Gurdeep Sappal resigns as Rajya Sabha TV CEO

Sappal on Facebook post thanked Naidu for accepting his request of relieving him from responsibility

Gurdeep Singh Sappal has resigned as Rajya Sabha TV CEO and Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been given the additional charge of the post.

"Consequent upon acceptance of the resignation of Gurdeep Singh Sappal, CEO, RS TV, with effect from August 12, 2017, he is directed to hand over the charge of CEO, RSTV to Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati," an order of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

Rajya Sabha TV is owned and operated by the upper house of Parliament and the vice president is its chairman.

M Venkaiah Naidu was yesterday sworn in as the 15th vice president. His predecessor Hamid Ansari had two successive terms.
 
In 2008, Rajya Sabha decided to start its own 24x7 TV channel and three years later, the decision was taken to hand over the reins of the proposed channel to Sappal, who was appointed as its CEO.

The limited broadcast of the channel was started in August 2011 and it became a 24x7 channel on January 26, 2012.

Sappal, in a Facebook post, thanked Naidu for accepting his request of relieving him from the responsibility.

Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash congratulated Sappal and tweeted, "Change is in the air in Rajya Sabha TV.