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Television in Sri Lanka

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

History

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Preliminary work was underway in the first half of the 1970s.[1] Businessmen Anil Wijewardena and Shan Wickremasinghe established the country's first TV station, Independent Television Network, which started broadcasting on 15 April 1979.[2] 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.[2] 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[3] and started broadcasting on 15 February 1982.[2] The Act required the SLRC to maintain taste and decency and not 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 under regulation by the SLRC.[2] Maharaja Television, 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, including satellite networks and pay-per-view networks. The national telecommunications provider Sri Lanka Telecom also launched an IPTV service in 2008.

During the 1990s and 2000s, multiple broadcasting networks entered the public frequencies. A privately owned company, Swarnawahini, launched in 1997 and still functions under the same brand name. Another major television channel, Derana, launched in 2005 and now has multiple broadcasting platforms, including radio, printed media, and a fully dedicated news channel called adaderana24X7.

Indian productions have been a constant on local television since the beginning, but around 2007, the predominantly Buddhist government taxed Indian series under the assertion that they conveyed foreign values, those of the Hindus.

Advertisers began to create separate commercials for Sinhala and Tamil audiences with their differing cultural norms. Two versions, one for each demographic, were filmed in the same complex and shot in adjacent studios.[4]

Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, television has increased in use for distance education. A table has been created for children to find free study channels in Sri Lanka if they are unable to attend school.

The analogue spectrum was full in November 2025, with no less than 24 channels. The government decided to suspend issuing licenses to new analogue channels and announced the shutdown of analogue signals by 2029. Sri Lanka will employ the ISDB-T standard.[5]

Television providers

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Current

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

Provider Ownership Owner Transmission Established
Ask Cable Vision[a]PrivateAsk Media & Cable VisionAnalog cable2010
City Cable[b]PrivateCity Cable LinksAnalog cable, digital cable
Dialog TV[c]PrivateDialog AxiataDigital satelliteJuly 2005
Star TV Lanka SatnetPrivateStar TV LankaDigital satellite1945
Lanka Broadband Networks[d]PrivateLanka Broadband NetworksAnalog cable, digital cable2000
PEO TVState-owned[e]SLTMobitelIPTVSeptember 2008
Satcom[f]PrivateFuture Sat Com HoldingsSatellite
TV LankaPrivateDigital terrestrial2012

Former

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

Provider Ownership Owner Transmission Established Closed
Multivision[g]PrivateRuhunu 2001 MultivisionAnalog microwave19992008
Franknet[h]PrivateT.GuhanCable TV19951998

