Media in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Sri Lanka's media outlets are generally divided along linguistic and ethnic lines. State and private media operators provide services in the main languages Sinhala, Tamil, and English. The government owns two major TV stations, radio networks operated by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
(SLBC), and newspaper titles in Sinhala, Tamil
and English
.
After the growth of Sri Lankan economy, many satellite TV channels were introduced.
However, there are over a dozen privately owned radio stations and more than 30 privately operated television stations. They often engage in political debates.
The use of the internet is a growing force within Sri Lanka, many of the newspapers now have online editions. Because of the limited circulation for the daily and weekly newspapers, they are heavily dependent on advertising. As a result of this it is very rare to see Sri Lankan newspapers engage in investigative journalism or daring exposes of big business.
, the Daily News
and the Island. Sinhalese newspapers are Dinamina
, Lankadeepa
, Lakbima
, and Divaena
. Tamil newspapers are Uthayan
and
Virakesari
.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) operated three national services, in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Social awareness messages are often aired on issues such as drunk-driving, drugs and health concerns.
Throughout the authorities many private organizations obtained radio broadcasting licenses from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRC) and commenced operation of a number of terrestrial radio stations. By 2009, over thirty state and privately owned radio stations were in operation in Sri Lanka. The table below lists those currently active.
programmes are broadcast over the Internet including the youth service "TamilsFlashFm".
, correspondent in Batticaloa for several Tamil media stated just prior to his assassination in 2005:
In 2005, the Tamil newspaper Thinakkural
was threatened by Karuna
. Copies of the newspaper were burned in the Eastern provinces. On the other hand, distribution of the Tamil weekly Thinamurasu is blocked by the LTTE because it is close to another armed group, the EPDP.
BBC World Service
stopped its broadcast in Sinhalese and Tamil for fear of reprisal against its reporters.
During the Rajapaksa administration, press freedom in Sri Lanka became the "worst in any democratic country", according to the Reporters without borders
index
, ranking 165th among 173 countries in the index.
On 21 November 2008, a twelve-member group of masked men, forcibly entered the printing press of Sunday Leader, Morning Leader and Irudina Sinhala weekly and set fire damaging printing machines and copies of newspapers printed ready for distribution.
The state jammed transmission of BBC programs which contained content the government disliked.
The main private TV network Sirasa was repeatedly threatened by minister Mervyn Silva
, attacked by a petrol bomb on 2.1.2009 and raided by gunmen on 6.1.2009, who set on fire the main control room. This was in response to SLBC
criticizing Sirasa's coverage of the capture of Kilinochchi.
According to the head of the company, Chevaan Daniel: "It's either that the citizens of Sri Lanka are able to drive around attacking institutions armed with weapons and grenades, or there is a hand behind it."
Lasantha Wikramatunga, the chief editor of the English Weekly Sunday Leader, was assassinated on the Thursday January 8, 2008 by unknown gunmen. The newspaper and its editor as well as the editor of Morning Leader have been harassed and threatened continuously during the preceding three years. All Leader publications are very critical towards the government and exponents of opposition political views. According to Reporters without Borders, the Rajapaksa administration blocks investigations into the murder of journalists.
Defence minister Gotabhaya Rajapaksa threatened to chase Chris Morris, a BBC journalists, out of the country, if he does not act responsibly.
Local reporters in the country continue to be threatened, as was the case with 54-year-old M.I. Rahmathulla, who was beaten in April 2009 for reporting on political corruption in the Batticaloa region of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The 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...
(SLBC), and newspaper titles in Sinhala, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
After the growth of Sri Lankan economy, many satellite TV channels were introduced.
However, there are over a dozen privately owned radio stations and more than 30 privately operated television stations. They often engage in political debates.
The use of the internet is a growing force within Sri Lanka, many of the newspapers now have online editions. Because of the limited circulation for the daily and weekly newspapers, they are heavily dependent on advertising. As a result of this it is very rare to see Sri Lankan newspapers engage in investigative journalism or daring exposes of big business.
