Rupavahini in dither over Prabha live telecast
Sri Lanka's national television network, Rupavahini, appears to be in a dither over last week The Sunday Times report on how it facilitated a live satellite telecast of Tiger guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's "Maveerar Day" speech to Europe. Interesting enough, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation has made two different statements, one to The Sunday Times and another to all other media.

In the one sent to The Sunday Times, The SLRC says "The satellite uplink was provided by the Sri Lanka Telecom through its transportable satellite earth station (DSNG). The TV Station TTN had made independent arrangements with Sri Lanka Telecom for the same. "Most importantly the telecasting of Mr. Prabkaharan's "Maveer (sic) Day" speech was not a historic first as you claim since the same has been done the previous year.

"Accordingly, your headline is misleading in that it states that the broadcast was courtesy of Rupavahani whereas it was courtesy of Sri Lanka Telecom. Moreover, your claim that the broadcast was historic first is an absolute falsehood."

Interesting enough, in this statement sent to The Sunday Times, the SLRC tries to disown any role in the coverage provided in Europe about Mr Prabhakaran's speech. True enough, technically speaking, the Sri Lanka Telecom has to provide the uplink facility but the feed of video material is controlled from the Master Control Room of the SLRC. It is the SLRC, as The Sunday Times revealed, that is the facilitator of the broadcast. No party in Sri Lanka is able to feed any video material live from Sri Lanka without the help of the SLRC.

As The Sunday Times revealed, the three hour live satellite feed was indeed a historic first. It is the first time ever that the national television network has facilitated the live satellite coverage of Mr. Prabhakaran's speech. Last year, only a 20 minute recorded video was transmitted via SLRC. Now to the statement issued to all other media by the Rupavahini. This is what it says:

'The attention of the Rupavahini Corporation has been drawn to a headline news item in a Sunday paper, regarding a live telecast of the LTTE leader Mr. Prabhakaran's recent speech and the role of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), in relation to the same. Due to the factual errors and contentious nature of the said news item, SLRC wishes to set the record straight.

Firstly Rupavahini did not telecast locally any part of the speech in its own news or current affairs program no did SLRC enable TTN (Tamil Television Network) to distribute the material locally. Most importantly the role of SLRC with regard to the live telecast was a continuation of an existing policy, where technical assistance on commercial terms was provided by SLRC to foreign media organisations, wishing to cover various events in the North and East, including LTTE activities.

Specifically with regard to telecasting of the LTTE leader Mr. Prabhakaran's 'Maveer Day' speech, the SLRC had provided similar facilities last year as well. In the current context, SLRC received a request from a French TV station, TTN for SLRC to provide technical assistance to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), which was providing a transportable satellite earth station (DSNG) which would provide a satellite uplink of the event.

The SLRC's limited role was providing the services of two SLRC staff members to facilitate the SLT uplink, after receiving appropriate fees for the same. In this statement, the SLRC says Rupavahini did not telecast locally any part of the speech in its own news or current affairs programme nor did SKRC enable TTN to distribute the material locally. Who said so? The Sunday Times has made no such reference in the report last week.

In this statement the SLRC admits it was involve in the satelitte broadcast. It says the SLRC received a request from a French TV station, TTN for SLRC to provide technical assistance to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), which was providing a transportable satellite earth station which would provide an uplink of the event.
It reluctantly admits the SLRC's "loimited role was providing the services of two SLRC staff members to facilitate the SLT uplink, after receiving appropriate fees for the same.

The Sunday Times in its last week issue made no mention about the Rupavahini telecasting any part of the programme of Prabhakaran's speech locally. The report said it had it facilitated a live coverage of 'Maveerar day' celebrations to Europe.
The SLRC says that with regard to the live telecast, it was a continuation of an existing policy, where technical assistance on commercial terms was provided by SLRC to foreign media organisations, wishing to cover various events in the North and East, including LTTE activities.

The question is whether the SLRC continues the same policy after President Chandrika Kumaratunga took over the Mass Communications Ministry, under whose purview the Rupavahini comes, when it comes to providing technical assistance on commercial terms to broadcast LTTE material.

The SLRC says it provided similar facilities last year. But it has failed to mention that facility was provided only to broadcast Prabhkaran's speech which lasted for 20 minutes. LTTE spokesman Daya Master confirmed to The Sunday Times that the TTN last year only broadcasted the recorded version of Prabhakarn's speech and this year it was live programme.

'Last year's programme only had a pre-recorded version and had only Prabhakaran's speech', he said. The SLRC says it received a request from a French TV station, TTN for SLRC to provide technical assistance to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), which was providing a transportable satellite earth station (DSNG) which would provide a satellite uplink of the event.

The SLRC is trying to make out that the request came from a French TV station TTN, but when such facilities are provided, does the SLRC check the background of such organisations and is it aware that it is a pro-LTTE organisation? The TTN also has its local agents operating both, in cleared and uncleared areas.

The SLRC says its limited role was providing the services of two SLRC staff members to facilitate the SLT uplink, after receiving appropriate fees for the same.
The SLRC seems to be trying to get away by saying that it only had a limited role in providing the facility.

The chief organiser of the Organisation to Protect the Nation, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera has condemned the Rupavahini facilitating the live broadcast of the 'Maveerar day' programmes. Ven. Gunawansa Thera in a statement said that with President Chandrika Kumaratunga taking over the Mass Communication Ministry, people expected things to change for the better, but it had been contrary to the expectations.

"Though it was mentioned that the President was taking over the institution to correct the wrong done by the Rupavahini, it now seems that it is a situation like exchanging ginger for pepper," he said. "If the mistakes in the past are not corrected, we cannot accept this position as if it is the other side of the same coin," he said. The Thera who is known to be closely working with the JVP has lodged his strong protest about the SLRC facilitating the 'Maveerar day' programme broadcast.

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