As a pioneer and precursor in the field of media in Sri Lankan culture, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has been in the public service for nearly a century. Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia to launch a radio service. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation was officially established on December 16, 1975.
The service rendered to the Sri Lankan nation through education, knowledge, nourishment and entertainment for over 95 years is immense. The National Radio, the home of radio, has made an invaluable contribution to the development of the music industry in Sri Lanka. The National Radio is the beginning of the good song culture that is being heard today. The radio is the contribution source of many musicians in this country. From the first broadcast of HMV discs on HMV records on November 12,1926, the radio has been instrumental in producing renowned singers, artistes, lyricists and musicians. The radio theatre, which was set up in the 1950s, was able to give a fresh approach to the drama of the country.
The National Radio, which was once an art gallery, was a university that nurtured the listener’s knowledge through education. On March 8,1928 the launch of educational programs and the launch of the school radio service in March 1931 were significant milestones in the advent of radio. The Radio is a haven for scholars and intellectuals in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the first radio sermon on April 21,1928 was delivered by the Ven. Pelenne Vajiragnana thera. From its inception; the contribution made by radio to Sri Lankan identity, indigenousness as well as inter-ethnic unity has been immense.
Abolition of monopoly
The monopoly of the radio for seven decades was abolished with the advent of private radio stations in the 1990s, and radio had to face challenges. The radio had to face pressure due to the popularity of private radio channels and the promotion of their promotional programs. It is no secret that these promotions helped to attract a large number of subscribers to their channels. They also helped to capture a large share of the market. It can be concluded that they have been able to maintain a high level in their earnings. However, the radio has a history of being a people’s radio station which has been working closely with the people in association with community radio through the Rural Development Unit. It is also observed that although the private radio stations are run with very limited resources and employees, they are operating competitively. But in comparison, the National Broadcasting Corporation is at a very high level due to the structural processes that have established it in its 95 year journey.
‘The Sinhala Swadeshi Service’ (Sinhala National Service) island wide, ‘Tamil Swadeshi Service’ (Tamil National Service) island wide, Radio Sri Lanka English Radio Service, Commercial Service, City FM and Tendral FM are there with six national level radio channels namely Rajarata Service, Ruhuna Service, Upcountry Service, Radio. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation owns eight regional level radio channels such as Dambana, Yal FM, Uva Service, Pirai FM and Wayamba Voice. The radio covers the entire island through its broadcasting stations in Colombo, Yatiyantota, Hunnasgiriya, Karagahathenna, Radella, Haputale and Deniyaya. This whole operational process requires a skilled staff.
Public Broadcasting Services around the world are funded by the Government or licenced by the public. But the National Radio has lost that licence revenue. Sales revenue has also declined due to competition.
At present, the radio station is maintained by a collection of funds provided by the General Treasury and the advertising revenue of the radio. Even so, radio is still a public service. It has a greater public responsibility than other channels. Therefore, the National Radio is not able to socialise crossroads for the purpose of making a profit. The radio must have relative financial strength to deliver effective programs to the people. Therefore, the need for a balanced financial support has become paramount in maintaining public service radio beyond 2020. We look forward to the support of all parties in this purpose.
Covid - 19 and SLBC
National Radio did a great service to the nation at a time when the country was unexpectedly faced with the epidemic of Covid-19. With the advancement of communication technology, at a time when other countries were frequently covered by the international media, the National Radio also used its energy and capacity to solve the problems of the people through all radio stations.
A program called ‘Radio Teacher’ was launched to revive the declining education of children trapped at home. Over the past 10 months, the SLBC has spent more than 1,500 hours on this program..
At a time when rumours were circulating in some media, it was the National Radio Station which became the credible source of public opinion eradicating all rumors.
It is true that the National Radio has the responsibility of being the most reliable news provider to the people then and now. The world-renowned BBC, NHK, as well as the National Radio station, are realising that it is time to move towards a pre-existing licensing system. In addition to advertising revenue, the time has come to move towards other sources of revenue to take radio beyond 2020, not just advertising to generate revenue. A number of activities have been planned in order to achieve them.
The radio listener, the television viewer, and the newspaper reader associate with the media only if they have the knowledge, information, and context in it. The more common those contexts are the more the receiver associates a centre. In the modern field of commercialised media, many electronic media work in a way that satisfies the needs of the customer. But the radio cannot go to such high speed competition because of the responsibility of the National Radio public relations.
The National Radio operates with the responsibility of safeguarding the welfare, the well-being of the people as well as the values of the Nation. Radio plays a key role in public communication, educating the public about the Government’s development programs, providing a clear understanding of the Government’s objectives and goals and taking the lead in the public interest.
– Chandrapala Liyange Director General Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation