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Radio in Sri Lanka

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Main article: Media of Sri Lanka

Radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka dates to 1923. Radio broadcasting, like other forms of media in Sri Lanka, is generally divided along linguistic lines with state and private media operators providing services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English language.

History

The first radio broadcast in Ceylon was in 1923 when recorded music was broadcast using parts of radio equipment from a captured German submarine.[1] Regular broadcasting started in Colombo in July 1924.[1] Ceylon's first radio station Radio Colombo started regular broadcasting on 16 December 1925.[2][3] The station was taken over by the British military during World War II who renamed the station Radio SEAC which broadcast across South Asia from October 1944. After the war the station was handed back to the civilian government of Ceylon who renamed it Radio Ceylon on 1 October 1949.[1][3] The station was immensely popular both in Ceylon and other parts of Asia.

The Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Act No. 37 of 1966 incorporated the Department of Broadcasting.[2] Radio Ceylon became a public corporation on 30 September 1967, changing its name to Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).[2][3] Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972 after becoming a republic and consequently CBC was renamed Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).[2][3]

SLBC broadcast on medium wave until 1993 when FM broadcasting began.[2] 95% of the country received FM transmissions by 1999.[2] The government maintained a monopoly on radio broadcasting until the early 1990s when private radio stations were allowed to broadcast. Today there are numerous private radio stations but the state-owned stations continue to dominate the market.

Radio stations

The following is a list of radio stations based in Sri Lanka.[4]

Terrestrial radio

Station Ownership Owner Language Established FM 1
(MHz) 		FM 2
(MHz) 		Digital
(DRM) 		Internet
Buddhist Radio Charity Sri Sambodhi Media Network Sinhala 101.3 101.5 — Yes
City FM State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 89.6 89.8 — Yes
E FM Private EAP Broadcasting Company English December 1999 88.3 — — Yes
FM Derana Private Derana Macro Entertainment under Dilith Jayaweera Sinhala 29 March 2009 92.2 92.4 — Yes
Fox FM (formerly New FM, Allai) Private Asset Radio Broadcasting English 91.4 — — Yes
GoldFM Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation English September 1998 93.0 93.2 — Yes
Hiru FM Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 1998 96.1 96.3 — Yes
Isira Pearlbayradio Private https://pearlbayradio.com/ Sinhala 89.1 89.3 — Yes
ITN FM (formerly Lakhanda radio) State-owned Independent Television Network Sinhala 93.5 93.7 — Yes
Kiss FM (formerly Kiss 898) Private Voice of Asia Network English 13 August 2009 96.9 — — Yes
Kothmale FM / Kotmale Community Radio State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala and Tamil 97.6 — — —
Lak FM Private Lakview Broadcasting Sinhala 106.0 106.2 — Yes
Lakviru Private Lakviru Radio and Television Network — 105.2 105.4 — —
Legends FM (formerly Isura FM, Kirula FM) Private MBC Networks English 96.6 — — Yes
Lite FM Private TNL Radio Network English 27 February 1999 87.6 87.8 — Yes
Neth FM Private Asset Radio Broadcasting Sinhala 94.8 95.0 — Yes
Pirai FM (Muslim) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Tamil 90.1 — — —
Ran FM (formerly Ranone FM and Raja FM) Private EAP Broadcasting Company Sinhala 88.1 100.5 — Yes
Rangiri Sri Lanka Charity Rangiri Sri Lanka Media Network Sinhala 104.4 105.7 — Yes
Real Radio Private Voice of Asia Network English 97.1 — — Yes
Red FM Private Sky Media Network English 107.8 — — Yes
Rhythm World (formerly Asura FM, Rhythm FM) Private TNL Radio Network Sinhala 95.6 95.8 — Yes
Seth FM (Negombo only) Private Friend Media Network Sinhala 101.8 — — Yes
Shaa FM (formerly Tharu FM) Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 90.9 91.1 — Yes
Shakthi FM Private MBC Networks Tamil 20 November 1998 103.9 104.1 — Yes
Shree FM (formerly Savana Radio) Private EAP Broadcasting Company Sinhala 1999 100.0 100.2 — Yes
Sitha FM (formerly Singha FM & Youth Radio) Private Sky Media Network Sinhala 88.6 88.8 — Yes
Sirasa FM Private MBC Networks Sinhala 2 March 1994 106.5 106.7 — Yes
Siyatha FM Private Voice of Asia Network Sinhala 98.2 98.4 — Yes
Vidula State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation English,Sinhala,Tamil
 107.3 107.5 — —
SLBC Commercial Service (Velanda Sevaya) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 94.3 94.5 — Yes
Thendral FM State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Tamil 104.7 104.9 — Yes
Radio Sri Lanka State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation English 97.4 97.6 — Yes
SLBC National Service (Swadeshiya Sevaya) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 91.7 91.9 — Yes
SLBC National Service State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Tamil 102.1 102.3 — Yes
SLBC Regional Service (Dabana) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 97.6 — — —
SLBC Regional Service (Jaffna) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala/Tamil 90.1 — — —
SLBC Regional Service (Kandurata Sevaya) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala/Tamil 107.3 — — Yes
SLBC Regional Service (Rajarata Sevaya) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 107.3 — — —
SLBC Regional Service (Ruhunu Sevaya) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 107.3 107.5 — —
SLBC Regional Service (Uva) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 107.3 — — —
SLBC Regional Service (Wayamba Handa) State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala 90.1 — — —
SLBC Sports Service State-owned Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation English,Sinhala,Tamil
 107.3 107.5 — —
Sooriyan FM Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation Tamil 103.4 103.6 — Yes
Sun FM Private Asia Broadcasting Corporation English 98.7 98.9 — Yes
TNL Radio (formerly TNL Rocks) Private TNL Radio Network English 99.2 101.8 — Yes
V FM Private Lanka Television Network Sinhala 107.0 — — Yes
Vasantham FM State-owned Independent Television Network Tamil 102.6 102.8 — Yes
Star tamil radio (formerly Varanam FM, Vettri FM) Private Voice of Asia Network Tamil 11 February 2008 90.4 90.6 — Yes
Capital Radio (formerly Sath FM) Private Sat Net Tamil 94.0 — — Yes
Y FM Private MBC Networks Sinhala 1 December 2005 92.7 — — Yes
Yes FM Private MBC Networks English 10 December 1993 100.8 101.0 — Yes
Tamil Radio Private Sky Media Network Tamil — 99.7 99.5 — Yes

