The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), locally known as Jathika Rupavahini, is the national television network of Sri Lanka. SLRC operates three channels: The main channel, Rupavahini, is broadcast in Sinhala. Channel Eye is broadcast in English, while Nethra TV is broadcast in Tamil.
Media assets
Television: Rupavahini, Channel Eye, Nethra TV
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
The Sri Lanka Radio Corporation (SLRC) was established in 1982 under the provisions of Act No. 6, which is now known as the SLRC Act. The SLRC is a state-owned corporation that reports to the Ministry of Mass Media. The company is governed by a board of seven members, previously appointed by the Minister of Mass Media.
In the autumn of 2019, the President moved the broadcaster from the Ministry of Mass Media to the Ministry of Defence, which has greater presidential powers, on the grounds that the Minister of Media had too much influence over SLRC. The outlet is still listed on the Ministry of Mass Media website.
The current administration has announced plans for media reforms, which will include, among other things, a series of changes to the governance of the SLRC. As part of the planned reforms, the company is expected to become accountable to a parliamentary commission.
In early 2022, Sonala Gunawardana was appointed Chairman of the SLRC. He previously held the position of Chairman at the National Library of Sri Lanka.
In November 2023, government officials said that the state plans to merge SLRC with Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), a move prompted by the losses that the two companies have incurred for nearly a decade. The merger was approved by the government in February 2024. Further details regarding the newly emerging company will be announced in due course.
Source of funding and budget
SLRC generates revenue from the sale of airtime for sponsored programs and commercials. It also receives a government grant annually. In 2020, the corporation operated with a total budget of LKR 1.34bn (US$ 7.2m). According to an annual report of the Ministry of Finance, state funding accounted for less than 23% of that amount.
In 2023, SLRC incurred a loss of LKR 277m (US$ 848,000), according to a media report. In 2023, the company declared total income of LKR 1.6bn (US$ 4.9m).
Editorial independence
The government has reinforced its influence over the editorial coverage of SLRC by appointing the main governing body at the station, according to local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in September 2023 and June 2024.
In February 2022, the recently appointed chairman of SLRC, Sonala Gunawardana, stated that the corporation’s management is seeking to alter the public perception of SLRC as a “government’s trumpet.” Gunawardana did not provide details on how he plans to achieve this goal.
To date, no domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism that would validate SLRC’s editorial independence has been identified.
September 2024