Television in Sri Lanka

Main article: Media of Sri Lanka

Television in Sri Lanka dates back to 1979. Television broadcasting, like other forms of media in the country, is generally divided along linguistic lines with state and private media operators providing services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English language.

History

Sri Lanka didn't have any television until 1979. Businessmen Anil Wijewardena and Shan Wickremasinghe established the country's first TV station Independent Television Network which started broadcasting on 15 April 1979.[1] The new station remained independent for less than two months as the government took control of it on 5 June 1979 following a dispute with President J. R. Jayewardene.[1] Sri Lanka's second state-owned TV station - Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) - was established by the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act No. 6 of 1982.[2] SLRC started broadcasting on 15 February 1982.[1] The Act required the SLRC maintain taste and decency and not to incite crime and disorder or cause religious or public offence.

The government maintained a monopoly on television broadcasting until 1992 when private TV stations were allowed to broadcast but they were to be regulated by the SLRC.[1] Maharaja Television (MTV), a joint venture between Capital Maharaja and Singapore Telecommunications Limited, was one of the first private TV stations. Since then many new TV stations have come started in Sri Lanka. There are also a number of satellite networks and pay per view television networks in Sri Lanka. The national telecommunications provider Sri Lanka Telecom also launched an IPTV service in 2008.

Television providers

Current

The following is a list of current television providers based in Sri Lanka.

Provider Ownership Owner Transmission Established Website
Ask Cable Vision[lower-alpha 1] Private Ask Media & Cable Vision Digital cable 2010 askmedianetwork.lk
City Cable[lower-alpha 2] Private City Cable Links Cable
Dialog TV[lower-alpha 3] Private Dialog Axiata Digital satellite July 2005 dialog.lk/television
Dish TV[lower-alpha 4] Private Dish TV Digital satellite March 2015 dishtv.lk
Lanka Broadband Networks[lower-alpha 5] Private Lanka Broadband Networks Analog cable, digital cable 2000 lbn.lk
PEO TV State-owned[lower-alpha 6] SLT Visioncom[lower-alpha 7] IPTV September 2008 peotv.com
Satcom[lower-alpha 8] Private Future Sat Com Holdings Satellite

Former

The following is a list of former television providers which were based in Sri Lanka.

Provider Ownership Owner Transmission Established Closed
Multivision[lower-alpha 9] Private Ruhunu 2001 Multivision Analog microwave 1999 2008
TV Lanka Private Digital terrestrial 2012 2013

Television stations

Current

The following is a list of current television stations based in Sri Lanka.

Station Ownership Owner Language Established Terrestrial Satellite Cable IPTV
 Streaming Website
Analogue
[lower-alpha 10]		 Digital Dialog
TV
[3][4]		 Dish
TV
[5]		 LBN
[6]		 PEO
TV
[7]
Ada Derana 24X7 Private Power House English/Sinhala 20 July 2014 No No 13 No No No Link adaderana.lk
ART Television[lower-alpha 11] Private IWS Holdings English 1996 Yes No No No Yes 017 No arttv.lk
Channel C Private Wide Angle ProductionsSinhala 10 March 2008 No No 45 No No No No channelc.lk
Channel Eye[lower-alpha 12] State-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation English April 1999 Yes No 02 2572 Yes 002 Link channeleye.lk
Citi Hitz Private OnAir World Ceylon Sinhala 10 December 2007 No No Yes No No No No
Colombo TV Private Colombo Television Limited Sinhala 1 January 2015 No No No No No No Link colombotv.lk
CSN Private Carlton Sports Network English/Sinhala 7 March 2011 Yes No 12 2552 Yes 009 Link csntv.lk
Dream TV[lower-alpha 13] Private GalleZone Solutions Sinhala 2010 No No No No No 015 No dreamtv.lk
ETV[lower-alpha 14] Private EAP Broadcasting Company English 1995 Yes No No No Yes 005 No
Heritage TV[lower-alpha 15] Private Heritage Television Sinhala 8 May 2009 No No 28 No No No No heritagetelevision.lk
Hiru TV Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 23 May 2012 Yes No 10 2507 No 019 Link hirutv.lk
ITN Channel State-owned Independent Television Network Sinhala 13 April 1979 Yes No 03 2517 Yes 003 Link itn.lk
Knowledge TV Private Pix & Words Sinhala 2010 No No No No No 018 No
Nethra TV State-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Tamil 1 January 2008 Yes No 02 2572 No No Link nethratv.lk
Rangiri TV Non-profit Rangiri Sri Lanka Media Network Sinhala July 2011 No No Yes No No 022 No
Raw TV Private Raw Television Sinhala 26 October 2015 No No No No No No Link rawtv.lk
Ridee TV Private Tiss Nagodavithana Films Sinhala 2012 No No 14 No No No No
Rupavahini State-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Sinhala 15 February 1982 Yes No 01 2506 Yes 001 No rupavahini.lk
Sarana TV Non-profit Sarana Media Network Sinhala 2014 No No No No No 094 No
Shakthi TV Private MTV Channel Tamil 20 October 1998 Yes No 08 2609 No 011 No shakthitv.lk
Shraddha TV Non-profit Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Sinhala 29 September 2012 Yes No 19 No No 099 Link shraddha.lk
Sindu TV Private Iraj Productions English/Sinhala 2015 No No No No No No No sindutv.com
Sirasa TV[lower-alpha 16] Private MTV Channel Sinhala 14 December 1992 Yes No 07 2513 No 010 Link sirasatv.lk
Siyatha TV Private Voice of Asia Network Sinhala 17 September 2009 Yes No Yes 2512 No 021 Link siyathatv.lk
Siyasa TV Private Siyasa Media Network Sinhala 28 January 2014 No No No No No 095 Link siyasa.tv
Sri TV Private Sri TV Sinhala 2006 No No No No No 110 Link sritv.lk
Swarga TV Non-profit Rock Foundation English/Sinhala/Tamil 2011 No No 30 No Yes No No swargatv.com
Swarnavahini[lower-alpha 17] Private EAP Broadcasting Company Sinhala 1994 Yes No 06 2516 Yes 006 Link swarnavahini.lk
The Buddhist[lower-alpha 18] Non-profit Sri Sambodhi Foundation Sinhala 29 June 2007 No No 18 2592 No 096 No thebuddhist.tv
TNL TV Private Telshan Networks English/Sinhala 21 June 1993 Yes No 11 2511 Yes 013 Link tnltv.lk
TV 1[lower-alpha 19] Private MTV Channel English/Sinhala 14 December 1992 Yes No 09 2553 No 012 Link tv1.lk
TV Derana[lower-alpha 20] Private Power House Sinhala 11 October 2005 Yes No 05 2514 Yes 004 Link derana.lk
Varnam TV[lower-alpha 21] Private Voice of Asia Network Tamil 17 September 2009 Yes No Yes 2618 Yes 008 No
Vasantham TV State-owned Independent Television Network Tamil 25 June 2009 Yes No 04 2614 Yes 007 Link vasantham.lk
Verbum TV[lower-alpha 22] Non-profit Verbum Television English/Sinhala/Tamil 2014 No No Yes 2591 No 093 No
You TV[lower-alpha 23] Private MGM Networks English/Sinhala/Tamil 17 January 2007 Yes No No No No No No