Internet radio

Station Ownership Owner Language Established FM 1
(MHz) 		FM 2
(MHz) 		Digital
(Website) 		Internet
WoW Radio Private TBN Radio Network Sinhala 1 January 2021 — — trn.lk/wowradio Yes
Sky Radio Private TBN Radio Network English 25 November 2020 — — trn.lk/skyradio Yes
Radio Gold Private TBN Radio Network English 12 June 2022 — — trn.lk/radiogold Yes
ONE Radio Private TBN Radio Network Sinhala 25 September 2023 — — trn.lk/oneradio Yes
GOODFM.LK Private Good Media Network Limited Sinhala,English,Tamil,Hindi 2017 — — — Yes
FREEFM.LK Private Good Media Network Limited Sinhala,English,Tamil,Hindi 2017 — — — Yes
CSL FM Private CS BroadCasting Limited Sinhala/English 2023 — — — Yes
Mark FM Private MF GROUP PVT LTD Sinhala 2016 — — — Yes
Amen FM Private MF GROUP PVT LTD English 2022 — — — Yes
Haritha Radio Community Haritha Network (Haritha TV) Sinhala 2022 — — — Yes
Aquinas Radio Private Aquinas University College. Sinhala and English 2014 — — — Yes
Beat FM Private Sinhala,English,Tamil 2015 — — — Yes
CRI Sri Lanka Private China Radio International English and Sinhala 2010 — — — Yes
Daham Gagana Radio Charity Edirisingharama Monastery Sinhala 2011 — — — Yes
Everlasting Radio Private MJF Media English — — — Yes
ilamai FM Private ilamai Media Tamil 24 October 2012 online — — Yes
Kirula Radio Private Sinhala — — — Yes
Sabanda Radio Private Sabanda Networks Sinhala 10 October 2015 — — — Yes
Siyeli Handa Charity Sinhala Catholic Radio Sinhala 2013 — — — Yes
Rasa FM Private Sky Media Network Sinhala — — — Yes
Tamil2 FM private Tamil 2 Tamil January 2016 — — — Yes
Tamilaruvi Radio private North East Media Tamil May 2011 — — — Yes
Thaalam FM Private Yellowin Media Tamil — — — Yes
Tharu Private Sinhala — — — Yes
Max digital radio(formerly yathra fm, you fm, MAX Radio) Private MGMR Networks Sinhala 10 September 2006 — — — Yes

International broadcasters

Several international broadcasters operate radio stations aimed at Sri Lankan audiences but broadcasting from outside Sri Lanka:

Some broadcasters use local transmitters to relay their broadcasts. Deutsche Welle broadcasts are relayed via Trincomalee on medium wave and short wave. Trans World Radio India broadcasts on medium wave using SLBC's transmitter in Puttalam. The International Broadcasting Bureau broadcasts programmes from Voice of America, Radio Azadi, Radio Free Afghanistan, Radio Free Asia, Radio Liberty and Radio Sawa on short wave using the relay station at Iranawila.

See also

References

  • "FM Channel Assignment Plan" (PDF). Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. 1 May 2015.
  • Alan G. Davies. "Radio Stations in Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  1. ^ a b c Sterling, Christopher H. (2003). Encyclopedia of Radio: Volume 1. Taylor & Francis. p. 166. ISBN 0-203-48428-2.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "From Radio Ceylon to SLBC". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 25 January 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d Sambandan, V. S. (1 January 2006). "When Ceylon ruled the airwaves". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006.
  4. ^ "Sri Lankan FM Radio Frequency Complete List 2021". 10 March 2021.
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