TV Times

TV Times

‘Derana’ is born
‘Derana’, the latest television channel, will be officially launched on Tuesday, October 11. It was officially announced, at a press conference held at the Taj Samudra last week.

People in the Western province can watch Derana on UHF 37 initially until the channel goes island wide within a few months. The channel will commence with 5 hours of programming (6.00 pm to 11.00 pm daily) which will be extended shortly.

Derana, or "the land" represents the fertile ground upon which the real Sri Lankan people have been born and bred. The channel itself is a representation of the values and the riches inherent to this land and its people.

‘That is why Derana stands firmly committed to deliver only the best quality local educational-entertainment television content to the discerning viewers in the country. Derena, will bring to life the beauty and wonder of this land which is the inheritance of the Sri Lankan people’ said Anup Chandrasekeran, the CEO of Derana.

Some may even question whether there really exists an opportunity for yet another TV channel to enter into Lankan market. Determined not to become yet another, Derana stands firmly committed to offer the Sri Lankan TV viewer a definite alternative to what is on offer presently.

This will be evident when the channel officially launches at a landmark ceremony on October 11 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. Derana is driven by a vision to revolutionize the TV industry by adopting world class technology and innovation to create a television culture that although unique to this land and its proud people, encopasses the dynamism of global communication and its amazing development in order to cater to the rapidly changing demands of the new age.

This channel will be supported by both the veterans in the field whose years of experience and knowledge will hold the channel in good stead, as well as the younger generation, who will undoubtedly introduce fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking to the industry. Derena will be the platform upon which the proud artistes of this nation can perform.

The public is weary of watching the same old content. This is a fact. Derena is determined to make a difference and will adopt people friendly interactive formats and creatively structured programming to offer an enjoyable television viewing opportunity to the people. By thinking out-of-the-box, Derana is confident of breaking away from convention and the shackles of mediocrity, in search of exciting new ideas in television entertainment which can take the industry to a new level of development.

‘As a truly Sri Lankan channel, Derana will be committed to protect and preserve the heritage and value structure of our society. Each and every programme, may it be current affairs, music, comedy, culture or drama, it will be carefully scrutinized to ensure that the language used, the subliminal influences exerted and the impressions created will be of a positive nature and will at no point result in dire consequences and the destruction of the social fabric of this land’ he added.

Derana takes great pride in the team of people who have been hand picked to spearhead the key functions of the channel. As recognized and respected members of the industry, their involvement and contribution will illustrate the direction and goodwill the channel has adopted.

Anuruddha Jayasinghe, Programme Director of Derana, is one of the most respected young cinema and tele drama producer-directors in the country. He will bring a certain touch of originality and sensitivity to the programming style. His experience, positive outlook and the ready support he has gained from the artistes across generations, reflect the true spirit of this channel.

‘The Sri Lankan television industry is now greatly influenced by our neighbouring nation India. In comparison, there is a general consensus that our industry has not progressed satisfactorily. One of the key reasons for this assumption is the blatant violation of our identity and value structure. Opting for the easier alternative which of course results in deteriorating the market, some content providers have not shied away from importing foreign films which are presented to local audiences after dubbing in Sinhala. This new culture is slowly but surely eroding the social fabric of this country and has now begun to replace it with a world of fantasy and expectation, created for a different society in an alien land’ explained Anuruddha.

To this end, Derana will use the most advanced technology and knowledge of the Indian and other television industries and adopt it to the local need and create indigenous programming for the benefit of our audiences.

Powerhouse Pvt Ltd. is the holding company of Derana. Jt. Managing Directors, Dilith Jayaweera and Varuni Amunugama Fernando, both of whom are law graduates from the University of Colombo and Attorney's- at-Law , are joint owners of nine other backwardly integrated companies in the media and communications field for almost 13 years.

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