SLBC-creating new waves of history
A worker paints the front of the SLBC at Independence Square |
Radio SEAC (South East Asia Command) which was started on 16th December
1952 celebrated its 80th birthday last week. It was called Radio Ceylon
in 1949 and its present name the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC)
was given in 1972.
The record library with Gramophone records |
The SLBC has the biggest collection of over Two Hundred Thousand
original materials including old Gramophone records from the 1920s and
1930’s which the BBC and the AIR (All India Radio) do not have. This
most valuable archive will be reformatted and archived digitally with
the help of the National Archives of Sri Lanka.
The SLBC lost its monopoly due to the many private broadcasters
presently operating in the Island. It did not loose the dignity and the
value of providing Quality unbiased knowledge and entertainment to
listeners.
Creating more quality educational programmes, bridging the gap
between the common listener and the economy is a good sign of progress
and the economic development of the Island. The Share market programme
is one such programme of that nature which has gained popularity.
Training the young - Technical skills and ethics of
Radio Journalism |
Transmission towers at Ekala |
The SLBC should capture the young teenage group with much more
interesting educational programmes, specially those awaiting examination
results. Radio Ceylon, the pioneer broadcaster in South East Asia which
started broadcasting on Short Wave (SW) is now venturing its public
services in to the digital Era with Digital Broadcasting via the
Internet around the world.
Text and pictures by Sriyantha Walpola
|