Vernon 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. During his time he presented some of the most popular radio shows in South Asia, including The Maliban Show, Dial-a-Disc, Holiday Choice, Two For the Money, Take It Or Leave It, Saturday Stars, To Each His Own,Kiddies Corner, and Old Folks at Home. He was well known not only in Sri Lanka, but right across the Indian Sub-Continent from the late 1950s to the 1970s – this was in the heyday of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia.
Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the colonial Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) came into existence on 5 January 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 Premadasa and the Director General of the CBC, Neville Jayaweera.The first board of Directors of CBC consisted of Mr. Neville Jayaweera (CCS), Mr.A.L.M.Hashim, Mr.Dharmasiri Kuruppu, Mr. K.A.G. Perera and Mr. Devar Surya Sena. After the first board meeting it was decided unanimously to appoint the chairman, Mr.Jayaweera, as the new Director General.
Radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka dates to 1923. Radio broadcasting, like other forms of media in Sri Lanka, is generally divided along linguistic lines with state and private media operators providing services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English language.
Jimmy Bharucha, was a Sri-Lankan Parsi broadcaster called a 'colossus in Sri Lanka's broadcasting world'. Bharucha died in Colombo in June 2005.
Nihal Bhareti was a popular radio announcer with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo. He joined Radio Ceylon in the 1960s. His mellow voice attracted hundreds of fans in Sri Lanka as well as on the Indian sub-continent.
Karunaratne Abeysekera was one of Sri Lanka's most famous Sinhala broadcasters. He was also a poet and songwriter and was widely admired for his excellent command of Sinhala.
Edward Harper was a British 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.
Bob Harvie was a popular announcer of Radio Ceylon. Harvie's voice was inextricably linked to cricket commentaries from the island of Ceylon. He has led the English cricket commentary team from Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Harvie has been a significant figure where cricket commentaries from Sri Lanka are concerned and he has been on the radio on Ceylon test matches against visiting England teams.
Livy Wijemanne was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon. He was one of Sri Lanka's greatest broadcasters. On 31 October 1948, the Post Master General appointed the young announcer as an Assistant Controller of Programmes. This was a start of his career in management in Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia.
Claude Selveratnam was a popular radio announcer of Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. Selveratnam read the English news bulletins of Radio Ceylon as well as presenting some of the popular radio programs of the day such as - 'Holiday Choice'.
Prosper Fernando was a longstanding announcer with Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. Fernando presented some of Radio Ceylon's most popular radio programs such as Housewives' Choice and Holiday Choice. Thousands tuned into the programs on the island.
Eardley Peiris was a radio announcer with Radio Ceylon who joined the radio station in the late 1950s and enjoyed huge popularity with millions of listeners across South Asia. He presented some of the key radio programs like Holiday Choice, he also read the English news bulletins of Radio Ceylon.
Shirley Perera was a popular announcer of the 1960s and 1970s in Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. Perera presented some of the well known radio programmes of the station including 'You call the Tune.'
Pearl Ondaatje was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. She was one of the radio station's first female newsreaders and a presenter of radio programs, including programs for women listeners of the radio station.
B. H. Abdul Hameed is a Sri Lankan Tamil radio broadcaster, master of ceremonies, television host and film actor. He is known for his broadcasting career on Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. Hameed has hosted many Tamil cultural events around the world.
Elmo Fernando was a popular announcer with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation. Fernando was an excellent reader of the news. He joined Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia at a time when it was known as the 'King of the Airwaves' in the 1950s and 1960s. Millions tuned into the station from across the Indian sub-continent. When he was at Radio Ceylon he was mentored by the veteran broadcaster Vernon Corea.
Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka's most well known media personalities. Corea is a household name in Sri Lanka, synonymous with broadcasting and show business for over four decades, and has often been referred to as Sri Lanka's No. 1 Compere.
Samaraweera Mudalige Don Premakeerthi de Alwis, commonly known as Premakeerthi de Alwis, was a Sri Lankan radio and television broadcaster and lyricist. He was assassinated during the 1987–89 JVP Insurrection.
Mervyn Jayasuriya was a veteran announcer with Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. Jayasuriya presented some of the most popular radio programmes over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon, such as "Roving Mike" and "Sports Newsreel". Millions tuned into the programmess, right aceoss South Asia.