Newspapers
Important English language newspapers are the Daily MirrorDaily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
The Daily Mirror is a daily English-language newspaper published in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. Its Sunday counterpart is the Sunday Times.Its sister newspaper on financial issues is the Daily FT.-Traffic:...
, the Daily News
Daily News (Sri Lanka)
Founded in 1918, the Ceylon Daily News is an English daily that claims the largest circulation among peoples in Sri Lanka. It is now owned by the government of Sri Lanka....
and the Island. Sinhalese newspapers are Dinamina
Dinamina
Founded on December 17 1909, the Dinamina is a Sinhalese daily that claims the largest circulation among Sinhalese-speaking peoples in Sri Lanka. The newspaper was founded by the Sinhalese scholar H.S. Perera who acted as both owner and editor-in-chief of the paper at the outset. Upon Perera's...
, Lankadeepa
Lankadeepa
Lankadeepa is a daily Sri Lankan Sinhala language newspaper which is owned by Wijaya Newspapers Limited. Chairmen of the organization is Mr. Ranjith Sujiva Wijewardene...
, Lakbima
Lakbima
Lakbima is a Sri Lankan private Sinhala language newspaper which is owned by the Sumathi News Papers Limited. Chairmen of the organization is Mileena Sumathipala, wife of the late D.W. Sumathipala. The English version of this newspaper is called "Lakbimanews"...
, and Divaena
Divaena
Divaena is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-References:**...
. Tamil newspapers are Uthayan
Uthayan
Uthayan is a Tamil newspaper published in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1985 and has been the single voice of the people of the Jaffna since 1996....
and
Virakesari
Virakesari
Virakesari ta:வீரகேசரி is the name of one of the leading Tamil dailies in Sri Lanka. Virakesari is the oldest and the largest circulated Tamil Newspaper in Sri Lanka. Virakesari is owned by Express Newspapers Limited, a leading print and web media organization in Sri Lanka.- Foundation...
.
TV stations
There are both government-owned and private TV channels. Some operate analog free-to-air channels while others operate their channels through satellite, IPTV or cable networksAnalog Terrestrial Networks
| | Name | | Ownership | | Language(s) | | Established & current status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independent Television Network Independent Television Network Independent Television Network Limited is a Sri Lankan state governed television and radio broadcaster located in Wickramasinhapura, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka. ITN, a Shrama Abhimani Award winner... (ITN) |
State-owned | Sinhala | April 13, 1979 |
| 2 | Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation | State-owned | Sinhala | February 15, 1982 |
| 3 | Channel One MTV | Private | English | December 14,1992 |
| 4 | TNL | Private | Sinhala / English | June 21,1993 |
| 5 | ETV ETV (Sri Lanka) ETV is a Sri Lankan television station. As of 2010 it is broadcast on two transmitters, E35 located in Kolpity ETV is a Sri Lankan television station. As of 2010 it is broadcast on two transmitters, E35 located in Kolpity ETV is a Sri Lankan television station. As of 2010 it is broadcast on two... |
Private | English | 1995 |
| 6 | Swarnavahini Swarnavahini Swarnavahini, which means "Golden Channel" in Sinhala is a leading Sri Lankan news and entertainment television channel. Its main theme is "Sri Lankeeya Abhimanaya" which means "Sri Lankan Pride." It was launched on the 16th of March 1997, alongside its sister channel ETV, which mainly broadcasts... |
Private | Sinhala | March 16,1997 |
| 7 | Sirasa TV Sirasa TV Sirasa TV is an analogue terrestrial television network in Sri Lanka. It is the sister channel of 'Channel 1 MTV' which was established in 1992. Sirasa TV was founded in 1998 to similar itself to their Radio network Sirasa FM. Sirasa TV is owned by the Sri Lankan business conglomerate The Capital... |
