A short history of Sri Lankan TV
From a single channel that reached only Colombo in 1979 to dozens of stations streaming live to Sri Lankans all over the world.
Timeline
An idea turned down
Early proposals for a Sri Lankan television service are put to Dudley Senanayake's government, which rejects them.
Talks with Japan
President J. R. Jayewardene holds talks with technicians from Japan's NEC, the start of a long Japanese role in Sri Lankan broadcasting.
ITN: the first channel
The Independent Television Network goes on air, the country's first TV channel. It was founded by Shan Wickremesinghe and Anil Wijewardene, and its first signals reached only the Colombo area. Watch ITN →
ITN comes under the state
Less than two months after launch, the government takes over ITN as a state business undertaking. Watch ITN →
The Rupavahini Act
The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act No. 6 of 1982 creates a national television corporation. Watch Rupavahini →
Rupavahini on air
Rupavahini begins broadcasting at 6 pm with a speech by President Jayewardene, then Tamil news at 7 pm, Sinhala news at 8:15 pm and English news at 9:30 pm. Japan funded the station, and Japanese engineers built and installed its transmitters. Watch Rupavahini →
The private era begins
The state's TV monopoly ends and private stations are allowed. MTV Channel, a venture of the Capital Maharaja group (the channel known today as TV1), is founded the same year. Watch TV1 →
TNL
Telshan Network (TNL) begins broadcasting.
ETV, later Swarnavahini
Extra Terrestrial Vision (ETV) launches. It is relaunched on 16 March 1997 as Swarnavahini. Watch Swarnavahini →
Sirasa TV
The Capital Maharaja group launches Sirasa TV, its Sinhala channel. Watch Sirasa TV →
Shakthi TV
Shakthi TV launches as Sri Lanka's first dedicated Tamil-language television channel. Watch Shakthi TV →
Channel Eye
Rupavahini opens a second channel in April 1999, renamed Channel Eye in August 2000.
Derana and satellite TV
TV Derana launches on 11 October 2005. The same year, the satellite service CBNsat starts, relaunched in 2007 as Dialog TV. Watch TV Derana →
Nethra and IPTV
Rupavahini's Tamil channel Nethra TV starts in January, sharing airtime with Channel Eye. Sri Lanka Telecom launches its PEO TV internet-TV service.
A busy year
ITN launches Vasantham TV in Tamil (25 June) and Prime TV in English (November), and Siyatha TV goes on air on 17 September. Watch Siyatha TV →
Hiru TV
Asia Broadcasting Corporation, the group behind Hiru FM, launches Hiru TV. Watch Hiru TV →
HD arrives
ITN begins high-definition broadcasting, described as the country's first full-HD channel. Watch ITN →
Nethra stands alone
Nethra TV becomes a full channel in its own right on 20 February 2018.
A logo in one language
In February, Rupavahini's logo drops its Tamil and English names and keeps only Sinhala. The change is reversed in October. Watch Rupavahini →
The YouTube age
Most Sri Lankan channels now stream live on their official YouTube channels and post teledramas soon after they air, putting home TV a tap away for Sri Lankans abroad.
Goodbye, analogue
Sri Lanka has chosen the Japanese ISDB-T standard for digital terrestrial TV, with Japanese support. The analogue switch-off is planned for around 2029.
What does “Rupavahini” mean?
The name joins two words: rupa, meaning image or form, and vahini, something that carries or flows. Together they are usually translated as the “purveyor of images”, a good description of television. The station is also known as Jathika Rupavahini, the National Television.
The hill myna in Rupavahini's logo
Rupavahini's logo was designed by Bandula Peiris. It shows a hill myna carrying a golden message across a red television screen. Every part has a meaning:
- The bird's wings stand for the VHF and UHF aerials that carried the signal.
- The semicircle that holds the wings stands for a satellite dish.
- The golden message is the news and programmes the station brings to the nation.
- A hidden letter: turn the logo and you can find බ, the designer's initial.
The choice of bird has deep roots. The hill myna, සැළලිහිණියා (salalihiniya), is the messenger in the Salalihini Sandeshaya, a 15th-century collection of 111 Sinhala poems (kavi) by Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera, in which the bird carries a message across the island. A messenger bird is a fitting symbol for a broadcaster that carries messages to every home.
Frequently asked
When did TV start in Sri Lanka? ITN, the first channel, went on air on 13 April 1979.
When did Rupavahini start? On 15 February 1982, with Japanese funding and engineering.
What was the first Tamil channel? Shakthi TV, launched on 20 October 1998, is described as the first dedicated Tamil-language channel. Rupavahini carried Tamil programmes and news from its first night.
Can I watch these channels abroad? Yes. Most stream live on their official YouTube channels. See all channels or our guide to watching Sri Lankan TV abroad.
Dates are taken from public sources, mainly Wikipedia's articles on television in Sri Lanka and on each station. Where sources disagree we've used the most common date. Spotted a mistake or have a memory to share? Email [email protected]. You might also enjoy our history of Sri Lankan radio.