Venkat Raman –
Surprise, admiration, pride, joy and gratification were among the sentiments expressed by members of the Radio Tarana team when we asked to describe their take on Robert Khan, their Managing Director.
We asked them to be forthright, promising that no one, including their boss, would have a privy to their opinions until this page makes it to the eyes of the people.
Robert Khan was honoured for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Radio’ at the Radio New Zealand Awards ceremony held at the Auckland Museum on May 20, 2016, in the presence of the country’s popular broadcasters.
Media Works Radio Chief Executive Wendy Palmer presented the Awards and the programme was hosted by Jono of the popular TV Ben and Jono.
Worthy of recognition
The Award recognised Mr Khan’s outstanding contribution to radio in New Zealand.
Among the others honoured at the event were the late Sir Paul Holmes, Leighton Smith, Murray Deaker, Kim Hill, Brent Impey and Sussan Turner.
We carried his reaction in our June 1, 2016 issue.
Magan Dahya
Sales and Marketing Representative Magan Daya said that apart from being very active, Mr Khan remains polite even when he confronts a person.
“He is friendly and addresses most people by their first name. I was very excited to see Robert recognised and honoured. It was typical of him to attribute his success to his team. I am proud to be associated with him and his team at Radio Tarana,” he said.
Mehak Vashist
“Robert Khan is a Managing Director in the true sense,” says Mehak Vashist, who is known to tens of thousands of Radio Tarana listeners as a lively reporter, vigorous narrator and interrogator of ‘Sunday @5’ programme.
“I was present at the ceremony when he received the Award. Robert’s speech was humble and reflected what Tarana stands for – a radio station deep-rooted to its people and committed to serve ethnic community. I feel proud to be associated with Tarana. This is not a workplace; it is my home!”
Pawan Rekha Prasad
A veteran of radio broadcasting, Pawan is the senior-most member of the Radio Tarana team, having joined the station in 2001.
She said that she owed her leadership skills to Mr Khan.
“He is a leader who believes in walking together and guide rather than walking ahead and leave people behind. If he trusts a person, he places complete faith in that person – a rare quality in human beings. He will never advice you a shortcut and dodgy path but would rather recommend a longer but honest way,” she said.
Pawan said that watching Mr Khan receive the Award was the proudest moment in her life.
Ronny Kumaran
Another ardent admirer of Robert Khan is Ronny Kumaran.
“Robert values every member of the Tarana team and he is always available for any support we may need. He is a professional employer with outstanding knowledge of the broadcasting industry,” he said.
Ronny was not present at the Awards ceremony but was filled with joy when he saw on television Robert being honoured.
“I felt very proud of being associated with the winning team. That moment gave us another reason to believe that Tarana is the brand that makes the difference in the community,” Ronny said.
Sanjesh Narayan
Just last week, I had an opportunity to really get to know Sanjesh Narayan as we travelled to Fiji along with Prime Minister John Key. He was greeted by Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, other ministers and top officials in Suva with warmth and joy. Sanjesh seemed to be the man on the spot.
There is another, rather unspoken, candid side to another quiet reporter. He was quick to respond when asked to describe Robert Khan.
“He can be compared to Superman- a man of principles, very genuine and kind-hearted person. I started working for him in 2006 and over the years, I have understood very little about him, due to his very complicated nature. He is however very modest and makes you feel that you are part of his family,” he said.
Satend Sharma
The hero of ‘Tarana Drive,’ Satend Sharma keeps Aucklanders entertained and informed as they crawl through the worsening traffic bottleneck. He has been a radio presenter since he was 18 years old (we do not know the year) and therefore understands the sentiment of Mr Khan who was surprised when his name was announced at the Awards.
“I don’t think that he was expecting it. In fact, he was there to support the members of the ‘Sunday at 5’ team who had been nominated for an Award. This Award that he received gave Team Tarana a reason to celebrate at the Shooters Bar next to our studio in Kingsland,” Satend said.
Shalen Shandil
Joining Radio Tarana three years ago, Shalen Shandil graduated to become an integral part of ‘Sunday @5’ along with Sanjesh Narayan and Mehak Vashist.
“Robert knows the market. He has long been a strong force behind talent in the New Zealand radio industry. He is fully engaged and works well with the local community. I was at the Radio Awards and everyone knew Radio Tarana,” he said.
