Marconi transmitted voice in 1820 from a small lab in England. The 2MT studio was shifted to Marconi House in two years time. It became 2LO or BBC (British Broadcasing Corporation). Following this, Ceylone became the first country in Asia and second in the world to have a radio station. BBC was established in Europe. The Very nextyear Edward Harper, a skilled technologist, was deputed to Ceylone to head Colombo Telegraph. He utilised the freedom he had productively.He used equipment confiscated from a German submarine to develop radio transmission. His efforts led to successful testing of a make-shift transmitter of 1KW. The small room of central telegraph office in Welikada, Colombo was used in 1923 to transmit gramophone music across half a kilometre. It was historic, and Edward Harper became father of broadcasting in Ceylone. He set up Colombo Wireless Club immediately. It was on 16th December, 1925 that Colombo radio went on air, and was adopted by the British Governor Sir Huge Clifford. Ceylone became a broadcasting nation along with Britain, Germany and the US. The allies took over the radio station on the eve of the second World War and was renamed as SEAC — South Eastern Asian Command. The entartainment programmes for the Jawans in India and South Asia were broadcast by SEAC. After the War, the Radio station was handed back to the Ceylone Government. It became Radio Ceylone on 1st January, 1950.

The Colombo Plan was mooted by Nehru, Jaywardhanr and Gulam Mohammed. Under the plan, the financing came mainly from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the US. Cilifford Dode from Australia who went to Ceylone as a tourist later participated in the Colombo Plan.He came to the rescue of Radio Ceylone.He allowed Indian advertises to use Radio Ceylone as a medium. The service became commercial on 30th September, 1950. Radio Ceylone received good revenues from advertising. The programming was made more entertaining.Radio Ceylone was a popular medium in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Radio Ceylone paid tributes to artstes from India and Pakistan.K L Sehgal’s voice woke up many Indians in the morning. Kishor Dubey and Gopal Sharma contributed a great deal to sustain its poularity. The tradition is continued today by Padmini Pereira and Jyoti Parmar.

Ceylone became republic on 22nd May, 1972. Radio Ceylone was christened as Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). SLBC has a treasure trove of Indian music. Radio Ceylone is crossing 89 years of its existence. We are reminded of one of their title songs sung by Lata Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoo.