Committee to reform state media wants more time | Sunday Observer

Committee to reform state media wants more time

17 February, 2019

The seven-member committee appointed to study the reporting of the state media to transform such institutions into public service media has called for more time to submit its initial interim report. According to sources, the committee was due to submit its initial report one-and-a-half months following its appointment on January 31. However, due to the complex and time-consuming nature of the task, the committee has asked for an extension of the deadline to submit its first report.

The committee appointed on January 31 to reform state media by the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera had met on two occasions.

They are likely to meet twice a week due to the tight deadline to complete the project. The committee has called for documentation to conduct their analysis, a source said.

The committee was appointed by Minister Samaraweera following numerous calls to transform state media institutions into public service media organisations. The focus of the committee will be on state-owned media institutions such as the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Independent Television Network and the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

The committee led by former Director of UNESCO’s International Programme for Communication Development, Wijayananda Jayaweera is due to make its recommendations to transform state-owned media into public service media to ensure that the institutions will act above party politics while the government of the day would not be able to exert control on them. The other members include Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda, Senior Lecturer in Mass Media Dr. Pradeep Weerasinghe, Communications Advisor Nalaka Gunawardene, Actress Kaushalya Fernando, Documentary Film Director Anoma Rajakaruna and Attorney-at-Law Sudarshana Gunawardena.

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