Licenses are issued for private broadcasting stations in terms of the provisions of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation Act No. 37 of 1966 and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation Act No. 6 of 1982 for maintaining broadcasting and telecasting licenses.
Accordingly, 27 private broadcasting licenses and 54 private television licenses have been issued thus far whereas only 18 broadcasting licenses and 28 telecasting licenses are in operation.
The requirement of a respective institution for acting for both media of broadcasting and telecasting has been urged by a committee appointed for studying the process applicable to the issuance of licenses.
A draft bill has also been forwarded under the caption “Broadcasting Regulatory Commission”.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Information and Mass Media for the appointment of a committee comprised of experienced intellects of the field to table recommendations subsequent to further reviewing the bill,
The Committee will also look into the issuance of licenses for broadcasting and telecasting by amending the provisions of the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
