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SOUND WAVES ARE NOW AT EASE WITH SINHALESE

The first commercial radio service across the Arabian Gulf dedicated to Sinhalese language will go on air from June 1. The trial run of the service, which is on an AM band, will begin on May 20. “We have secured a two hour time slot on a Ras Al Khaimah Radio Station frequency ...

to broadcast Sinhalese language programmes,” Ashokan, managing director, Symphony Advertising Services, told City Times. Katharata Sirasa, the name of the service, will be available every night from 10 pm to 12 midnight on 1152 AM frequency.

Symphony Advertising has tied up with Sri Lanka’s MBC Networks to operate the service. MBC Networks, which operates three television channels and four radio stations, is the leading privately-owned media organisation in Sri Lanka.

“Roshan Liyanage, one of Sri Lanka’s best known radio jockeys, will now be stationed in Ras Al Khaimah. Roshan will be joined by actress-presenter Dilini Sandeepkia on Katharata Sirasa,” Ashokan said.

Most of the two hours of Katharata Sirasa’s programming, like with most radio stations operating in the country, will be music-based. “The majority among the Sri Lankan community in the Gulf do not work in the executive cadre. Most of them are the ones who return home after 8 pm or 9 pm. We want our radio service to help them unwind after the long day at work,” Ashokan said.

Courtesy to the tie up with MBC Networks, Katharata Sirasa is already in possession of over 500 hours of programming. “Katharata Sirasa already has rights to play over 10,000 songs, apart from comedy dramas. MBC Networks has the exclusive rights to many of the leading recording labels in Sri Lanka. This means we will have access to the latest music releases,” Roshan, who has been a RJ for over 12 years now, told City Times.Roshan has been with Sirasa, the popular Sinhalese language FM station run by MBC Network in Sri Lanka, since it started its operations in 1993. “I have been involved in the setting up of the station. That could be the reason why MBC Networks wanted me to part of the new venture here,” said Roshan, adding, “We understand that there is a huge potential for a Sinhalese language radio station here. We want to start in a small manner and then scale up our operations.”

During the two hours of its operations every night, Katharata Sirasa will broadcast three short news bulletins. It will also run programmes that will, according to Roshan, “help build a bridge between the Gulf and Sri Lanka. “We will have programmes where in people living here can send and receive messages from their near and dear ones in Sri Lanka,” Roshan added.

Roshan does agree that a FM band would have meant better sound clarity. “Transmitting on AM band will help us cover a large area. This being the first such venture, we want to target as many listeners as possible,” he said.

According to Ashokan, with the existing infrastructure, Katharata Sirasa would be heard not only in the GCC countries, but also in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan and Turkmenistan. “Our estimate is that there are at least half a million Sri Lankan expatriates in the GCC alone. There is certainly a huge potential for such a service,” he added.

The initial feedback to the new radio service has been positive. “We already have a line of advertisers for the service. Many Sri Lanka-based companies have shown keen interest in picking up ad slots in Katharata Sirasa,” said Ashokan.

Katharata Sirasa is only one of the slots on 1152 AM. Similar to the slot for Sinhalese language, Ras Al Khaimah Radio Station has provided slots for Arabic, Kannada, Marathi, Arabic, Bangla and Pashtoon on the same frequency.