Television stations

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Current

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

Station Ownership Owner Language Established Terrestrial Satellite Cable IPTV
 Streaming
Analogue
[i]		 Digital Dialog
TV
[6][7]		 Dish
TV
[8]		 Freesat ASK Cable Vision (Pvt) Ltd LBN
[9]		 PEO
TV
[10]
Haritha TVNon-profitHaritha NetworkSinhala31 March 2021NoNo14No No9Yes
A Plus Kids TVPrivateRu Sala Media Networks Pvt LtdSinhala3 July 2017NoNo48No NoNoNo
Ada Derana News Channel [j]PrivateDerana Macro Entertainment under Dilith JayaweeraSinhala/English20 July 2014YesNo142508 No14No
ART Television[k]PrivateIWS HoldingsEnglish1996YesNo13No Yes017No
Channel CPrivateWide Angle ProductionsSinhala10 March 2008NoNo45No NoNoNo
Channel Eye[l]State-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationEnglishApril 1999No032572Yes 002Yes
Channel OnePrivateDialog TVSinhala / English6 June 2019NoNo1No NoNoNo
Citi HitzPrivateOnAir World CeylonSinhala10 December 2007NoNo019No NoNoNo
Colombo TVPrivateColombo Television LimitedSinhala1 January 2015NoNoNoNo No111Yes
Dan TVPrivateASK Media (Pvt) LtdTamil1 January 1999
Dharmavahini TVPrivateDharmavahini FoundationSinhala20 May 2007NoNoNoNo YesNoYes
Dream TV[m]PrivateGalleZone SolutionsSinhala2010NoNoNo2511 No015No
ETV[n]PrivateLyca ProductionsEnglish1995YesNoNoNo Yes119No
Heritage TV[o]PrivateHeritage TelevisionSinhala8 May 2009NoNoNoNo NoNoNo
Hiru TVPrivateAsia Broadcasting CorporationSinhala23 May 2012YesNo112507 Yes019Yes
ITN ChannelState-ownedIndependent Television NetworkSinhala13 April 1979YesNo042517 Yes003Yes
iTVPrivatePower Hands Media NetworkSinhala21 July 2025NoNo25125
Knowledge TVPrivatePix & WordsSinhala2010NoNoNoNo No018No
Nethra TVState-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationTamil1 January 2008YesNoNoNo No016Yes
Rangiri TVNon-profitRangiri Sri Lanka Media NetworkSinhalaJuly 2011YesNo212532 No022Yes
Raw TVPrivateRaw TelevisionSinhala26 October 2015NoNoNoNo NoNoYes
Ridee TVPrivateTiss Nagodavithana FilmsSinhala2012NoNo18No NoNoNo
RupavahiniState-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationSinhala15 February 1982YesNo0022506 Yes001No
Jaya TV Sri LankaPrivateJayamaga Media NetworkSinhala4 February 202025  94
TV SupremePrivateSupreme Global HoldingsSinhala19 December 2019YesNo20No No16Yes
Sarana TVNon-profitSarana Media NetworkSinhala2014NoNoNoNo No094No
Shakthi TVPrivateMTV ChannelTamil20 October 1998YesNo092609 Yes011No
Shraddha TVNon-profitMahamevnawa Buddhist MonasterySinhala29 September 2012YesNoYes2531 27 No099Yes
Sindu TVPrivateIraj ProductionsEnglish/Sinhala2015NoNoNoNo YesNoNo
Sirasa TV[p]PrivateMTV ChannelSinhala10 June 1998YesNo082513 Yes010Yes
Siyatha TVPrivateVoice of Asia NetworkSinhala17 September 2009YesNo152512 Yes008(SD)
300(HD)		Yes
Siyasa TVPrivateSiyasa Media NetworkSinhala28 January 2014NoNoNoNo No095No
Sri TVPrivateSri TVSinhala2006NoNoNoNo YesNoYes
Star TamilPrivateVoice of Asia NetworkTamil17 September 2009YesNoNo2618 Yes021No
Swarga TVNon-profitRock FoundationEnglish/Sinhala/Tamil2011NoNo30No YesNoNo
Swarnavahini[q]PrivateLyca ProductionsSinhala1997YesNo072516 Yes006Yes
Talent TVPrivateCapital Corp.Sinhala17 July 2025Yes
The Buddhist[r]Non-profitSri Sambodhi FoundationSinhala29 June 2007NoNo0262592 No096No
TNL TVPrivateTelshan NetworksEnglish/Sinhala21 June 1993YesNo122526 Yes013Yes
TV 1[s]PrivateMTV ChannelEnglish/Sinhala14 December 1992YesNo102553 Yes012Yes
Derana TVPrivateDerana Macro Entertainment under Dilith JayaweeraSinhala11 October 2005YesNo062514 Yes004Yes
TV DidulaNon-profitSanhinda Media NetworkSinhala20 February 2016NoNo172509 Yes117No
UTV Tamil[t]PrivateSATIS Agency (Pvt) LtdTamil23 March 2017YesNo23No No127No
Vasantham TVState-ownedIndependent Television NetworkTamil25 June 2009YesNo0052614 Yes007Yes
Verbum TVNon-profitVerbum TelevisionEnglish/Sinhala/Tamil2014NoNo031No No093Yes
CeyFLiXPrivateAusflix PTY LTDSinhala/English/Tamil/Hindi2019NoYesNoNo NoNoYes
Lankan LinkPrivateCodeNinja PTY LTDSinhala/English/Tamil2015NoNoNoNo NoNoYes

Former

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

Ownership Closed Station Language Established
Private 2013 DAN Tamil OliTamilJanuary 2009
State-owned 2010 Prime TVEnglish12 November 2009
Private 2009 TV 2English1 November 2008

Notes

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  1. ↑ Available in Jaffna Peninsula only.
  2. ↑ Available in Colombo only.
  3. ↑ Formerly CBNsat.
  4. ↑ Available in Colombo and Jaffna only.
  5. ↑ 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).
  6. ↑ Formerly Srilakvahini.
  7. ↑ Formerly Comet Cable.
  8. ↑ Formerly Hatton Cable, Special in Up-country and Wellawatte area. Channels of Sun TV Network, Doordarshan from S-C Band Satellite.
  9. ↑ Channels 21-69 on UHF, channels 2-12 on VHF.
  10. ↑ Formerly Ada Derana 24
  11. ↑ Formerly Dynavision.
  12. ↑ Formerly Rupavahini 2 Sinhalese and Tamil and English Television Channel.
  13. ↑ Also known as TV Dream Music.
  14. ↑ Formerly ETV 2.
  15. ↑ Also known as HTV.
  16. ↑ Formerly MTV (Sri Lankan Sinhala And English, Tamil TV channel)
  17. ↑ Formerly ETV, ETV 1 Sinhalese And Tamil,English Entertainment Television
  18. ↑ Also known as Buddhist TV.
  19. ↑ Formerly MTV Newsvision, MTV, Channel One MTV, MTV Sports, MTV.
  20. ↑ Formerly Udhayam TV.

References

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  1. ↑ "World Communications" (PDF). UNESCO. 1975. p. 342. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. 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.
  3. ↑ "SRI LANKA RUPAVAHINI CORPORATION". LawNet.
  4. ↑ Toutes les télés du monde, Sri Lanka, ARTE France and Point du Jour, 2007
  5. ↑ "Sri Lanka suspends issuance of analogue TV channel licences". newswire.lk.
  6. ↑ "Channels". Dialog TV. Archived from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  7. ↑ "List of Channels on Dialog TV". TV Channels List. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  8. ↑ "Packs: Ntertainment". Dish TV (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  9. ↑ "LBN Packages". Lanka Broadband Networks. Archived from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  10. ↑ "Channel Lineup". PEO TV. Archived from the original on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
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