Edward Harper
Encyclopedia
Edward Harper was an engineer who travelled to Colombo in 1921 to work in the Ceylon Telegraph Department. Harper was appointed Chief Engineer. He had an innovative mind and his passion was broadcasting. Edward Harper is known as the 'Father of Broadcasting,' in Ceylon.
engineers. This was historic because it happened three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe. Ceylon plays an equal role in the early beginnings of broadcasting alongside Europe
and the United States of America.
On December 16, 1925 a regular broadcasting service was launched in Colombo. The radio station was known as Colombo Radio, adopting the call sign, 'Colombo Calling.' As a result of Edward Harper's efforts and that of the pioneering Ceylonese engineers, Radio Ceylon
came into being - it is the oldest radio station in South Asia
. Radio Ceylon ruled the airwaves in the region and became an established brand where international broadcasting was concerned.
The inauguration of radio, changed Ceylonese society. Families used to get together in the morning or in the evening and listen to the radio. Radio Ceylon enjoyed unique status as the market leader in South Asia from the 1950s - 1960s. Sri Lanka now has several radio stations and television stations. The media revolution was made possible by those early experiements conducted by Edward Harper and the Ceylonese radio enthusiasts who changed the face of communication
on the island. Sri Lanka occupies an important place in the history of broadcasting
- radio services were launched just three after the inauguration of the BBC
in London
.
The launching of broadcasting in Ceylon
Harper together with Ceylonese and English radio enthusiasts founded the Ceylon Wireless Club. They experimented with radio broadcasts in 1923 the first experiments took place from a tiny room in the Central Telegraph Office - gramophone music was broadcast with the aid of a small transmitter captured from a German submarine. The transmitter was built by Ceylon TelegraphTelegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
engineers. This was historic because it happened three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe. Ceylon plays an equal role in the early beginnings of broadcasting alongside Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States of America.
Colombo Radio
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
came into being - it is the oldest radio station in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Radio Ceylon ruled the airwaves in the region and became an established brand where international broadcasting was concerned.
The inauguration of radio, changed Ceylonese society. Families used to get together in the morning or in the evening and listen to the radio. Radio Ceylon enjoyed unique status as the market leader in South Asia from the 1950s - 1960s. Sri Lanka now has several radio stations and television stations. The media revolution was made possible by those early experiements conducted by Edward Harper and the Ceylonese radio enthusiasts who changed the face of communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
on the island. Sri Lanka occupies an important place in the history of broadcasting
History of broadcasting
The history of broadcasting began with early radio transmissions which only carried the dots and dashes of wireless telegraphy. The history of radio broadcasting starts with audio broadcasting services which are broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter to an antenna and, thus,...
- radio services were launched just three after the inauguration of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Eighty Years of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka
In December 2005, Sri Lanka celebrated 80 years in broadcasting, a historic landmark in the world of broadcasting - thanks to the pioneering efforts of broadcasting giants like Edward Harper. In January 2007 the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as Radio Ceylon, commemorated forty years as a public corporation.See also
- Vernon CoreaVernon CoreaVernon Corea was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation...
- Radio CeylonRadio CeylonRadio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
- Sri Lanka Broadcasting CorporationSri Lanka Broadcasting CorporationThe Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayake who was the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1967 ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation along with Minister Ranasinghe...
- Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
- History of broadcastingHistory of broadcastingThe history of broadcasting began with early radio transmissions which only carried the dots and dashes of wireless telegraphy. The history of radio broadcasting starts with audio broadcasting services which are broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter to an antenna and, thus,...
External links
- Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation - Live Streaming
- Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC): The Story of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka - Photograph of Edward Harper
- Radio Ceylon Facebook Group
- Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Facebook Group
- Radio Ceylon
- BBC Radio 4 - Empire Stories
- SLBC Celebrates 40 Years in Broadcasting
- Eighty Years of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka - Daily News, Colombo
- A brief history of radio and radio drama - Sunday Observer, Colombo