Srilakvahini links up with LBN Sat

Now Sri Lankan television viewers have the opportunity to watch Srilakvahini, Sri Lankan satellite television channel, which telecasts through LBN Sat of Lanka Broadband Network ltd.

Telecasting entirely locally produced programmes in Sinhala, Tamil and English the 24-hour television channel will have programmes for children, youth, women and musical programmes, documentaries teledramas and two news live telecasts in Tamil and Sinhala.

"The channel has been telecasting to 140 countries around the globe and is very much popular amongst Sri Lankans living in Europe and the Middle-East," Srilankvahini Managing Director, Rohan Welivita told the TV Times. "We have programmes just like any other local television channel and there are around 2.5 million daily viewers around the world.

Linking up with MMS Channel India, 'Star Hub'- Singapore and Daily Media International- Netherlands, Srilakvahini is available for whole of Europe, Middle East and Asia and the latest region to be covered would be Australia, Mr. Weliwita said. Working on the motto "New Sri Lanka to the world", the TV channel has been promoting the country around the world.

"As a policy we do not telecast any programme or news item that results in a negative impact on the country," said Mr. Welivita. The other important feature is that all the programmes telecast on Srilakvahini are produced by Sri Lankans and not even a single minute is dedicated for any foreign programme.

"We don't use Western or Hindi programmes as originals or as dubbed or subtitled. This is because we want to promote Sri Lankan productions," the Managing Director stated. It telecasts completely new programmes for eight hours and they are repeated during the rest of the day. Srilakvahini staff consists of all Sri Lankans and up linking is too done from here.