About Independent Television Network (ITN) Operations & Media Portfolio Audience Reach & Infrastructure Organizational & Governance Structure Strategic Value & Media Insights Contact & Access
Founded on 13 April 1979 by Shan Wickremesinghe, ITN was Sri Lanka’s first television station. The station was nationalized just two months later and now operates as a fully state-owned entity under the Ministry of Finance & Mass Media, with all shares held by the Secretary to the Treasury.
• Television channels: ITN (Sinhala), Vasantham TV (Tamil), Prime TV (English, defunct as of 2011).
• Radio stations: Lakhanda FM (Sinhala), Vasantham FM (Tamil), Prime Radio (English, defunct).
• Digital: ITN News online portal, broadcasting live news in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages and streaming globally.
• National TV and radio coverage reaches over 99% of Sri Lanka. Overseas reach extends to ~3 million Sri Lankans living abroad.
• The Sinhala channel garners ~7% audience share; Tamil channel ~2.4%; radio station shares are smaller but supplement digital reach.
• ITN is also Sri Lanka’s first HD‑capable broadcaster, investing in high‑resolution studio infrastructure in 2016.
• 100% ownership by the Sri Lankan government, managed under a public company framework belonging to the Ministry of Finance & Mass Media.
• CEO Chandana Thilakarathna oversees operations; Subash Jayawardena serves as Chief Editor.
• Governed under the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act with shared public media initiatives such as Lankapuvath news agency.
• ITN provides a case study in how a state broadcaster manages multilingual media operations, legacy transformation, and digital convergence.
• Its integration with Lakhanda radio and Vasantham services offers cross-platform synergy in content production and audience outreach.
• Niche value for policy analysts, advertisers, and broadcasters seeking insights on public-sector-operated media reach and editorial neutrality.
• Headquarters: Wickramasinghepura, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
• Tel: +94 11 277 4424
• Website: itn.lk (includes ITN News portal)
| Accepted Currencies: | Sri Lankan Rupees |
|---|
| Mon |
08:30 AM - 04:30 PM |
|---|---|
| Tue |
08:30 AM - 04:30 PM |
| Wed |
08:30 AM - 04:30 PM |
| Thu |
08:30 AM - 04:30 PM |
| Fri |
08:30 AM - 04:30 PM |
| Sat | Closed |
| Sun | Closed |
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