Private | Sinhala | June 10,1998 |
| 8 | Shakthi TV Shakthi TV Shakthi TV is the first Tamil television service of Sri Lanka. It is one of the many television channels which broadcast in the Tamil Language in Sri Lanka. A few others being Vettri TV, operated by the Rupavahini Group and Vasantham TV operated by the Independent Television Network, both of which... |
Private | Tamil | October 20, 1998 |
| 9 | Channel Eye | State-owned | English | August 20, 2000 |
| 10 | TV Lanka http://www.electroteks.com/tvl.php | Private | Sinhala | >-bgcolor="efefef" |
| 11 | ART Television | Private | English | July 21,2003 |
| 12 | Derana Derana Derana TV is a Sri Lankan Free-to-air Television channel which was launched on 11 October 2005.Derana broadcasts contemporary content that upholds Sri Lankan values on its “Ape De Rakagena, Aluth De Aragena” platform.... |
Private | Sinhala | October 11, 2005 |
| 13 | Max TV Max TV (Sri Lanka) Max TV is an analog television channel available in Sri Lanka owned by the private company MGM Networks Ltd. It is currently running test transmissions while its sister radio channel, Max Radio, has already begun proper transmissions. The actual launch date of the television channel is yet... |
Private | Sinhala / English / Tamil | January 17, 2007 |
| 14 | Nethra TV | State-owned | Tamil | January 01, 2008 |
| 15 | Vasantham TV Vasantham TV Vasantham TV is a Tamil language television channel which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. The channel is operated by the Independent Television Network Limited , which is a state goverened television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka. The channel commenced transmission on the 25th of June 2009... |
State-owned | Tamil | June 25, 2009 |
| 16 | Siyatha TV Siyatha TV Siyatha TV is a private Sri Lankan analog television channel currently broadcasting in Colombo in the Sinhala language. It is owned by the Voice of Asia Network Ltd, which also runs radio channels named Siyatha FM, Real Radio and Vettri FM.-Background:... |
Private | Sinhala | September 17, 2009 |
| Private | Tamil | September 17, 2009 | ||
| 18 | Prime TV Prime TV Sri Lanka Prime TV is a television channel which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. The channel is operated by the Independent Television Network Limited, which is a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka.... |
State-owned | English | November 12, 2009 |
| 19 | NTV | State-owned | English | November 18, 2009 |
| 20 | DAN Tamiloli | Private | Tamil | 2009 |
| 21 | VIS3 - CCTV News CCTV News CCTV News may refer to:* CCTV News, the news department itself, of China Central Television* CCTV News , a Chinese language news channel* CCTV NEWS, formerly CCTV-9, an English language news channel... |
Private | English | May 07, 2010 |
| Private | Sinhala / English | March 07, 2011 | ||
| Private | Sinhala | April 08, 2011 | ||
Local TV Channels on Satellite or Cable Networks
| | Name | | Ownership | | Language | | Established | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Young Asia Television http://youngasia.tv/ | Private | Sinhala/Tamil/English | 1995 |
| 2 | Srilakvahini | Private | Sinhala | November 03, 2006 |
| 3 | Sri TV http://www.sritv.it/ | Private | Sinhala | 2006 |
| 4 | Dhammavahini http://www.dharmavahini.tv/ | Private | Sinhala | May, 2007 |
| 5 | The Buddhist http://www.thebuddhist.tv/ | Private | Sinhala | June 29, 2007 |
| 6 | CiTi HiTz | Private | Sinhala | December 10, 2007 |
| 7 | Gospel Vision | Private | Sinhala/English | 2007 |
| 8 | Channel C | Private | Sinhala | March 10, 2008 |
| 9 | Lakroo/Info TV | State-owned | Sinhala | April 04, 2009 |
| 10 | Heritage TV http://www.htv.lk | Private | Sinhala | May 08, 2009 |
