Television in 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 languages.

Life in Sri Lanka

History

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 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]PrivateAsk Media & Cable VisionDigital cable2010askmedianetwork.lk
City Cable[lower-alpha 2]PrivateCity Cable LinksCable
Dialog TV[lower-alpha 3]PrivateDialog AxiataDigital satelliteJuly 2005dialog.lk/tv
Dish TV[lower-alpha 4]PrivateDish TVDigital satelliteMarch 2015dishtv.lk
Lanka Broadband Networks[lower-alpha 5]PrivateLanka Broadband NetworksAnalog cable, digital cable2000lbn.lk
PEO TVState-owned[lower-alpha 6]SLT Visioncom[lower-alpha 7]IPTVSeptember 2008peotv.com
Satcom[lower-alpha 8]PrivateFuture Sat Com HoldingsSatellite
TV LankaPrivateDigital terrestrial2012

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]PrivateRuhunu 2001 MultivisionAnalog microwave19992008

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 24X7PrivatePower HouseSinhala/English20 July 201414250814adaderana.lk
ART Television[lower-alpha 11]PrivateIWS HoldingsEnglish199613017arttv.lk
Channel CPrivateWide Angle ProductionsSinhala10 March 200845channelc.lk
Channel Eye[lower-alpha 12]State-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationEnglishApril 1999032572002Linkchanneleye.lk
Citi HitzPrivateOnAir World CeylonSinhala10 December 2007019
Colombo TVPrivateColombo Television LimitedSinhala1 January 2015111Linkcolombotv.lk
Dharmavahini TVPrivateDharmavahini FoundationSinhala20 May 2007Linkdharmavahini.tv
Dream TV[lower-alpha 13]PrivateGalleZone SolutionsSinhala20102511015dreamtv.lk
ETV[lower-alpha 14]PrivateEAP Broadcasting CompanyEnglish1995009
Heritage TV[lower-alpha 15]PrivateHeritage TelevisionSinhala8 May 2009heritagetelevision.lk
Hiru TVPrivateAsia Broadcasting CorporationSinhala23 May 2012112507019Linkhirutv.lk
ITN ChannelState-ownedIndependent Television NetworkSinhala13 April 1979042517003Linkitn.lk
Knowledge TVPrivatePix & WordsSinhala2010018
Nethra TVState-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationTamil1 January 2008016Linknethratv.lk
Rangiri TVNon-profitRangiri Sri Lanka Media NetworkSinhalaJuly 2011212532022
Raw TVPrivateRaw TelevisionSinhala26 October 2015Linkraw.lk
Ridee TVPrivateTiss Nagodavithana FilmsSinhala201218
RupavahiniState-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationSinhala15 February 19820022506001rupavahini.lk
Sarana TVNon-profitSarana Media NetworkSinhala2014094
Shakthi TVPrivateMTV ChannelTamil20 October 1998092609011shakthitv.lk
Shraddha TVNon-profitMahamevnawa Buddhist MonasterySinhala29 September 2012272531099Linkshraddha.lk
Sindu TVPrivateIraj ProductionsEnglish/Sinhala2015sindutv.com
Sirasa TV[lower-alpha 16]PrivateMTV ChannelSinhala14 December 1998082513010Linksirasatv.lk
Siyatha TVPrivateVoice of Asia NetworkSinhala17 September 2009152512008(SD)
145(HD)		Linksiyatha.com
Siyasa TVPrivateSiyasa Media NetworkSinhala28 January 2014095siyasa.tv
Sri TVPrivateSri TVSinhala2006Linksritv.lk
Star Tamil [lower-alpha 17]PrivateVoice of Asia NetworkTamil17 September 20092618021
Swarga TVNon-profitRock FoundationEnglish/Sinhala/Tamil201130swargatv.com
Swarnavahini[lower-alpha 18]PrivateEAP Broadcasting CompanySinhala1997072516006Linkswarnavahini.lk
The Buddhist[lower-alpha 19]Non-profitSri Sambodhi FoundationSinhala29 June 20070262592096thebuddhist.tv
TNL TVPrivateTelshan NetworksEnglish/Sinhala21 June 1993122526013Linktnltvisira.com
TV 1[lower-alpha 20]PrivateMTV ChannelEnglish/Sinhala14 December 1992102553012Linktv1.lk
TV Derana[lower-alpha 21]PrivatePower HouseSinhala11 October 2005062514004Linkderana.lk
TV Didula[lower-alpha 22]Non-profitSanhinda Media NetworkSinhala20 February 2016172509117tvdidula.lk
UTV Tamil[lower-alpha 23]PrivateSATIS Agency (Pvt) LtdTamil23 March 201723127utv.lk
Vasantham TVState-ownedIndependent Television NetworkTamil25 June 20090052614007Linkvasantham.lk
Verbum TV[lower-alpha 24]Non-profitVerbum TelevisionEnglish/Sinhala/Tamil20140312591093Linkverbumtv.com N TV Template:Private testing from June21st

Former

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

Station Ownership Owner Language Established Closed Notes
CSN TV[lower-alpha 25]PrivateCarlton Sports NetworkEnglish/Sinhala7 March 20112016License suspended[8]
DAN Tamil OliPrivateAsk Media and Cable Vision NetworkTamilJanuary 20092013Now shown only on cable and satellite.
NTVState-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationEnglish18 November 20092015
Prime TVState-ownedIndependent Television NetworkEnglish12 November 20092010
TV 2PrivatePeoples Media NetworkEnglish1 November 20082009
You TV[lower-alpha 26]PrivateMGM NetworksEnglish/Sinhala/Tamil17 January 2007

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 Varnam tv Vettri TV.
  18. Formerly ETV, ETV 1.
  19. Also known as Buddhist TV.
  20. Formerly MTV Newsvision, MTV, Channel One MTV, MTV Sports, MTV.
  21. Formerly Derana TV.
  22. Formerly TV Didula.
  23. Formerly Udhayam TV.
  24. Also known as EWTN.
  25. Formerly Carlton Sports Network
  26. Formerly Max TV.

References
  • Alan G. Davies (21 February 2010). "Television Stations in Sri Lanka".
  • "UHF Television Channel Assignments" (PDF). Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. 20 July 2012.
  • "Licensed Media Operators in Sri Lanka" (PDF). Ministry of Mass Media. 2015.
  • "Viewership share of TV Channels from 2006-2012". Survey Research Lanka. 2012.
  1. 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. "LBN Packages". Lanka Broadband Networks.
  7. "Channel Lineup". PEO TV.
  8. "Media Ministry suspends CSN license".
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