The Launching of Broadcasting in Ceylon

Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in South Asia. 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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... Composite satellite image of South Asia Map of South Asia. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ...

When it comes to the history of broadcasting, Ceylon plays a very important role alongside the United States of America, Great Britain and Germany.

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. The launching of broadcasting in Ceylon Edward Harper was an engineer who travelled to Colombo in 1921 to work in the Ceylon Telegraph Department. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for 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. Nickname: Motto: Official website: [2] Location [[Image:|250px|Location of Colombo]] Government Colombo Division, Colombo District Mayor Prassanna Gunawardena (United National Party) Geographical characteristics Area 14. ... Edison cylinder phonograph from about 1899 The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded sound from the 1870s through the 1980s. ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity which involves organized and audible sound, though definitions vary. ... HMS Vanguard, a Vanguard-class nuclear ballistic missile (SSBN) submarine HMCS Windsor, a Victoria-class diesel-electric hunter-killer (SSK) submarine HMAS Rankin, a Collins-class diesel-electric guided missile (SSG) submarine USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate...

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.' December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Harper also founded the Ceylon Wireless Club together with British and Ceylonese radio enthusiasts in the city of Colombo. 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 Geet Mala 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. // Career in Radio Ceylon Livy Wijemanne was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon. ... Vernon Corea; radio broadcaster Corea was a pioneer broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asias oldest radio station, in 1957 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. ... Pearl Ondaatje was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon the oldest radio station in South Asia. ... Timothy Navaratnam Horshington was a pioneering broadcaster of Radio Ceylonn, the oldest radio station in South Asia. ... Greg Roskowski was an announcer of Radio Ceylon during the height of the stations popularity in the 1950s in South Asia. ... Jimmy Bharucha, called a colossus in Sri Lankas broadcasting world passed away 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 South Asia. ... 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. ... 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 probarbly one of the most famous popular announcer from India. ... S.P.Mylvaganam was the first Tamil Announcer of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. ... Thevis Guruge was a distinguished broadcaster with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. ... H.M.Gunasekera was a respected broadcaster with Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. ... A.W. Dharmapala was a pioneering broadcaster and Outside Broadcast Engineer of Radio Ceylon - the oldest radio station in South Asia. ... // Sri Lankas highly acclaimed lyricist Karunaratne Abeysekera was one Sri Lankas greatest Sinhala broadcasters - he was also a highly acclaimed poet and song writer. ... Vijaya Corea is one of Sri Lankas well known media personalities who recently celebrated 40 years in the media. ... Nihal Bhareti is a popular radio announcer with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo. ...

The Hindu newspaper placed Ameen Sayani and Vernon Corea of Radio Ceylon in the top five great broadcasters of the world. The Hindu is one of Indias leading English-language newspapers, with its largest base of circulation in South India. ...

Radio Ceylon turned young Ceylonese talent into hosehold 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 Manhattens to name a few. Nimal Mendis is one of Sri Lankas greatest singer/songwriters. ... 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 Geet Mala' presented by Ameen Sayani on the Overseas Service among them.

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, Sunil Dutt (who went on to become a film star in Bollywood),Vijay Kishore Dubey, Ameen Sayani,Hamid Sayani, Shiv Kumar Saroj, and Manohar Mahajan. Gopal Sharma was a popular radio announcer on the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. ... Sunil Dutt (June 6, 1929 - May 25, 2005), born Balraj Dutt was an Indian Bollywood actor and politician. ... Typical Bollywood movie poster Bollywood is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry in India. ... Vijay Kishore Dubey was a pioneering announcer of the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon. ... Ameen Sayani was probarbly one of the most famous popular announcer from India. ... Hamid Sayani was a popular announcer with 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. ...

Clifford R. Dodd

Australian Clifford Dodd was sent to Radio Ceylon under the Colombo Plan. 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. The Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon Clifford R. Dodd was an adminstrator and broadcasting expert who was sent by the Australian Government under the Colombo Plan to work in Radio Ceylon. ...

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

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

• ' I have to express my deep gratitude to what was then called Radio Ceylon. (Sri Lanka now). It had a slightly more open attitude and did play Western music, so that's where I became familiar with all kinds of things that I could slightly regret, like the complete works of Ricky Nelson. ' (Salman Rushdie)

• ' For millions in this country, Radio Ceylon was not just a broadcasting station. It had a form and a personality. It was a companion who added a meaning to their lives, filled their vacant hours and has now left them with a host of memories of the melodious times which is hard to forget......' (Playback & Fast Forward Magazine - India)

• ' Soon after conquering Mount Everest half a century ago, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay turned on their transistor radio – and the first thing they heard was an overseas broadcast of Radio Ceylon, from more than 3,000 kilometres away. They joined millions of people across the Indian subcontinent who regularly tuned in to these broadcasts. A pioneer in broadcasting in Asia, Radio Ceylon for decades informed and entertained an overseas audience many times the population of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka....' (Panos)

Ricky Nelson Ricky Nelson can also mean Ricky Nelson (wrestler) or Ricky Lee Nelson, baseball player. ... Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie, Arabic: أحمد سلمان رشدی, Hindi: अह्मॆड सल्मन रुश्डिऎ on June 19, 1947, in Bombay, India) is an Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction, most of which is set on the Indian subcontinent. ... Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, meaning its summit is higher above sea level than that of any other mountain. ... Sir Edmund Hillary after accompanying the first plane to land at the Marble Point ground air strip - Antarctica Edmund Hillary on the New Zealand 5 dollar note Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE (born July 20, 1919) is a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, most famous for being the... Tenzing Norgay (May 29(?) 1914 – May 9, 1986) was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. ...

See also

• Vernon Corea
• Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
• List of Sri Lankan broadcasters
• List of Hindi broadcasters of Radio Ceylon
• SLBC-creating new waves of history
• Eighty Years of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka

Vernon Corea; radio broadcaster Corea was a pioneer broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asias oldest radio station, in 1957 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. ... 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. ...

External links

• Vernon Corea The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon
• Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation - Live Streaming