Independent Television Network
Encyclopedia
Independent Television Network Limited (also known as ITN Ltd) is a Sri Lankan state governed television and radio broadcaster located in Wickramasinhapura, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
. ITN, a Shrama Abhimani Award winner (Oct 2009)
, 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. The current chairman of ITN Ltd is Mr. Rosmund Senaratne.
The ITN channel
is the flagship television channel of ITN Ltd. ITN further operates three FM radio stations; Lakhanda, the Sinhala language service; Vasantham FM (or Wasanthan FM), the Tamil language
service and Prime Radio, the English language
service. Vasantham TV (or Wasanthan TV), a second television channel operated by ITN Ltd, broadcasts content in the Tamil language. Prime TV is a television channel which boradcasts content in English, also operated by ITN Ltd. ITN recently launched a website ITN News, which is an online portal for the distribution of local news internationally.
. As the first television broadcasting service of Sri Lanka and South Asia they began transmission of the first terrestrial television
channel in the country. It was also the first privately owned television station in a region where government was in control of radio and television.
The founding board of directors was composed of Mr. Shan Wickramasinghe, Mr. Anil Wijewardene and Mr. Bob Christie. Initially the ITN Ltd studios and transmission station were based in Pannipitiya
. A single Kilo Watt (1K.W) transmitter and 65 ft. transmission tower were used to broadcast the ITN channel within a fifteen (15) mile radius of the city of Colombo
. Due to the geographical location of the transmission station, local weather and the transmission equipment used early viewers experienced many disruptions and interference to programmes as a result of voltage fluctuations.
On the 5th of June 1979 ITN Ltd was acquired by the state as a business undertaking under a Competent Authority
. The duly appointed authority, the late Mr. D. Thevis L. Guruge
(ex-Director General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
) contributed significantly to the early development of the organisation.
ITN Ltd was the pioneer of colour television transmission in Sri Lanka. On the 05th June 1984 ITN Ltd relocated to its current base of operations in Wickramasinhapura. In 1992 ITN was converted to a public company with the state as the major share holder of the company. Subsequently, the revenue, the diversity of programmes, technical services and coverage expanded significantly.
Lakhanda
and Vasantham FM are two of the three FM radio stations operated by ITN Ltd. The Lakhanda radio station which originated as a subsidiary of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
(SLBC) was amalgamated with ITN Ltd on the 1st of April 1997. This radio station broadcasts content in the Sinhala language. Vasantham FM is a FM radio station also operated by ITN Ltd which broadcasts content in the Tamil language. This radio station was launched in June 2009 in order to fulfill the media requirements of the Tamil speaking community within Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, ITN Ltd commenced transmission of a second television channel, Vasantham TV
on the 25th of June 2009. This particular television channel broadcasts content in the Tamil language. ITN launched Prime TV
and Prime Radio
, a television channel and radio station that broadcasts material in English on the 12th of November 2009.
ITN channel
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Sinhala language)
Vasantham TV
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Tamil language)
Prime TV
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the English language)
Lakhanda
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Sinhala language)
Vasantham FM - (Primarily broadcasts content in the Tamil language)
Prime Radio - (Primarily broadcasts content in the English language)
ITN
Vasantham TV
Prime TV
Lakhanda
Vasantham FM
Prime Radio
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. ITN, a Shrama Abhimani Award winner (Oct 2009)
, broadcasts content to a wide demographic within Sri Lanka as well as the expatriate community. The programmes are broadcast in three languages; Sinhala, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The ITN broadcast coverage extends to 99% of the island of Sri Lanka. The current chairman of ITN Ltd is Mr. Rosmund Senaratne.
The ITN channel
ITN channel
The ITN channel is a television channel which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. It is the flagship television channel of the Independent Television Network Limited, a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka.-History:...
is the flagship television channel of ITN Ltd. ITN further operates three FM radio stations; Lakhanda, the Sinhala language service; Vasantham FM (or Wasanthan FM), the Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
service and Prime Radio, the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
service. Vasantham TV (or Wasanthan TV), a second television channel operated by ITN Ltd, broadcasts content in the Tamil language. Prime TV is a television channel which boradcasts content in English, also operated by ITN Ltd. ITN recently launched a website ITN News, which is an online portal for the distribution of local news internationally.
History
ITN Ltd commenced operations on the 13th of April 1979 with the introduction of the ITN television channelITN channel
The ITN channel is a television channel which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. It is the flagship television channel of the Independent Television Network Limited, a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka.-History:...
. As the first television broadcasting service of Sri Lanka and South Asia they began transmission of the first terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
channel in the country. It was also the first privately owned television station in a region where government was in control of radio and television.
The founding board of directors was composed of Mr. Shan Wickramasinghe, Mr. Anil Wijewardene and Mr. Bob Christie. Initially the ITN Ltd studios and transmission station were based in Pannipitiya
Pannipitiya
Pannipitiya is an area in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Pannipitiya is subdivided into a number of smaller areas.-Areas in Pannipitiya:...
. A single Kilo Watt (1K.W) transmitter and 65 ft. transmission tower were used to broadcast the ITN channel within a fifteen (15) mile radius of the city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. Due to the geographical location of the transmission station, local weather and the transmission equipment used early viewers experienced many disruptions and interference to programmes as a result of voltage fluctuations.
On the 5th of June 1979 ITN Ltd was acquired by the state as a business undertaking under a Competent Authority
Competent authority
A competent authority is any person or organization that has the legally delegated or invested authority, capacity, or power to perform a designated function....
