35th commemoration of distinguished brodcaster Mr. Thevis Guruge

35th commemoration of Mr. Thevis Guruge, who served as the competent authority of the independent television net work held at the Urban Elderly Home Wickramasinghe Pura,Battaranulla.

Mr. Tevis Guruge was killed on July 23, 1989 during the period of terror at that time.

It was while working for the development of the institution as the first competent authority of the independent television service.

Mr. Thevis Guruge's daughter Mrs. Subhadra Guruge and family members as well as a group of independent television crews were present.

Mr. Thevis Guruge was a distinguished broadcaster who was attached to  Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). He was the very first Sinhala Announcer with SLBC (Radio Ceylon) the oldest radio station in the South Asia. 

On July 5, 1989, he was appointed as the authority for the censorship of the news which was imposed by then Government. On July 23, 1989, Guruge (68) was killed  at Polhengoda. 


Mr.Guruge was the director of the Sinhala Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation  from 1970 to 1977. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent Television Network (ITN) in 1978.

He enjoyed iconic status alongside other announcers attached to the SLBC, Mr. Guruge was one of the early pioneers particularly where the Sinhala Service was concerned. Millions tuned into Radio Ceylon. It was not only for entertainment. It was for accurate reliable information and education. 

Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Srilanka by the colonial Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) came into existence on January 5, 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Then Prime Minister (1967) ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation. All State media, both print and electronic have been maintaining their standards from the beginning.

In the 1980s Thevis Guruge was appointed Competent Authority of ITN in Sri Lanka after it was acquired by Government. Mr. Guruge was assassinated in 1989 after a group had threatened him the week before. As he had not bowed to their threats, this visionary chairman met his demise.