TV Times

TV Times

New look on Rupavahini
By Susitha R. Fernando
With the dawn of the New Year Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) or 'Jathika Rupavahini' will add a new phase to its main channel with a series of new programmes that could be viewed by the whole family together.
The new developments in Rupavahini, the only channel that has access to a majority of TV viewers in the country is also to celebrate its twenty fifth anniversary which falls this February.

‘Revival of Rupavahini will be done to make it Pramukavahini (The pioneering television) in this country’ said the new Chairman of SLRC, Newton Gunaratne at a press conference held recently at Rupavahini premises.

"The SLRC, a gift from the Japanese government was introduced to Sri Lank in 1982- February 15, 1982 to be precise and faced different phases in the history of television in Sri Lanka. There were times when financial gain took priority and this situation worsened when the issuance of license for television was cancelled. Under these circumstances there were instances where there was decline in the quality of the programmes it presented," Mr. Gunaratne said.

‘There were also setbacks in the quality that were maintained in the programmes telecast under different governments. Some changes made in the presentation of certain programmes like news was turned down by the public for they were not culturally suited to the standards maintained by National Rupavahini channel," the chairman stated.

‘Our main aim is to make Rupavahini a cultured TV channel which could be enjoyed by the whole family’ added Mr. Gunaratne. Among the line up of the programmes starting from January 1, Rupavahini has planned to release three of its own teledramas every week and certain standards will be maintained in the miniplays that are selected for the telecast. A new series of one episodic miniplays based on world famous short stories titled 'Vishwanthari' will also be added to the teledramas that are telecast on Rupavahini.

Some of the other programmes that are lined up are, 'Adaharaya', a social and political analysis of a daily incident relating to nationally important issues, 'Dawase Kathu Weki', evaluation of newspaper headlines, 'Janapathi Janahamuwa'; every second Sunday from 8pm to 9pm, President Mahinda Rajapakse will appear on this live programme to inform the public about the future plans of the government and to discuss the problems in the country. The public will be able to direct their questions to the President during this programme.

'Rasakalasa'- a musical programme on every Thursday at 10 pm will feature four different programmes for four weeks of the month. The viewers will be given an opportunity to view musical programmes popular in the eighties such as 'Nandana Vindana' etc,.

The others new programmes that Rupavahini has prepared for its viewers are 'Andurin Eliyata' which will be telecast at 9.45 pm on Wednesday. This is a discussion with the participation of experts on maintaining the social standards in a society which focuses only on monetary and financial gains. 'Ranga Madala' will be a new monthly programme introduced on Sri Lankan theatre .

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