. The duly appointed authority, the late Mr. D. Thevis L. Guruge
Thevis Guruge
Thevis Guruge was a distinguished broadcaster with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. He was the first Sinhala Announcer with Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia...
(ex-Director General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 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...
) contributed significantly to the early development of the organisation.
ITN Ltd was the pioneer of colour television transmission in Sri Lanka. On the 05th June 1984 ITN Ltd relocated to its current base of operations in Wickramasinhapura. In 1992 ITN was converted to a public company with the state as the major share holder of the company. Subsequently, the revenue, the diversity of programmes, technical services and coverage expanded significantly.
Lakhanda
Lakhanda radio
Lakhanda , the radio channel came to be inaugurated on 15 November 1996, under the preview of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Eventually the channel was amalgamated to ITN on 1997 April 1 on a government cabinet decision. On 2001 April 7...
and Vasantham FM are two of the three FM radio stations operated by ITN Ltd. The Lakhanda radio station which originated as a subsidiary of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 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...
(SLBC) was amalgamated with ITN Ltd on the 1st of April 1997. This radio station broadcasts content in the Sinhala language. Vasantham FM is a FM radio station also operated by ITN Ltd which broadcasts content in the Tamil language. This radio station was launched in June 2009 in order to fulfill the media requirements of the Tamil speaking community within Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, ITN Ltd commenced transmission of a second television channel, Vasantham TV
Vasantham TV
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 goverened television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka. The channel commenced transmission on the 25th of June 2009...
on the 25th of June 2009. This particular television channel broadcasts content in the Tamil language. ITN launched Prime TV
Prime TV Sri Lanka
Prime TV is a 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....
and Prime Radio
Prime Radio Sri Lanka
Prime Radio is a FM radio station which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. The radio station is operated by Independent Television Network Limited, which is a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka....
, a television channel and radio station that broadcasts material in English on the 12th of November 2009.
Programmes
ITN Ltd's television channels and radio stations, broadcast a variety of different of programmes in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages. Listed below are some of the programmes broadcast by the television channels and radio stations operated by ITN Ltd.ITN channel
ITN channel
The ITN channel is a television channel which broadcasts in Sri Lanka. It is the flagship television channel of the Independent Television Network Limited, a state governed television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka.-History:...
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Sinhala language)
- News - (In Sinhala, Tamil and English)
- Teledramas - (Pabalu,Amanda,Bonda Meedum,Mila,Kopi Kade,Sanda Sanda Wage,Paba-Rep)
- Films - Classic Sinhala Films
- Documentaries - Atapattama
- Educational programmes
- Children's entertainment
- Programmes dubbed in Sinhala
- Game shows
- Reality TV
- Religious programmes
- Political debates
Vasantham TV
Vasantham TV
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 goverened television and radio broadcaster in Sri Lanka. The channel commenced transmission on the 25th of June 2009...
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Tamil language)
- News
- Teledramas
- Films - Tamil / Hindi Films
- Documentaries
- Educational programmes
- Children's entertainment
Prime TV
Prime TV Sri Lanka
Prime TV is a 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....
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the English language)
- News
- Music Programmes - (Music Runway, House of Rock, Music With Bevil)
- Debates and Discussions - (The Round Table, Ayubowan Sri Lanka, Prime Sunrise)
- Educational/Variety Programmes - (Prime Sunset)
- Drama - (Beverly Hills 90210, Relic Hunter, Queen of Swords)
- Other - (Sports/Foreign News/Cartoons)
Lakhanda
Lakhanda radio
Lakhanda , the radio channel came to be inaugurated on 15 November 1996, under the preview of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Eventually the channel was amalgamated to ITN on 1997 April 1 on a government cabinet decision. On 2001 April 7...
- (Primarily broadcasts content in the Sinhala language)
- News
- Music - Sinhala
- Religious programmes
- Educational programmes
- Political programmes
Vasantham FM - (Primarily broadcasts content in the Tamil language)
- News
- Music - Tamil
- Religious programmes
- Educational programmes
- Political programmes
Prime Radio - (Primarily broadcasts content in the English language)
- News
- Music
Frequencies and Coverage
Cummulatively, the broadcasts of ITN Ltd reach over 99% of the country. However, the coverage for the individual radio stations and television channels vary considerably.ITN
- Frequency/ies: VHF Ch9, VHF Ch 12, VHF Ch 24
- Coverage: 99% of country except certain areas in the North
- International coverage: Live online streaming at The ITN Channel Online
Vasantham TV
- Frequency/ies:VHF Ch9, UHF 25
- Coverage:Western Province, North and East
- International coverage: Live online streaming at / Vasantham TV Online
Prime TV
- Frequency/ies:UHF Ch24
- Coverage:Western Province
- International coverage: Live online streaming at Prime TV Online
Lakhanda
- Frequency/ies + Coverage: 97.6 MHz - Colombo, South / 87.9 MHz - North and 88.5 MHz Islandwide
- International coverage: Live online streaming at Lakhanda Radio Online
Vasantham FM
- Frequency/ies + Coverage: 97.6 MHz - Colombo, 97.0Mhz
- International coverage: Live online streaming at Vasantham FM Online
Prime Radio
- Frequency/ies + Coverage: 104.5 MHz - Colombo, 95.5 MHz - Kandy, 99.0 MHz - Galle
- International coverage: Live online streaming at Prime Radio Online
See also
- List of television networks in Sri Lanka
- List of radio networks in Sri Lanka
- Media of Sri Lanka