Swarnavahini celebrates 14th anniversary

Jeewaka Edirisinghe EAP Edirisinghe Group Managing Director

Swarnavahini has reached another landmark in its long and distinguished history in the broadcasting industry.

The station commemorated its 14th anniversary last Wednesday.

Since its inception, Swarnavahini has been at the forefront of the industry and has portrayed a key role in revolutionising TV programming in Sri Lanka.

Its first broadcast was in 1997 under the management of the EAP Edirisinghe Group of Companies and since then, has gained popularity among the masses earning the reputation of being Sri Lanka's most popular television channel.

In an interview with Daily News Business, EAP Edirisinghe Group Managing Director Jeewaka Edirisinghe said, "This (14th anniversary) marks yet another milestone for our channel in the broadcast industry and while we look forward to the future plans of our station, our driving purpose is still deeply rooted in our commitment to innovate."

The station has put forward many of the most innovative and trendsetting shows in the country including the first-ever morning programs.

Swarnavahini has since upheld its reputation of being an innovative TV channel. The station was the first to introduce morning programming in the country and the first to conduct outdoor workshops empowering women which were later broadcast on TV Liya Sevana.

Commenting on the program format of the channel, Edirisinghe said, "As a media company, we strive to achieve balanced programming and try to remain unbiased with our views. I believe that these have also played a key role on our road to success.

"The popular reality program Mega Star will have its season two after August. There are quite a number of reality shows lined up for telecast shortly.

Most people like either music or dance and there is a big demand for reality shows. We cater to this demand where we bring young audience to the channel," he said.

The station has earned a number of accolades and prestigious awards and has also gained national recognition for its responsible news programs.

Live At 8, the station's primetime news bulletin has been ranked number one news program by the Lanka Market Research Bureau.

The most recent was the SLIM award for the People's News Channel of the year award.

When asked about the future plans of the station, Edirisinghe said, they are excited to go digital in the near future and the flourishing economy in Jaffna paves the way where we can expand our transmission to cover the area.

Without doubt, the station has come a long way since its establishment 14 years ago and it is more than ready to break new ground, carrying on its tradition of innovation and excellence.

(SJ)