A Critical Examination of The Societal Structural Transformations in Sri Lanka Facilitated by Private Television Channels During the Turn of The Millennium: A Concept Paper

Abstract

The invention of television diverted society onto a different path, as it entertained people with a consistent array of various content. This industry fills the gap that other sectors, such as photography and films, couldn't. However, in the context of Sri Lanka, television was introduced in 1979 with the Independent Television Network and in 1982 with the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. In the first decade of television in Sri Lanka, it aimed to accomplish the media literacy of Sri Lankans. However, after granting permission to private television channels to broadcast their content in Sri Lankan territory, the intention of television broadcasting changed. Due to the profitoriented journey among Sri Lankan television channels, their intention shifted towards grabbing the audience's attention by telecasting entertaining, educational, and other important content. This trend mainly improved with the beginning of the year 2000, a remarkable year that people all over the world had awaited, believing it would change traditional aspects of the world. This ideology influenced television channels in Sri Lanka, and private television channels always tried to capture the attention of Sri Lankan audiences with entertainment-oriented programs. This effort was a success, and the Sri Lankan community frequented those entertainment programs. As a result, a significant impact occurred in the society of Sri Lanka because of these programs. This trend mainly caused the establishment of pop culture in Sri Lanka When considering history, we can clearly identify how the behavior of private television channels in Sri Lanka directly influenced societal, political, and cultural changes in the country.