| 11 | DAN Tamiloli http://www.dan.tv | Private | Tamil | 2009 |
| 12 | TV Neth http://www.neth.tv/ | Private | Sinhala | 2009 |
| 13 | One SriLanka http://www.onesrilanka.tv/menu/home.php | Private | Sinhala | 2009 |
| 14 | Knowledge TV | Private | Sinhala | 2010 |
| 15 | TV Dream Music | Private | Sinhala | 2010 |
| 16 | Nenasa TV | Private | Sinhala | 2010 |
| 17 | One Six Channel | Private | Sinhala | 2011 |
| 18 | Swarga TV | Private | Sinhala/Tamil/English | 2011 |
Pay Television Networks (Sri Lankan Owned)
| | Name | | Technology | | Established | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PEO TV (SLT Visioncom) | IPTV IPTV Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services... (ADSL and WiMAX WiMAX WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations... ) |
September 2008 |
| 2 | Lanka Broadband Networks (LBN) | Analog/Digital Cable | 2000 |
| 3 | Dialog TV Dialog TV Dialog TV is a direct broadcast satellite pay television provider based in Sri Lanka. A fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Telekom, Dialog TV was launched in July 2005 under the name "CBNsat". It was later renamed Dialog TV in February 2007 after the company was acquired by Dialog Telekom.Dialog TV... |
Digital Satellite | 2005 |
| 4 | Comet Cable(Not functioning since 2009) | Analog Microwave | 1999 |
Sri Lankan radio channels
Before 2000, apart from the state-run radio stations, there had been only a few radio channels, operated by three private companies – the Asia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Networks, Colombo Communication Limited, and the Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation – broadcasting in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. They included:- Gold FM, Sun FM, Hiru FMHiru FMHiru FM is the most popular radio station in Sri Lanka., which is a privately owned Sinhala radio station in Sri Lanka by ABC Radio Networks started in 1998. It covers whole island...
, and Sooriyan FMSooriyan FMSooriyan FM is a privately owned Tamil radio station in Sri Lanka run by ABC Radio Networks started in 1998. It covers the whole island. The network runs sister stations Hiru FM in Sinhala and GoldFM in English.-Frequencies:...
: owned by the Asia Broadcasting Corporation - E FME FME FM is a Colombo, Sri Lanka-based radio station, playing '80s music. Tagged with the catchphrase "Your Lifestyle Station", E FM is one of the three radio channels operated and managed by Colombo Communications Ltd., a subsidiary of the EAP Edirisinghe Group of Companies.E FM broadcasts live at...
, Ran FM, and Shree FMShree FMSri FM , commenced its operations in 1992 as FM99 under the company of Colombo Communication LTD as the first privately owned radio station in Sri Lanka One of the key people of the company at that time was a veteran broadcaster named Livi Wijemanne. The ownership of CCL was transferred to VANIK...
: owned by Colombo Communication Limited (a subsidiary of EAPE.A.P. Edirisingha (Pvt) Ltd.E.A.P. Edirisingha Ltd. is a Sri Lankan company which owns Swarnawahini , Swarnamahal , E-Mobile, and E.A.P. Pawn Brokers....
) - Sirasa FMSirasa FMSIRASA FM – the number one in Sri Lankan radio arena. The trend setters of the modern day broadcasting & the benchmark of the all time novelty of the entertainment industry....
, Shakthi FMShakthi FMShakthi FM is a Sri Lankan Tamil language channel available on air. The word "Shakthi" is an ancient rich Tamil word stands for "power", from ancient Hinduism lord shakthi means god of power...
, Y FM and Yes FMYes FMYes FM is an English radio station in Sri Lanka. Yes FM plays principally Contemporary Hit Radio.Yes FM commenced broadcasting on December 10, 1993 at 6.00 am. It is one of the radio channels owned by The Capital Maharaja Organization Ltd, a leading conglomerate in Sri Lanka. The main target...
