US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO522

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000522 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR, I/RW, I/REC; PA 
SA/INS(FOR JWALLER); SA/PD (FOR LJIRWIN, LSCENSNY, WREINCKENS); 
SSA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OPRC, KMDR, OIIP, CE 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA PRIMER 
 
 
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1. Newspapers (English). 
----- 
 
DAILY MIRROR, a popular, centrist independent daily published by 
Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.  The MIRROR is available on line at 
. 
 
DAILY NEWS, a government-owned daily.  The DAILY NEWS is the 
English medium flagship of the Lake House newspapers, all of 
which are government-owned.  Sri Lanka's largest-circulation 
newspaper, the DAILY NEWS is also available on line at 
. 
 
ISLAND, an opposition daily published by Upali Newspapers Ltd. 
The ISLAND is published on Sunday as the SUNDAY ISLAND.  Both 
are available on line at . 
 
SUNDAY LEADER, an independent weekender produced by Leader 
Publications Ltd.  Available on line at 
. 
 
SUNDAY OBSERVER, a government-owned weekly produced by Lake 
House.  Available on line at . 
 
SUNDAY TIMES, a popular, centrist independent weekly produced by 
the Wijeya group, publishers of the Mirror.  Available on line 
at . 
 
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2. Newspapers (Vernacular). 
----- 
 
DINAMINA, a government-owned Sinhala daily produced by Lake 
House, publishers of the DAILY NEWS. 
 
DIVAINA, an opposition Sinhala daily produced by the Upali 
group, publishers of the Island.  DIVAINA is published on Sunday 
as the SUNDAY DIVAINA.  Available on line at 
. 
 
LAKBIMA, an independent Sinhala daily.  LAKBIMA is published on 
Sunday as the SUNDAY LAKBIMA. 
 
LANKADEEPA, an independent Sinhala daily published by the Wijeya 
group, publishers of the MIRROR.  LANKADEEPA is published on 
Sunday as the SUNDAY LANKADEEPA. 
 
THINAKARAN, a government-owned Tamil daily published by Lake 
House, publishers of the DAILY NEWS.  THINAKARAN is published on 
Sunday as the THINAKARAN VEERA MANJARI.  Both are available on 
line at . 
 
VIRAKESARI, an independent Tamil daily published by Express 
Newspapers (Ceylon) Ltd.  Available on line at 
. 
 
THINAKURAL, an independent Tamil daily published by Thinakural 
Publications Ltd.  THINAKURAL is published on Sunday as the 
SUNDAY THINAKURAL.  Both are available on line at 
. 
 
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3. Television. 
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CHANNEL EYE, a government-owned telecast produced by the Sri 
Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (which also produces RUPAVAHINI). 
CHANNEL EYE broadcasts in English and vernacular languages from 
08:30 to 23:30.  The news is available weekdays at 21:00 (in 
English), and at 08:00 and 19:00 (in Tamil). 
 
DYNAVISION, an independent telecast produced by DYNAVISION 
Broadcasting Company.  DYNAVISION broadcasts in English from 
07:00 to 23:00.  On weekdays the news is available at 09:00, 
15:00, 18:00, 20:00, and 23:30. 
 
ETV, an independent telecast produced by EAP Networks Ltd.  ETV 
broadcasts from 07:00 to 23:00.  It rebroadcasts the British 
news program, "Sky News," throughout the day and into the 
evening. 
 
ITN, a government-owned telecast produced by the Independent 
Television Network.  ITN follows an afternoon and evening 
broadcast schedule.  The news is available weekdays at 21:00 (in 
English), 19:45 (in Sinhala), and 17:45 (in Tamil). 
MTV, an independent telecast produced by Maharaja Broadcasting 
Corporation (which also produces SIRASA for Sinhala speakers and 
SHAKTHI for Tamil speakers).  MTV broadcasts, mostly in English, 
from 06:30 to 23:30.  On weekdays a locally produced news hour 
is available at 21:00.  BBC News is rebroadcast at 08:00, 09:00, 
14:00, and 23:00. 
 
