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
Preliminary work was underway in the first half of the 1970s. Businessmen Anil Wijewardena and Shan Wickremasinghe established the country's first TV station, Independent Television Network, which started broadcasting on 15 April 1979. 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. 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 and started broadcasting on 15 February 1982. 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. 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.Toutes les télés du monde, Sri Lanka, ARTE France and Point du Jour, 2007
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.
Television providers
Current The following is a list of current television providers based in Sri Lanka.
+ProviderOwnershipOwnerTransmissionEstablishedAsk Cable Vision Private Ask Media & Cable Vision Analog cable City Cable Private City Cable Links Analog cable, digital cable Dialog TV Private Dialog Axiata Digital satellite Star TV Lanka SatnetPrivate Star TV LankaDigital satellite 1945Lanka Broadband Networks Private Lanka Broadband Networks Analog cable, digital cable PEO TVState-owned SLTMobitel IPTV Satcom Private Future Sat Com Holdings Satellite TV Lanka Private Digital terrestrial 2012
Former The following is a list of former television providers which were based in Sri Lanka.
ProviderOwnershipOwnerTransmissionEstablishedClosedMultivision Private Ruhunu 2001 Multivision Analog microwave Franknet Private T.GuhanCable TV
Television stations
Current The following is a list of current television stations based in Sri Lanka.
StationOwnershipOwnerLanguageEstablishedTerrestrialSatelliteCableIPTVStreamingAnalogueDigitalDialogTVDishTVFreesatASK Cable Vision (Pvt) LtdLBNPEOTVHaritha TV Non-profit Haritha Network Sinhala A Plus Kids TV Private Ru Sala Media Networks Pvt Ltd Sinhala Ada Derana News Channel Private Derana Macro Entertainment under Dilith Jayaweera Sinhala/English ART Television Private IWS Holdings English Channel C Private Wide Angle ProductionsSinhala Channel EyeState-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation English Channel One Private Dialog TV Sinhala / English Citi Hitz Private OnAir World Ceylon Sinhala Colombo TV Private Colombo Television Limited Sinhala Dan TV Private ASK Media (Pvt) Ltd Tamil 1 January 1999 Dharmavahini TV PrivateDharmavahini Foundation Sinhala Dream TVPrivate GalleZone SolutionsSinhala ETVPrivate Lyca ProductionsEnglish Heritage TVPrivate Heritage Television Sinhala Hiru TVPrivate Asia Broadcasting Corporation Sinhala ITN ChannelState-owned Independent Television NetworkSinhala iTV Private Power Hands Media Network Sinhala Knowledge TV Private Pix & Words Sinhala Nethra TV State-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini CorporationTamil Rangiri TV Non-profit Rangiri Sri Lanka Media Network Sinhala Raw TV Private Raw Television Sinhala Ridee TV Private Tiss Nagodavithana Films Sinhala RupavahiniState-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Sinhala Jaya TV Sri Lanka Private Jayamaga Media Network Sinhala 4 February 2020 25 94 TV SupremePrivate Supreme Global Holdings Sinhala Sarana TV Non-profit Sarana Media Network Sinhala Shakthi TVPrivate MTV ChannelTamil Shraddha TVNon-profit Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Sinhala 27 Sindu TV Private Iraj Productions English/Sinhala Sirasa TVPrivate MTV ChannelSinhala Siyatha TVPrivate Voice of Asia Network Sinhala Siyasa TV Private Siyasa Media Network Sinhala Sri TV Private Sri TV Sinhala Star Tamil Private Voice of Asia Network Tamil Swarga TV Non-profit Rock Foundation English/Sinhala/Tamil SwarnavahiniPrivate Lyca ProductionsSinhala Talent TV Private Capital Corp. Sinhala The BuddhistNon-profit Sri Sambodhi Foundation Sinhala TNL TVPrivate Telshan Networks English/Sinhala TV 1Private MTV ChannelEnglish/Sinhala TV Derana Formerly Derana TV Private Derana Macro Entertainment under Dilith JayaweeraSinhala TV Didula Non-profitSanhinda Media Network Sinhala UTV TamilPrivate SATIS Agency (Pvt) Ltd Tamil Vasantham TVState-owned Independent Television NetworkTamil Verbum TVNon-profit Verbum Television English/Sinhala/Tamil CeyFLiX Private Ausflix PTY LTD Sinhala/English/Tamil/Hindi 2019 Lankan Link Private CodeNinja PTY LTD Sinhala/English/Tamil 2015 ThePapare Private Dialog Axiata PLC Sinhala/English/Tamil 2023
Former The following is a list of former television stations which were based in Sri Lanka.
OwnershipClosedStationLanguageEstablished Private 2013DAN Tamil Oli Tamil State-owned 2010Prime TV English Private 2009TV 2 English
Notes
References
External links Telecommunications Regulatory Commission