: owned by the Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) operated three national services, in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Social awareness messages are often aired on issues such as drunk-driving, drugs and health concerns.
Throughout the authorities many private organizations obtained radio broadcasting licenses from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRC) and commenced operation of a number of terrestrial radio stations. By 2009, over thirty state and privately owned radio stations were in operation in Sri Lanka. The table below lists those currently active.
| Radio Station | Frequency | Primary Language | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| City FM | 92.2MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| CRI SRI LANKA | 102.0MHz | Sinhala, Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... , English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... and Chinese Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages... |
Active |
| FM Derana FM Derana FM Derana is Free-to-Air Sinhala radio channel in Srilanka. Established in March 2009, FM Derana broadcasts 24hrs a day and it covers over 95% of the Island... |
92.4MHz, 94.5MHz, 95.8MHz, 99.2MHz, 102.3 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| FM Frey | 104.0 Mhz Colombo 93.5 Mhz Minuwangoda | Sinhala,English | Testing |
| E FM | 100.4MHz, 93.2MHz, 95.8MHz, 99.2MHz, 102.3 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Everlasting Radio | 97 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Gold FM GoldFM Gold FM is one of the retro stations in Sri Lanka. The station was launched in September 1998. Catering to a mature audience, Gold FM plays music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Gold FM broadcasts live from the 35th Floor of the World Trade Center. The station broadcasts on 99.9 FM in the City... |
99.9MHz, 94.7MHz, 102.7MHz, 104.2MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Hiru FM Hiru FM Hiru FM is the most popular radio station in Sri Lanka., which is a privately owned Sinhala radio station in Sri Lanka by ABC Radio Networks started in 1998. It covers whole island... |
94.7MHz, 95.3MHz, 96.7MHz, 107.0MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Isira FM | 88.0MHz, 89.0Mhz, 93.7MHz, 93.9MHz, 97.2MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Kiss FM KISS 898 KISS 898 is a radio station broadcasting in Sri Lanka on 89.8 MHz FM specialising in hip hop, R&B, and dance music. It is part of the Kiss Network and also available online through http://kiss898.com... |
89.8 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Kirula FM | 93.6 MHz | Sinhala | Testing |
| Lak FM | 92.0 MHz,93.3 MHz, 100.1 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Lakhanda Lakhanda radio Lakhanda , the radio channel came to be inaugurated on 15 November 1996, under the preview of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Eventually the channel was amalgamated to ITN on 1997 April 1 on a government cabinet decision. On 2001 April 7... |
97.6MHz, 87.9MHz, 88.5MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Lakviru FM | 91.6 MHz | Sinhala | Testing |
| Lite FM | 89.2MHz, 98.2MHz, 92.5 MHz, 90 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Max Radio Max Radio Max Radio is a Sri Lankan radio channel which broadcasts in Colombo and Kandy. It was launched on 10 September 2006. It is available on 90.6 FM in Colombo, and on 103.2 FM in Kandy. It is a Sinhala medium radio and operated by MGM Networks Ltd.Naveen... |
90.6MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Neth FM | 93.9 MHz, 95.0 MHz, 100.4 MHz, 105.4 MHz, 105.9 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Ran FM | 91.5 MHz, 95.0 MHz, 101.3 MHz, 102.2 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Rangiri Sri Lanka | 91.7 MHz, 96.7 MHz, 98.1 MHz, 107.2 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Real Radio | 87.8 MHz, 93.9 MHz, 106.7 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Rhythm FM (formerly Asura FM) | 87.6 MHz, 95.6 MHz, 100.7 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Sath FM | 103.6 MHz, 103.0 MHz, 103.6 MHz | Sinhala | testing |
| Seth FM | 101.5 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Shakthi FM Shakthi FM Shakthi FM is a Sri Lankan Tamil language channel available on air. The word "Shakthi" is an ancient rich Tamil word stands for "power", from ancient Hinduism lord shakthi means god of power... |