SHAKTHI, an independent telecast produced by Maharaja 
Broadcasting Corporation (which also produces MTV for English 
speakers and SIRASA for Sinhala speakers).  SHAKTHI broadcasts 
in Tamil from 10:00 and into the evening.  On weekdays the news 
is available at 20:00 (in Tamil). 
 
SIRASA, an independent telecast produced by Maharaja 
Broadcasting Corporation (which also produces MTV for English 
speakers and SHAKTHI for Tamil speakers).  SIRASA broadcasts in 
Sinhala from 08:15 to 00:00.  On weekdays the news is available 
at five minutes before the hour (in Sinhala) and at 23:30 (in 
English). 
 
RUPAVAHINI, a government-owned telecast produced by the Sri 
Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (which also produces CHANNEL EYE). 
RUPAVAHINI broadcasts in English and vernacular languages from 
06:30 to midnight.  The news (in Sinhala) is available weekdays 
at 07:00, 12:30, and 20:00. 
 
SWARNAVAHINI, an independent telecast produced by EAP Networks 
Ltd., whose English telecast is ETV.  SWARNAWAHINI broadcasts in 
Sinhala from 08:45 to 00:30.  On weekdays the news is available, 
in Sinhala, at 08:00, 12:00, and 20:00. 
 
TNL, an independent telecast produced by Telshan Network Ltd. 
TNL broadcasts in English and vernacular languages from 05:00 to 
23:00.  The news is available weekdays at 20:55 (in English), 
and at 18:55 and 19:55 (in Sinhala). 
 
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4. Radio. 
----- 
 
SLBC, a government-owned signal produced by the Sri Lankan 
Broadcasting Corporation.  SLBC broadcasts in English and 
vernacular languages at 88.4, 91.7, 93.3, 98.3, 101.3, and 105.6 
FM. 
 
TNL, an independent signal produced by Telshan Network Ltd.  TNL 
broadcasts "contemporary hit" and "pop," in English and Sinhala, 
at 90.0 FM and 101.7 FM.  Telshan also offers "adult 
contemporary" programming on LITE at 89.2 FM.  Both signals are 
available on line at . 
 
YES FM, an independent signal produced by the Maharajah 
Broadcasting Corporation.  YES FM broadcasts in English at 89.5 
FM.  Maharajah also offers a Sinhala service, SIRASA, at 106.5 
FM.  Available on line at . 
 
An independent broadcaster, the E. A. P. Edirisinghe Group, 
offers signals in English, Sinhala, and Tamil respectively. 
They are E-FM (in English at 100.4 FM) SAVANA (in Sinhala at 
100.2 FM), and SRI (in Tamil at 99.0 FM). 
 
 
Beyond the Colombo area radio signals are often available: 
 
Island-wide at 89.FM (YES), 92.6FM (CLASSIC), 93FM (GOLD), 
102.9FM (HIRU), 104.2FM (SHAA), 104.5FM (SIRASA), and 105.1FM 
(SHAKTHI). 
 
In Central Sri Lanka at 102.9 FM (HIRU FM), 101.0 FM (YES FM, 
broadcasting in English), 97.9 FM (SOORIYAN FM), 88.8 FM (SIRASA 
FM, broadcasting in Sinhala), and 104.2 FM (THARU FM). 
 
To Eastern Sri Lanka at 106.5 FM (SIRASA FM, broadcasting in 
Sinhala). 
 
In Kandy at 88.2 FM (YES FM, broadcasting in English), 90.9FM 
(GOLD), 94.7 FM (SHAA), 104.8FM (SUN FM), 106.1 FM (SIRASA FM, 
broadcasting in Sinhala), and 107.9 FM (HIRU FM). 
 
To North and Central Sri Lanka at 90.9FM (GOLD) and 103.9 FM 
(SIRASA FM, broadcasting in Sinhala). 
 
In Nuwara Eliya at 88.8FM (SIRASA) and 101FM (YES) 
 
To Southern Sri Lanka at 88.2 (YES), 94.7 (GOLD), 96.7 (SHAA), 
100.7 (HIRU), and 106.1 (SIRASA). 
Wills