Former

The following is a list of former television stations which were based in Sri Lanka.

Station Ownership Owner Language Established Closed Notes
DAN Tamil Oli Private Ask Media and Cable Vision Network Tamil January 2009 2013 Now shown only on cable and satellite.
NTV State-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation English 18 November 2009 2010
Prime TV State-owned Independent Television Network English 12 November 2009 2010
TV 2 Private Peoples Media Network English 1 November 2008 2009
TV Lanka Private Electroteks Global Networks Sinhala March 2002 2010 Now shown only on cable, satellite and limited digital transmission.

Notes

  1. ↑ Available in Jaffna peninsula only.
  2. ↑ Available in Colombo only.
  3. ↑ Formerly CBNsat.
  4. ↑ Formerly Star TV Lanka, Satnet
  5. ↑ Available in Colombo and Jaffna only.
  6. ↑ The Government of Sri Lanka owns the majority of shares in Sri Lanka Telecom, the ultimate parent company of PEO TV, either directly or via organisations controlled by it (e.g. Bank of Ceylon, Employees' Provident Fund, National Savings Bank and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation).
  7. ↑ Subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom.
  8. ↑ Formerly Srilakvahini.
  9. ↑ Formerly Comet Cable.
  10. ↑ Channels 21-69 on UHF, channels 2-12 on VHF.
  11. ↑ Formerly Dynavision.
  12. ↑ Formerly Rupavahini 2.
  13. ↑ Also known as TV Dream Music.
  14. ↑ Formerly ETV 2.
  15. ↑ Also known as HTV.
  16. ↑ Formerly MTV.
  17. ↑ Formerly ETV, ETV 1.
  18. ↑ Also known as Buddhist TV.
  19. ↑ Formerly MTV Newsvision, MTV, Channel One MTV, MTV Sports, MTV.
  20. ↑ Formerly Derana TV.
  21. ↑ Formerly Vettri TV.
  22. ↑ Also known as EWTN.
  23. ↑ Formerly Max TV.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Indrajit Banerjee, Stephen Logan, ed. (2008). Asian Communication Handbook 2008. Singapore: Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. pp. 446–459. ISBN 9789814136105.
  2. ↑ "SRI LANKA RUPAVAHINI CORPORATION". LawNet.
  3. ↑ "Channels". Dialog TV.
  4. ↑ "List of Channels on Dialog TV". TV Channels List.
  5. ↑ "Packs: Ntertainment". Dish TV Sri Lanka.
  6. ↑ "List of Channels". Lanka Broadband Networks. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Channel Lineup". PEO TV.

External links

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