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Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

When it comes to the history of broadcasting, Ceylon plays a very important role alongside the United States of America, Great Britain and Germany. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Contents

Edward Harper

Edward Harper who came to Ceylon as Chief Engineer of the Telegraph Office in 1921, was the first person to actively promote broadcasting in Ceylon. For the musician see Edward Harper (musician Edward Harper was an engineer who travelled to Colombo in 1921 to work in the Ceylon Telegraph Department Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar

In the first ever radio experiments in Colombo, gramophone music was broadcast from a tiny room in the Central Telegraph Office with the aid of a small transmitter built by the Telegraph Department engineers from the radio equipment of a captured German submarine. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability

The experiment was a real success and three years later, on December 16, 1925, a regular broadcasting service came to be instituted in Ceylon - the station was called Colombo Radio with the call sign 'Colombo Calling. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. '

Harper also founded the Ceylon Wireless Club together with British and Ceylonese radio enthusiasts in the city of Colombo. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located These were exciting times where radio in South Asia was concerned. Many regard Edward Harper as 'the Father of Broadcasting in Ceylon. '

During World War II the radio station operations were taken over by the allied forces who operated Radio SEAC from Colombo. The station was handed over to the Government of Ceylon after World War II. Radio Ceylon came into force after the war and climbed broadcasting heights in South Asia, leading the way in the world of entertainment and news.

The legendary Announcers

Radio Ceylon has produced some of the finest announcers of South Asia among them Livy Wijemanne, Vernon Corea, Pearl Ondaatje, Tim Horshington, Greg Roskowski, Jimmy Bharucha, Mil Sansoni, Eardley Peiris, Shirley Perera, Bob Harvie, B.H.Abdul Hameed, Claude Selveratnam, Christopher Greet, Prosper Fernando, Ameen Sayani (of Binaca Geetmala fame), S.P.Mylvaganam (the first Tamil Announcer on the Commercial Service),Thevis Guruge, H.M.Gunasekera, A.W.Dharmapala, Karunaratne Abeysekera, Vijaya Corea, Elmo Fernando, Eric Fernando, Nihal Bhareti and Leon Belleth. Livy Wijemanne was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon He was one of Sri Lanka's greatest broadcasters on October 31 1948, the Post Master General (who was also Vernon Corea ( 11 September 1927 - 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Pearl Ondaatje was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon the oldest radio station in South Asia. Timothy Navaratnam Horshington was a pioneering broadcaster of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia Greg Roskowski was an announcer of Radio Ceylon during the height of the station's popularity in the 1950s in South Asia. Jimmy Bharucha, called a 'colossus in Sri Lanka 's broadcasting world' died in Colombo in June 2005 Mil Sansoni was a popular radio announcer and presenter of radio programs with Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia Eardley Peiris was a Radio announcer with Radio Ceylon who joined the radio station in the late 1950s and enjoyed huge popularity with millions of listeners across Shirley Perera was a popular announcer of the 1960s and 1970s in Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. Bob Harvie was a popular announcer of Radio Ceylon. Harvie's voice was inextricably linked to cricket commentaries from the island of Ceylon. BHAbdul Hameed was a very popular Tamil Muslim announcer of Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia Claude Selveratnam was a popular radio announcer of Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. Christopher (Chris Greet was a hugely popular announcer and presenter of radio programs with Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. Prosper Fernando was an announcer of longstanding with Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia Ameen Sayani was one of the most famous popular announcers from India. Binaca Geetmala was a hugely popular weekly Radio countdown show of top Filmi songs from Indian cinema listened to by millions of Hindi music SPMylvaganam was the first Tamil Announcer of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. Thevis Guruge ( &ndash 23 July 1989) was a distinguished broadcaster with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation HMGunasekera was a respected broadcaster with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. AW Dharmapala was a pioneering broadcaster and Outside Broadcast Engineer of Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia Karunaratne Abeysekera (1930–1983 was one of Sri Lanka's most famous Sinhala broadcasters Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka 's most well known media personalities Elmo Fernando was a popular announcer with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Eric Fernando was a popular English language broadcaster with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Nihal Bhareti is a popular radio announcer with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo. Leon Belleth was a popular announcer with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

The Hindu newspaper placed Ameen Sayani and Vernon Corea of Radio Ceylon in the top five great broadcasters of the world. The Hindu is a single-edition English-language Indian newspaper

