Anusha Palpita, the outgoing chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) who is also a qualified accountant, has produced his government-commissioned report on ways to make the financially ailing state media unit viable. Anusha Palpita has recommended the voluntary retirement of hundreds of SLBC employees as a measure to make the corporation viable. The survey reveals that there are 1037 employees on the payroll of the corporation. Anusha Palpita has indicated that nearly 400 staff are more than enough to run the corporation. As an immediate measure the report has suggested the voluntary retirement of 400 staff.Palpita has recommended that SLBC could easily survive with seven main channels. He has also recommended cutting the Childrens’ Service and all Provincial Services from 18 hrs to 6 hrs daily. At the Rajarata, Kanthurata and Ruhuna services, there are more than 40 employees in each service, and according to the survey the staff actually needed per service is around 15. Therefore it has been decided to transfer the balance of the staff to the main office in Colombo.
Another financial problem is the corporation’s electricity bill, which has shot up by 80 percent this year. With the view to reduce the electricity bill by 40 precent, it has been proposed to appoint a committee consisting of two SLBC engineers and an accountant.
The charges for relaying BBC services are to go up by about 400%. At present the BBC is paying just US$ 35 per hour, and SLBC provides daily 10 hours of broadcasting time to the BBC. Other than that, SLBC gives free air time for Sinhla Sandeshya service and for Tamil Osai. The agreement with the BBC ends in August and it has been agreed to charge US$125 per hour. The Sandeshay Sinhala Service channel and Tamil Osai, which for years have been allowed to broadcast free of charge, are to be charged US$150 and $100 daily.
(Source: Asian Tribune/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)