society to the point even the Public Trustee was found to be wanting.
F.N. Stein
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Analyst / January 3, 2016
Why the Singhala Buddhists / Christians ,few of the Tamil Hindus/ Christians, and the Muslims of Srilanka became greedy for money ? Simple explanation to it were the politicians . We cannot blame our parents that they did not teach us good values including honesty. We also cannot blame our schools from our young age not taught us good values.
How did our fellow citizens reached to the bottom of the pile in honesty and integrity?? The majority are corrupted swindlers ,thieves and murderers.
For god’s sake it’s the Lord Buddha country who preached never never beg steal murder or intoxicate on alcohol ,rape and so on.
When the Politicians are the masters of these bad deeds who encourages the fellow citizens to do just that to be in power .
I am glad the BBC was able to sack those SRILANKAN culprits who were swindling the British Tax payers money and lining their own pockets and the sucker MARA’ S pocket as well.
Well done BBC SANDEYA Singhala programme officials . Three cheers to you .
The Srilankan thieves are not only in Srilanka but they had invaded the BBC as well during the regime of the chief Swindler known as the Past President of SL.
Congratulations BBC AND GOOD LUCK IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT FUL HONEST CANDIDATES FOR THE POSTS.
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BBS Rep / January 4, 2016
Yes, honesty and integrity is difficult to come by among the Sinhalese. It did not infuriate me. I have seen my countrymen who claim to follow the path Lord Buddha showed but doing the exact opposite, given any situation where some personal benefit could be garnered. Where Lord Buddha extolled the virtues of ‘detachment’ all that my countrymen did was fall into the laps of ‘attachment’. While we do our level best to stop the butchering of cows we have no qualms killing Tamils and Muslims – or torturing and raping. Say what one may, but I have seen my countrymen time and again joining in the orgy of killing, raping and plundering the property of others. The so called Buddhist priests are not without fault either. Often they are in the forefront of all that is opposite to what Lord Buddha preached. No matter which part of the world we go to, we do carry all habits that are reprehensible.
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Sunil / January 3, 2016
The Daily mirror too must look at the perons responsible for public post approval…. They failed to prove the pot below that i posted to http://www.dailymirror.lk/101595/dinesh-unitary-state-place-of-buddhism-om?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
“No need Tamil Hindu, Muslim or Sinhala Buddhist state. Sri Lanka should become a Secular state that treat all it’s citizens as equals…”
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GrandMuftiOfRationalism / January 5, 2016
Respect for secular values is unheard of in Sri Lanka. A nation enslaved by irrational superstition at all levels of society.
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Dilantha Vithanage / January 3, 2016
The story of seven year old boy marring an Irish woman and hoodwinking BBC authorities is soon to become a major motion picture. The story is really interesting. More than thirty Sri Lankan’s married this woman while the bogus lawyer was sent to jail before gone to spend the balance jail term in Sri Lanka. Many who supposed to be deported absconded and surprisingly resurfacing at the BBC with the blessings of managers.
It seems BBC not only have to recruit a new head but also to recruit new staff with proper working rights.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/This+woman+married+20+men+for+cash…and+to+give+them+a+passport+to…-a061112395
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Douglas / January 4, 2016
We have an “IDEAL” candidate who would “Competently?” fit into the Job Description. Presently he is without a job and “subjected to Political Harassment” by the FCID (as described by the ex President). He is very well “KNOWN” and was referred to by the family of journalists as the “Most Eminent Journalist” (Maha Madiya Vediya). Why go far. His name is Mr.Hudson Saramasinghe who was the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
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NAMS / January 4, 2016
Since the advertisement gone out for external applicant, Certainly there is no one internally in BBC cappable or suitable for the said post.
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HER BEE, PEE / January 4, 2016
I WILL BE DOING AN INVALUABLE SERVICE CUM FAVOUR, BY PROPOSING THE ESTEEMED NAME OF THE MOST QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED AND OBVIOUSLY BEST SUITABLE CANDIDATE. MR. HUDSON SMARASINGHE.
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Mallaiyuran / January 4, 2016
WWriting negative is not going to bring any good. But BBC has to accept its share of the war crime supports. I remember, as grown up boy, when every time Sirimavo’s radio, the “Illankai Vaanoli” ,broadcasted as the situation was under control and at the time broadcasted the curfew was extended to Island wide too, we learned switch over to BBC to understand what the JVP was doing in South. The Transistor was poor of quality. The Shortwave meters constantly run. One of us has to have a hand on the turner while others struggling to figure out the words to grasp the news from British styled accent. From that time onward, we turn to BBC for News and tune “Illankai Vaanoli” only to listen to sweet, smooth flowing Ilankai Sangeetham, the South Indian Film Track songs. That is what I did until left Lankawe. Even in Montreal, one of my friends had a Grundig world band Radio. Time to time we used to struggle to catch BBC English Serve from Lankawe.
