‘One Sri Lanka TV’ to broad base viewership

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The Nova Vision Group of Italy, would further invest Rs. 33 million this year, to broad base their viewership for the 'One Sri Lanka' Television channel. This would increase the total investment of the company to nearly Rs. 400 million. Chairman of the Company, Berjith de Silva, said that from the second week of August, Sri Lankans would be able to view this channel on Peo TV Channel 16 and by end of August, the contests wouldalso be visible on Dialog TV as well.

“We would be branding 15 buses to create an awareness among the Sri Lankans,” he said. He said that from September next, they would rebrand the channel with a Pay TV arm free for air channel. “We would also be using an additional satellite for this operation,” he said.

The fee for the air segment would generate revenue via advertising, while the Pay TV segment would earn from viewer' subscriptions.

“The Nova Group's operations are currently run on a non profitable basis and with the introduction of the concept of ‘Pay TV’ where we would be selling the content, the Nova Vision Group would we would earn profits.” Currently, the 'One Sri Lanka' channel has over one million ‘eyes’ throughout the world and it would be a further one million with local viewers by the end of August.

The company founded through three Italian investors, including Sri Lankans, who have their own Television studio in Sri with a staff of over 40.

He said that their main object, was to build up patriotism (Ape Kama) among the Sri Lankans and channel would be producing more programmes locally. The company had been established in 1999.