103.8MHz, 105.1MHz, 91.2MHz, 91.5MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| Shree FM Shree FM Sri FM , commenced its operations in 1992 as FM99 under the company of Colombo Communication LTD as the first privately owned radio station in Sri Lanka One of the key people of the company at that time was a veteran broadcaster named Livi Wijemanne. The ownership of CCL was transferred to VANIK... |
99MHz, 99.3MHz, 93.2MHz, 98.8MHz, 95.8MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - English National Service |
90.9 MHz, 95.6 MHz, 96.4 MHz, 96.4 MHz, 98.4 MHz, 99.6 MHz, 100.2 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - Sinhala National Service (Swadeshiya Sevaya) |
90.3 MHz, 90.3 MHz, 97.0 MHz, 98.3 MHz, 99.6 MHz, 102.0 MHz, 107.6 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - Sinhala Commercial Service (Velanda Sevaya) |
93.3FM, 106.9FM, 92.7FM | Sinhala | Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - Tamil National Service |
94.2 MHz, 98.8 MHz, 101.3 MHz, 102.0 MHz, 102.4 MHz, 103.5 MHz, 104.8 MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - Tamil Commercial Service (Thendral) |
92.2 MHz, 92.8 MHz, 94.2 MHz, 104.5 MHz, 104.8 MHz, 105.6 MHz, 105.6 MHz, 107.9 MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| SLBC Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The 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... - Vidula Children's Service |
102.6 MHz | Sinhala, Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... and English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Sirasa FM Sirasa FM SIRASA FM – the number one in Sri Lankan radio arena. The trend setters of the modern day broadcasting & the benchmark of the all time novelty of the entertainment industry.... |
106.6MHz, 88.8MHz, 106.5MHz, 106.2MHz, 101.7MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Siyatha FM Siyatha FM Siyatha FM is a radio channel based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is owned by Voice of Asiya Ltd., which also runs its sister television channel Siyatha TV. Siyatha FM is available on 98.6 FM in Islandwide 90.9 FM from Colombo.-External links:*... |
90.9MHz, , 98.6MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Sooriyan FM Sooriyan FM Sooriyan FM is a privately owned Tamil radio station in Sri Lanka run by ABC Radio Networks started in 1998. It covers the whole island. The network runs sister stations Hiru FM in Sinhala and GoldFM in English.-Frequencies:... |
103.2MHz, 97.3MHz, 93MHz, 97.9MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| Sun Fm | 98.8MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| TNL Radio | 101.7 MHz, 87.9 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| The Budhhist | 104.5 MHz | Sinhala,English | Active |
| V FM | 100.4 MHz, 104.0 MHz, 107.6 MHz | Sinhala | Active |
| Vasantham FM | 102.4 MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| Vettri FM Vettri FM Vettri FM is a Tamil radio station in Sri Lanka. The channel started broadcasting on 11 February 2008.Vettri FM reached number 1 in Greater Colombo area in the LMRB ratings released in May 2011.... |
99.6 MHz, 101.5 MHz, 106.1 MHz | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Active |
| Y FM | 92.6 MHz, 101.3MHz, 91.2MHz, 99.1MHZ | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
| Yes FM Yes FM Yes FM is an English radio station in Sri Lanka. Yes FM plays principally Contemporary Hit Radio.Yes FM commenced broadcasting on December 10, 1993 at 6.00 am. It is one of the radio channels owned by The Capital Maharaja Organization Ltd, a leading conglomerate in Sri Lanka. The main target... |
88.2 MHz, 88.2 MHz, 89.5 MHz, 101.0 MHz | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
Active |
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Internet
Tamil language radioTamil radio on internet
Tamil radio on internet has become very popular after the Sri Lankan Tamil national radio started broadcasting their services on the Internet. This new trend has attracted millions of Tamil listeners from all over the world, specially listeners from south India and a commercial service called...
programmes are broadcast over the Internet including the youth service "TamilsFlashFm".