The biggest disappointment to Tamils was to see, in the endeavor of money making, the Internationally renowned broadcasting service succumbed to greed, sold its independence and bought the relaying right from Old Royals. From that time BBC was one of the leaders in substantiating the genocide murders of Old Royals, and was carrying out propaganda for Old Royals. Many of us tried to write comments opposing BBC’s false propaganda for the Old King. None of them ever show the reader’s eye lights. Tamil were little by little walking away from BBC. My return back to BBC was when Rajiva Wijesinghe was interviewed on the leaked UN internal Investigation report. In that, when the anchorage showed armies murdering captives from Killing Field of Sri Lanka, Rajiva asked back her how would she knows it was Sri Lankan army and even if they are and if she thought they can be identified out of 250,000 thousand soldiers strong troops, she should be kidding. BBC broadcasted that without attempting to edit it and protect Rajiva’s explicit cover up attempt and put him to the open judgment of the viewers. BBC never apologized to Tamils to the part it took take on the government’s Daily News’s Rajpal’s Journalism. But Tamils started to return to BBC, though not like that of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s faith.
We show renaming the Old Royals as New Royals after changing the Kings will not eradicate nepotism. Further, an international news media operating on many languages focusing on nepotism of Sinhala Language, while the basic culture of the Language has completely eroded, is like a mother saving the last newly bought dress from debris while her child was swept away by tsunami.
Time for BBC to scoop up and burn the bones and skins remaining accumulated during the genocide time, in its backyard. Changing editor or firing one or two the producers will never make any change. It has to investigate, just like UN investigated itself, how was the serious damage to its name was done under nose of the British Government’s Corporation’s London management. It is a matter BBC has to submit to parliament and the British parliamentarian has to make a final decision on how to ensure the corporation will not again fall into such trap as it did signing its own “Port City” contract with Sri Lankan Government
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rio ziegelaar / January 4, 2016
@F.N.STEYN
Whether you believe it or not you do not find many honest, intelligent and respected Sinhalese anymore in SL. You yet find riff-raffs like those of the present Government and that of the past.
Why don’t they just scrap the BBC Sinhala section. The language is just as useles as its currency.
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maalumiris / January 4, 2016
@rio ziegelaar
I am all for scrapping the BBC Sinhala Service, and indeed the BBC World Service News altogether.
While it maintains a slight veneer of respectability due to it’s previous record, it has deteriorated into just another Western mouthpiece, echoing the Western narrative and world-view about anything and everything.
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Spring Koha / January 15, 2016
The BBC – Sinhala service is an anachronism whose time has long past. This service is more for the benefit of the BBC than it is for us Sri Lankans – both at home and overseas. It has been seen, at best of times, to be patronising, and over periods it has been politicised.
Recently, there is a strong and dynamic news media within Sri Lanka, and the coverage on the internet at times surpasses that within the country.
Closing the BBC Sinhala service will not be missed, (and, as a bonus, the BBC will save much needed funds).
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Analyst / January 4, 2016
BBC Sinhala Service should be corrupt free. We cannot allow this world service’s name tarnished by the Srilankan thieves and crooks and alongside they have tarnished the name of SRILANKA TOO.
Here’s a link to write , complain and set the service to run with honesty and integrity that includes no BULLYING.
PLEASE TEACH THE THIEVES A LESSON ATLEAST. It’s a programme for WE SRILANKANS.
BBBC Worldservice Audience Relations team,
1st. Floor,
Brock House
19,Langham Street,
London
W1A 1AA
UNITED KINGDOM
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T.dayapala / January 4, 2016
Coulomb Telegraph is in an illusion if they think nepotism is due to end. The Lady in the picture (Juliana) has running this bankrupt service for some time now. Within her period the service has deteriorated severely with no listeners for the programme. Editorial guidelines have been set aside or gone to the bin. She is now working full swing to have a white wash interview. Eventually to get some who will working into her agenda. The man groomed by Charly boy, who was Colombo’s BBC person is being eyed for the post. Keep your eyes opened.
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daya ranasniha / January 6, 2016
the bbc has become a den of illegal immigrants the former head was to be deported and escaped while another is still surviving been a illegal migrant,
while another is using forged educational certificates,all this calls for a big reality check before talking big on editorial stuff and integrity -any how who cares
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