‘ANCL three months’ revenue tops Rs. 656 m’

UPFA Parliamentarian Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday stated in Parliament that government media institutions, including ANCL, had increased their income during the recent past.

A document tabled in Parliament during his speech at the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill noted that a total of Rs 656.993 million income was recorded by ANCL during the last three months as advertising revenue.

The document also reveals that an income of Rs 231.463 million, Rs 218.239 million and Rs 207.291 million were received by ANCL in November, October and September in 2011 respectively as advertising revenue.

MP Nanayakkara also said there were 32 television channels and 49 radio channels functioning in Sri Lanka while more than 140 registered newspapers and magazines were published in Sri Lanka. He added that out of these the government owned only four television channels and nine radio channels. The government owned only 5.7 percent of the registered newspapers and magazines which is considerably a low proportion.

MP Nanayakkara questioned as to how the Opposition complains that the government was misusing the media with such a low proportion of media institutions under government control.

MP Manusha Nanayakkara further stated out of government advertisements, the government has given only 37 percent to the government media while 63 percent were given to the private media.

He also questioned as to how the Opposition alleges the government is taking measures to bankrupt private media even when government offers such a considerable proportion of advertisements to the private media.