Independent Television Network (ITN) the pioneering television channel in Sri Lanka will embark on a new journey from February 4, 2020, on the Independence Day of Sri Lanka.
ITN’s management with its chairman, renowned artiste Sudath Rohana has made an integrated plan to make ITN a trend setter. Unveiling of its brand new and innovative programme lineup will happen on the Independence Day.
At a gathering held at Opulant hotel, Rajagiriya with artistes, scholars, marketing personnel and media, the chairman said ITN is all set to recreate history once again as it did decades back.
ITN product portfolio is enriched with unique programmes like ‘Doramadalawa’, and ‘Atapattama’. Brand new tele dramas, ‘Sansararanye Asabada’, ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’, ‘Sanda Vimana’, ‘Hiru Evidin’ will add muscle to the programmes galore from February 4 this year.
The new lineup of groundbreaking programmes would cater to all social segments and demographics.
Sudath Rohana said while catering to viewers’ needs and wants ITN will harp on innovations as socially responsible and the pioneering state television channel.
“We are determined to cater to the next generation of Sri Lankan television viewers via ITN while safeguarding social and cultural values of our motherland. Our new concept will be an integrated approach having a flavor of marketing”, he said.
“Marvels of information and communication technology and social media is aggressively challenging television and radio spheres throughout the world and Sri Lanka is no exception. We should work hand in hand with the digital world. In countries like USA, radio and television have evolved to counter eternal threats and harp on opportunities and we could follow suit”, added the ITN Chairman.
He further said TV channels should adhere to code of ethics for the benefit of viewers. “A viewer has the right to watch a programme he or she prefers without any hindrances like advertisements appearing vertically and horizontally on the television screen in a constant manner. Disturbances as such to pictures on screen also is great injustice for makers of teledramas and other programmes,” he stressed.
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology Bandula Gunawardene gracing the occasion said management decisions of ITN would be free from any political interference and a monitoring process would be carried out by an independent body. He said in accordance with the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vision the intention is to create a new television culture suited for Sri Lanka via ITN.
“At this juncture when a new trend in media is being set by a television channel owned by the government, I humbly invite sponsors, advertising personnel, critics, directors and producers of teledramas to support this endeavor” said the minister.
Dimuthu Muthu directed by late Dr D B Nihalsinghe and telecast over ITN became the pioneering Sinhala teledrama. It went into history also as the South Asia’s first colour teledrama.
This trend was followed by teledramas such as ‘Rekha’, ‘Suseema’, ‘Dandubasnamanaya’, ‘Akala Sandya’, ‘Paba’ and most recently, ‘Koombiyo’.
New teledramas, films, news broadcasts, educational and sports programmes, musical programmes, children’s programmes, religious programmes lined up that are presented differently, would cater to mass public appeal and elevate ITN to the next level. Pictures by Tennyson Edirisinghe
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