Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation enters digital frequency with launch of new mobile app

State Minister of Defence and Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene making the unveiling

State Minister of Defence and Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene, Cyaniq Global former CEO Dilshan Senaratne, Mylinex International Head of Sales Shanaka Mendis and SLBC Digital Consultant Asela Waidyalankara

State Minister of Defence and Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene in conversation with SLBC Chairman Malaka Talwatte during the proceedings of the event

• Announces plans to make the digital push with new partnerships

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), Sri Lanka’s pioneering radio station, made its entry to cyberspace with the launch of a mobile app at an event held recently. The event was attended by a distinguished audience headed by State Minister of Defence and Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene, SLBC Chairman Malaka Talwatte and SLBC Director General Erananda Hettiarachchi. 

SLBC Chairman Malaka Talwatte making his welcome speech

The app interface

With the new mobile app, SLBC now enables audiences worldwide to tune in to the stream of premium content across its radio frequencies including Radio Sri Lanka, City FM, Thendral FM, Kandurata FM and the Tamil National Service.

“The SLBC, a mammoth presence in the radio industry has fallen back in the race for technological advancement over the last few decades,” commented Hettiarachchi speaking at the event. “The launch of this mobile app is the first step in a journey of transformation for the SLBC under the patronage of our recently-appointed dynamic Chairman Malaka Talwatte whose contributions have been the pillars on which today’s success rests.”

Available for both Android and iOS devices, the SLBC mobile app is expected to draw in a wholly new audience for the radio stations under the SLBC wing with the inclusion of expats, millennials and other mobile users. 

“It has always been my wish to see SLBC thrive in the modern radio industry where the private sector radio stations have been very successful at leveraging new technologies to broadcast wider, deeper and better. I’m thrilled to see the young, new Chairman of the SLBC living up to his own potential and the potential of the SLBC. I wish him the best and hope to continue to see progress,” commented Minister Wijewardene in his speech.

The well-attended launch event saw the participation of many distinguished guests along with performances from prominent artist Umaria Sinhawansa who serenaded the audience. 

At the close of the event, the app had recorded nearly 500 downloads and was gaining momentum to reach the wider mobile-first user base of Sri Lanka and the world. 

The SLBC partnered specialised marketing and corporate communication consultancy Cyaniq Global to involve the participation of social media influencers for the event and will continue to drive promotional initiatives in relation to the app and production of digital content for the new platform.

“We are truly excited by the prospects offered by this new mobile app for digitally transforming the SLBC and its host of premium broadcast content. Keeping pace technologically is a challenge for all organisations in this day and age and I believe this is the first pledge we make to compete and create value for our audiences in cyberspace.” 

“We are also very thankful towards everyone who contributed to make this effort a success including the management and staff of the SLBC, our Digital Consultant Asela Waidylankara, Hybriteq for developing the app, and Cyaniq Global for introducing the SLBC to social media influencers who we plan to engage with more closely in the future,” commented Talwatte in his speech.