Mass media of Sri Lanka consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and Web sites. 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.
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.
Independent Television Network Ltd also known as ITN Ltd or simply as ITN is a Sri Lankan state-governed television and radio broadcaster located in Wickramasinghepura, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka. It is a Shrama Abhimani Award winner , broadcasts content to a wide demographic within Sri Lanka as well as the expatriate community. The programmes are broadcast in three languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. The ITN broadcast coverage extends to 99% of the island of Sri Lanka.
Star Movies is an Asian-based pay television channel owned by Disney Entertainment. Star Movies was originally launched in 1994 as a single channel broadcast across Asia, but it was regionalized into different localized channels since then. Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific have since rebranded some of the network's international feeds in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia as Fox Movies, but retains the Star Movies brand in Middle East & South Asia.
Dialog Axiata PLC, is one of Sri Lanka's largest telecommunications service providers, and the country's largest mobile network operator with over 17 million subscribers which amounts to 57% of the Sri Lankan mobile market. Dialog is a subsidiary of Axiata Group Berhad which owns 73.75% controlling stake of the company, while Bharti Airtel owns 10.36%, and the rest is held by the public.
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 and Shaa FM in Sinhala and Gold FM and Sun FM in English.
Animax is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan. The channel would be sold to its current owners on January 1, 2020.
Art Television Broadcasting Co. is a 24-hour analogue terrestrial television channel in Sri Lanka. A privately owned channel that broadcasts English content has its headquarters located in Colombo. Its coverage is viewed on Frequencies UHF – CH28 in Colombo and UHF – CH52 in Kandy. ART Television is owned by the Sri Lankan business conglomerate IWS Holdings (Private) Limited founded by Indulakshin Wickramasinghe Senanayake.
Siyatha TV is a private Sri Lankan 4K Ultra HD channel currently broadcasting in Sri Lanka in the Sinhala language. It is owned by the Voice of Asia Network (Pvt) Ltd, which also runs radio channels named Siyatha FM, Real Radio, Kiss FM and Vettri FM.
TV Derana is a Sri Lankan private entertainment terrestrial television channel broadcasting in Sri Lanka. Launched on 11 October 2005, it is one of the most popular television networks in the country. Its main transmission tower is on the Kikilimana mountain, and coverage is extended nationwide via eight transmission towers.
Tamil Television Network (TTN) is a France-based Tamil language satellite television channel. Its main audience were Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe, Australia and the Middle East. The channel mainly broadcast films, live broadcast of football, crickets matches and news.
British Sri Lankans are an ethnic group referring to British people who can trace their ancestry to Sri Lanka. It can refer to a variety of ethnicities and races, including Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors/Muslims and Burghers.
Tharisanam TV was a Tamil language satellite television channel. Its main audience were Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
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 governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka. The channel commenced transmission on 25 June 2009. This television channel primarily broadcasts content in the Tamil language, catering to the media requirements of the Tamil-speaking community within Sri Lanka.
Tamil television drama or Tamil serials are a genre of Tamil-language television produced in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. All major TV networks in India. produce a variety of Soap opera series including family drama, comedy, romance, history stories, horror, devotional, fantasy stories and many others.
The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation, also known as Jathika Rupavahini or simply as Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka. The term Rupavahini literally means "purveyor of images" in the Sinhala language.
Baskaran Kandiah is a Sri Lankan businessman who is the co-founder and Director of Lebara Group, a European telecoms company with operations in six countries. He is also the Chairman of London Tamil Media, the holding company of IBC Tamil, a popular Tamil TV channel based in London.He is also the owner of ReeCha Organic Farm. He also owns Dick Holdings B.V, registered in Netherlands. He also recently bought Tamilwin, LankaSri, Cineulagam, Manithan, IBC Tamil, LBC Tamil, Viduppu, Canadamirror, JVP News websites and own fair share of Tamil Media empire.
Television in the Tamil language traces its origins back to the 1990s.
