Young Asia Television breaks new ground with the launch of a radio drama series on 5th August 2009 named Kannagipura/Kannagipuram. Innovative, entertaining and action oriented, this radio drama series will be available to both Sinhala and Tamil listeners in Sri Lanka on Wednesdays and Fridays on SLBC’s national, commercial and regional channels. A music CD with the bilingual song KANNAGIPURA/KANNAGIPURAM has also been released to local radio stations to coincide with the broadcast of the series.
The story is set in the fictional Eastern village of Kannagipura/Kannagipuram where village youth take matters into their hands to bring the much desired change they want to see in their community. Complete with action and drama, love and conflict, the series is both entertaining and thought provoking as it explores the reality of living in Sri Lanka in the current national context. The series highlights the values of tolerance, co-existence and respect among people and communities in Sri Lanka.
Kannagipura/Kannagipuram is the outcome of an innovative script development and production process. Winners of a script writing competition held in January 2009 worked alongside the professional production team of Young Asia Television to develop the storyline and episode scripts, bringing in fresh ideas and insights from the districts of Sri Lanka. Listener groups have been set up in 9 districts to provide feedback and information about local events and developments. The team was given technical support by the consultant to the project, Francis Rolt.
Broadcasts will be on the SLBC network of national and commercial channels and the regional channels such as City FM, Rajarata FM, Kandurata FM, Wayamba Handa, Kothmale FM, Thendral FM, Perai FM, and Jaffna Service. The drama series will be broadcast twice weekly, simultaneously in Sinhala and Tamil, Wednesday and Friday from 6.45pm -.7.00pm on all channels except the Thendral FM which will broadcast the drama from 5.45.pm to6.00.pm. Kannagipura/Kannagipuram primarily targets youth in the age group of 19 to 29, while also concentrating on people of other ages as a secondary audience in rural and semi urban communities.
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Shamini Boyle- Director- Editorial of Young Asia Television addresses the media conference
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Journalists are seen covering the launch
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The Chief Executive of Young Asia Television Hilmy Ahamed addresses the media conference
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The bilingual Radio drama has 156 episodes each in Sinhala and Tamil
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The Chairman of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Hudson Samarasinghe stresses the importance of Radio drama
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Eight script writers were chosen out of 146 applicants and trained
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Ruwan Bogamuwa- Senior Producer of Young Asia Television is speaking at the media launch
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Calendar where the broadcast dates are highlighted. The calendar begins from August 2009, and ends in January 2011. The calendar is produced to mark the broadcast period
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Shakir Ahamed- Producer of Young Asia Television addresses the media conference
