The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), widely regarded as the pioneer of electronic media communication in the country, marks its centenary today (16 December).
To commemorate this historic milestone, an all-night devotional sermon and a comprehensive Sangha Dakshina on the theme of Siaknamak will be held at the SLBC premises. A ceremonial procession of the Venerable Thero, walking under the Muthukudda from the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute to the SLBC, is also scheduled.
A number of Members of Parliament and Ministers, including the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, are expected to attend the celebrations, along with distinguished journalists, engineers, professionals, scholars, and members of the SLBC staff who have contributed to the institution’s growth and progress over the decades.
Radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka was officially launched on 16 December 1925, under the initiative of British Governor Hugh Clifford. Initially operating under the Department of Telecommunications, the service was reorganized as a separate department on 1 October 1949 and renamed Radio Ceylon.
John A. Lampson served as the first Director of the Radio Department. On 5 January 1967, the Ceylon Radio Department was transformed into a corporation, with Neville D. Jayaweera appointed as its first Chairman and Director General.
Today, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation operates three Sinhala services, two Tamil services, and one English service for domestic audiences, in addition to five international services. Its regional stations include Rajarata Ruhuna, Kandurata, Wayamba Khada, Jaffna, Uva Radio, and Pirai FM, while Dambana Radio functions as a community radio service.
National Radio also boasts the largest library of recorded songs in Asia and possesses rare Hindi music recordings that are not available even in India. It further claims to maintain a unique archive featuring recorded voices of world leaders.
As the first radio service in Asia, National Radio has played a pioneering role in preserving Sri Lanka’s cultural identity. Over the past century, it has enriched the nation by broadcasting programmes in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, contributing significantly to the development of language, literature, drama, spiritual values, health awareness, agriculture, national development, unity, and reconciliation.