Radio Ceylon turned young Ceylonese talent into household names among them the Ceylonese musicians of the 1950s and 1960s - Nimal Mendis, Bill Forbes, Cliff Foenander, Des Kelly, Adrian Ferdinands, Tissa Seneviratne, Harold Seneviratne, Douglas Meerwald and the Manhattans to name a few. Nimal Mendis a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter He is one of a handful of Sri Lankan musicians to make it to the BBC television programme Top of the Pops Earle Douglas (Dougie Meerwald was a pioneering Ceylonese musician

Some of Radio Ceylon's programs enjoyed by millions of listeners - the 'Maliban Show' presented by Vernon Corea, 'Ponds Hit Parade' presented by Tim Horshington,'Lama Pitiya' with Karunaratne Abeysekera and Binaca Geetmala presented by Ameen Sayani on the Overseas Service among them. Binaca Geetmala was a hugely popular weekly Radio countdown show of top Filmi songs from Indian cinema listened to by millions of Hindi music

The Hindi Service

Radio Ceylon had a very lucrative arm - the Hindi Service of the station. Millions of rupees in terms of advertising revenue came from India. The station employed some of the most popular Indian announcers who played a vital role in establishing Radio Ceylon as the 'King of the Airwaves' in South Asia, among them, Gopal Sharma,Vijay Kishore Dubey, Shiv Kumar Saroj, and Manohar Mahajan. Gopal Sharma was also the name of a former Indian cricketer Gopal Sharma was a popular radio announcer on the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon Vijay Kishore Dubey was a pioneering announcer of the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon. Shiv Kumar Saroj was a popular announcer with the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia Manohar Mahajan was a popular announcer of the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia Sunil Dutt (who went on to become a film star in Bollywood), Ameen Sayani and elder brother Hamid Sayani though not hired by Radio Ceylon became popular by using Radio Ceylon for broadcasting programs like "Binaca Geetmala" and "Lipton Ke Sitaare"

Clifford R. Sunil Dutt ( Hindi: सुनील दत्त June 6, 1930 – May 25, 2005) born as Balraj Dutt was an Indian Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India Ameen Sayani was one of the most famous popular announcers from India. Hamid Sayani was a popular announcer with the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon. Binaca Geetmala was a hugely popular weekly Radio countdown show of top Filmi songs from Indian cinema listened to by millions of Hindi music Dodd

Australian Clifford Dodd was sent to Radio Ceylon under the Colombo Plan. Clifford R Dodd was an administrator and radio expert with twenty years experience in broadcasting in Australia before he arrived in Sri Lanka Dodd turned the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon into a huge success. Dodd was a charismatic figure and he used his powers of persuasion to rise above politics to make Radio Ceylon into a successful brand name in South Asia. The radio station had no real competition in the region. Clifford Dodd and Livy Wijemanne hand picked some of the brightest talents in Ceylon turning them into popular professional broadcasters.

Radio Ceylon ruled the airwaves in South Asia as millions in the Indian sub-continent tuned into the radio station. People picked up Radio Ceylon broadcasts as far away as the United States of America.

Clifford R. Dodd's leadership, enthusiasm and drive helped motivate the young Ceylonese broadcasters - they were the brightest and the best in terms of creative talent. Dodd helped shape the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. The station spiralled upwards in terms of popularity and revenue for the country.

Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation

Distinguished civil servant M.J Perera was the first Ceylonese Director General of the then Radio Ceylon. Mapatunage Jamis Perera (aka M J Perera is a Sri Lankan civil servant

Radio Ceylon became a public corporation on 30th September 1967 and the station's name was changed to the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation. Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake appointed a distinguished Ceylonese civil servant, Neville Jayaweera to head the CBC. Neville Jayaweera is a distinguished Civil servant of Sri Lanka.

When Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972 the station underwent yet another name change as the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC came into existence on January 5th 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation

In December 2005 Sri Lanka celebrated eighty years in broadcasting, a historic landmark in the world of broadcasting. On January 5th 2007 the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation will celebrate forty years as a public broadcasting corporation.

Quotes on Radio Ceylon

See also

External links

Vernon Corea ( 11 September 1927 - 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC came into existence on January 5th 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation This is a list of broadcasters from the country of Sri Lanka which is located under India. Hindi Broadcasters of the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon. D Vijaylakshmi De Saram Vijay Kishore Dubey
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