MN.23.05.1985 - SLBC Sri Lanka Special

In this edition, we're going back to May 23rd 1985 when I was fortunate to visit Sri Lanka for the first time, as part of a stop-over on Air Lanka to Tokyo. Actually, it was great to spend some time with two long time friends of the Media Network programme, Victor Goonetilleke (pictured) and Sarath Weerakoon. This was just before a new round of hostilities broke out in the North and East of the country. I travelled with Adrian Petersen (AWR) to see the Deutsche Welle Trincomalee relay station - a trip of almost 8 hours. We stayed in the Moonlight Bay hotel, which I found out later was blown up a few weeks later. On our return, Victor had organised a meeting of Radio Netherlands' listeners and I was amazed to discover that some people had travelled over two days just to say hello and express their appreciation for Media Network and Pete Myers show at the time called Mainstream Asia. Again, as you listen to this it important to realise this is 10 years before Internet had mass appeal, only a few satellite TV channels requiring 11 metre dishes and the only way for ordinary folk to follow events was with a shortwave radio. Enjoy this one. I personally love the story from the late Chairman of the SLBC Livy Wijemanne about how SLBC got its transmitting station by clever negotiations with the British. He also explains the relations with VOA and TWR. At the end of the programme is late-breaking news from Dennis Powell as Radio Marti hits the airwaves for the first time.