Press Freedom
Press freedom is a major concern in Sri Lanka. Both sides in the war make efforts to silence inconvenient reporters. Around 15 reporters received death threats from one faction or the other in 2004 The assassinated reporter Aiyathurai NadesanAiyathurai Nadesan
Aiyathurai Nadesan, a prominent and veteran minority Sri Lankan Tamil journalist was shot dead on May 31, 2004 on his way to work in eastern Sri Lankan town of Batticaloa by gunmen belonging to an armed paramilitary group widely believed to be so called Karuna Group.-Biography:Nadesan, the father...
, correspondent in Batticaloa for several Tamil media stated just prior to his assassination in 2005:
We are caught between a rock and a hard place. It is very difficult for us to check reports either with the security forces or the Tamil Tigers. And when a news item on local events is datelined Colombo, it puts us at risk of reprisals on the ground.
In 2005, the Tamil newspaper Thinakkural
Thinakkural
Thinakkural is a Tamil newspaper published in Sri Lanka. There have reported number of attempts to force the paper to stop its distribution in recent times....
was threatened by Karuna
Karuna
Karuā is generally translated as "compassion" or "pity". It is part of the spiritual path of both Buddhism and Jainism.-Buddhism:...
. Copies of the newspaper were burned in the Eastern provinces. On the other hand, distribution of the Tamil weekly Thinamurasu is blocked by the LTTE because it is close to another armed group, the EPDP.
BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
stopped its broadcast in Sinhalese and Tamil for fear of reprisal against its reporters.
During the Rajapaksa administration, press freedom in Sri Lanka became the "worst in any democratic country", according to the Reporters without borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
index
Index
Index may refer to:-Business:* Index , a defunct UK catalogue retailer formerly owned by the Littlewoods group and known as Littlewoods Index* INDEX, a market research fair in Lucknow, India* Index fund, a collective investment scheme...
, ranking 165th among 173 countries in the index.
On 21 November 2008, a twelve-member group of masked men, forcibly entered the printing press of Sunday Leader, Morning Leader and Irudina Sinhala weekly and set fire damaging printing machines and copies of newspapers printed ready for distribution.
The state jammed transmission of BBC programs which contained content the government disliked.
The main private TV network Sirasa was repeatedly threatened by minister Mervyn Silva
Mervyn Silva
Hewa Koparage Mervyn Silva is a controversial Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and government minister.-Political career:...
, attacked by a petrol bomb on 2.1.2009 and raided by gunmen on 6.1.2009, who set on fire the main control room. This was in response to SLBC
State media
State media or state-owned media is media for mass communication which is ultimately controlled and/or funded by the state. These news outlets may be the sole media outlet or may exist in competition with privately-controlled media.-Overview:...
criticizing Sirasa's coverage of the capture of Kilinochchi.
According to the head of the company, Chevaan Daniel: "It's either that the citizens of Sri Lanka are able to drive around attacking institutions armed with weapons and grenades, or there is a hand behind it."
Lasantha Wikramatunga, the chief editor of the English Weekly Sunday Leader, was assassinated on the Thursday January 8, 2008 by unknown gunmen. The newspaper and its editor as well as the editor of Morning Leader have been harassed and threatened continuously during the preceding three years. All Leader publications are very critical towards the government and exponents of opposition political views. According to Reporters without Borders, the Rajapaksa administration blocks investigations into the murder of journalists.
Defence minister Gotabhaya Rajapaksa threatened to chase Chris Morris, a BBC journalists, out of the country, if he does not act responsibly.
Local reporters in the country continue to be threatened, as was the case with 54-year-old M.I. Rahmathulla, who was beaten in April 2009 for reporting on political corruption in the Batticaloa region of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.
See also
- List of newspapers in Sri Lanka
- List of television networks in Sri Lanka
- List of radio networks in Sri Lanka
- 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...