Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription, other ongoing cost, or one-off fee. In the traditional sense, this is carried on terrestrial radio signals and received with an antenna.
Radio Ceylon is a radio station based in Sri Lanka and the first radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis by the colonial Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.
ETV is an English language television channel in Sri Lanka owned by EAP Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of EAP Holdings. Launched in 1995 as ETV 2, it was a sister channel of ETV 1. The channel's owner Extra Terrestrial Vision (Private) Limited, who had been incorporated on 6 July 1992, changed its name to EAP Network (Private) Limited on 30 April 1996 following the acquisition by EAP. At that time ETV 2 was re-broadcasting Star TV. ETV 1 was re-launched as Swarnavahini, a mass market Sinhala language channel, on 16 March 1997. ETV 2 was re-launched as ETV on 1 May 1998. EAP Network (Private) Limited changed its name to EAP Broadcasting Company (Private) Limited on 16 May 2012, EAP Network (Private) Limited on 31 October 2012, EAP Network Limited on 28 August 2013 and EAP Broadcasting Company Limited on 11 September 2013. In 2019, EAP Broadcasting Company parent company EAP Holdings was acquired by local company Ben Holdings (Pvt) Limited and Singapore based company Blue Summit.
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.
The 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.
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.
Thiruvananthapuram has long been a center of media. Kerala Chandrika, the first newspaper of the state, was published from Thiruvananthapuram in 1789. The media also enjoyed the patronage of the Travancore kings. In 1836, Swathi Thirunal, the Travancore king, organized a government press in the city. The first Superintendent of the Press was the Rev. Sperschneider. The press was under Samathanam Maistry, one of the first batch of workmen trained in the Nagercoil Press.
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 FMis a radio channel based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is owned by Voice of Asia (Private) Ltd., which also runs its sister television channel Siyatha TV. Siyatha FM is available on 98.2 MHz, 98.4 MHz Islandwide in Sri Lanka.
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.
The Buddhist is the first Buddhist television channel for Sri Lanka. The Buddhist channel studios are located at Sri Sambodhi Vihara (Temple) that is situated in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is available on the Sri Lankan Direct to Home satellite television services Dialog TV and Dish TV. The service also operates on PEO TV and cable TV. The aim of the channel is to telecast valuable religious and cultural programming in the three main languages of Sri Lanka, English, Sinhala and Tamil. The founder and the Chairman of the Buddhist TV is the most Ven. Daranagama Kusaladhamma Thero. On 29 June 2007, the channel was officially launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and head priest of the Asgiriya chapter in Sri Lanka.
Japan–Sri Lanka relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Sri Lanka and Japan.
Lakhanda is a Sri Lankan radio station. It was started on 15 November 1996, under the ownership of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Eventually the channel was amalgamated to ITN on 1997 April 1 on a government cabinet decision. The programmes were transmitted on 88.5 F.M. 87.9 F.M. and 97.6 F.M. from transmitting points at Yatiyanthota, Karagahatenna, Bandarawela, Deniyaya and Colombo. Lakhanda is was renamed as ITN FM by its main government body Independent Television Network Ltd (ITN)
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.
Prime Radio is an FM radio station which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. The radio station is operated by Independent Television Network Limited, a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka.
TNL TV is an English and Sinhala-language television station in Sri Lanka, owned by Telshan Network. Launched in 1993, TNL TV was one of Sri Lanka's first privately owned television channels. Shan Wickremesinghe, the chairman of Telshan Network, is the brother of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
TV 1 is a Sri Lankan general entertainment television channel which provides English and Sinhalese content aimed at the youth market. Founded in 1992 as MTV Newsvision, it was one of Sri Lanka's first privately owned television channels. Its sister channel MTV was renamed Sirasa TV in June 1998 and MTV Newsvision was renamed MTV. MTV was later re-branded Channel One MTV. On 26 January 2012 the channel was re-launched as MTV Sports. MTV Sports was re-branded MTV in July 2015. The channel was renamed TV 1 on the 21 January 2016.
Deshabandu Shanthilal Nilkantha Wickremesinghe, popularly as Shan Wickremesinghe, is a Sri Lankan media mogul, broadcaster, and a Broadcast Engineer. He is the founder of Sri Lanka's first television station, ITN, and currently the chairman of TNL television and radio network. He is the older brother of President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation, also known as Jathika Rupavahini or simply as Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka.
