To mark 87th anniversary of radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka:

President at Abhiman Rathriya" musical pageant

Rasika Somarathna

The "Abhiman Rathriya" musical pageant organized in connection with the 87th anniversary of radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka was held at the Ananda Samarakoon studio of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) yesterday evening under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The event was attended by politicians, musicians, literati, past and present employees of the SLBC.

Several of Sri Lanka's renowned vocalists, including maestro W.D. Amaradeva performed some of the most memorable songs produced by the SLBC for the audience. Pandith Amaradeva was also honoured with an award, presented by the President as a tribute to his yeomen service, as an artiste to the country and the local music scene.

The history of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation dates back to year 1925, when its first pre-cursor, Colombo Radio, was launched on December 16, 1925 using a Medium Wave radio transmitter with a one kilowatt output power from Welikada, Colombo. Commenced just three years after the launch of the BBC, Colombo Radio was the first ever radio station in Asia.

This new medium of mass communication not only became increasingly popular in the years that followed, but also quickly evolved into a medium of national character, which led to the Radio Service being organized as a separate department of the government of Ceylon (as country was then called) by the call signal 'Radio Ceylon' in 1949. Subsequently, in 1967, the Department of Broadcasting was transformed into its present statutory form of a state corporation by the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Act. No 37 of 1966 of the Parliament of Ceylon, thereby assuring increased autonomy and flexibility in the operations of the new organization.

The organization acquired its present name, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, with the transition of the state into the status of Republic of Sri Lanka on May 22, 1972.