New Delhi: The Center on Saturday appointed renowned lyricist and communication expert Bashun Joshi As chairman of Prasar Bharati, he fills a critical vacancy at the public broadcaster which has been without a full-time head since December.Josh is currently the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and has decades of experience in advertising, film, literature and public communications. His appointment comes amid a rapid shift by the national broadcaster to digital platforms and changing audience preferences.Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described Joshi as a “rare creative spirit” and expressed confidence that his leadership will inject “new energy, deeper purpose and fresh creative voices” into the organization.The post has been vacant since the resignation of former IAS officer Navneet Kumar Sehgal in December last year.Josh is an award-winning lyricist and advertising professional who has led large-scale global campaigns and served as CEO of McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman of Asia Pacific. His tenure at the film certification body, which began in 2017, has been described by officials as a “balanced approach” between creative expression and regulatory oversight.The autonomous broadcaster was established under the India Infrastructure Act, 1990 and oversees All India Radio and Doordarshan, which together form one of India’s largest media networks across television, radio and digital platforms.Joshi’s experience in storytelling and mass communications is expected to help reposition public broadcasting in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven media environment with a greater focus on content innovation and audience engagement, officials said.