Waqt News signs up Fereeha

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 3 June 2012

Fereeha Idrees has left Samaa TV to join Waqt News TV, where she will host a current affairs program. Her resignation follows discontent with program scheduling and management.
Summary

ISLAMABAD: The latest addition to the list of those resigning from Samaa TV is Fereeha Idrees, host of the program News Beat.

Unlike some of her colleagues who resigned last month and are reportedly headed for DawnNews, Ferheea has opted to join Waqt News TV.

Although it is not clear what prompted her resignation some circles believe she was unhappy her program had been brought down to two days a week instead of the earlier schedule of five-a-week. She also had some other differences with the management.

Fereeha was a bureau chief at CNBC Pakistan before arriving at Samaa following the unceremonious exit of Mehr Bukhari.

Bukhari is widely believed to have been sacked for running a controversial program on Salman Taseer after he was killed by his own security guard in January 2011 in Islamabad.

At Waqt News, Fereeha will probably host a current affairs program from 8 to 9pm Monday through Friday.

There are reports that Waqt News plans to re-launch the channel later this month and may also bring Dr Shahid Masood, on board.

Meanwhile, several employees of Samaa including their Bureau Chief Iftikhar Shirazi, Assignment Editor Husnain Raza and Chief Reporter Sanaullah are likely to join DawnNews soon.