Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Mr. President remove the unethical tax imposed on TV

It is rough times specially for the people who like to watch English programmes on TV since we saw that many English programmes on Art Tv and ETV were curtailed and only news was shown.

The TV stations in Sri Lanka should have seen this coming after the stoppage of certain Cable TV channels by vested interests, now the local channels are also being targeted. These are the people who did nothing when CBNSat & LBN was fighting it's case and now they are also being affected. They were happy when the Cable TV Channels shutdown.

Anyway looks like H.E Mahinda Rajapakse has not come out with a statement regarding this issue and we hope he sees the injustice and comes out with a solution. Only if local programmes compete with international programmes will we have good quality local entertainment. Do not force people to watch what they do not want to. Give us the freedom to choose it is our Human Right.

Please urge the local actors and producers to produce good quality entertainment instead of getting good quality entertainment restricted and them not improving their acting skills and production skills.

We the citizens of Sri Lanka demand the Government of Sri Lanka not to resort to unethical practices by restricting freedom of choice. First Cable TV and now local TV, what is next.....

Please remove all tax on imported tv programmes.

There is an article regarding this new tax on a leading Indian Website
Import duty on foreign content in effect in Sri Lanka; local broadcasters hit

5 comments:

Voice in Colombo said...

You don't need to cry for the TV channel owners. The tax imposed by the govy are peanuts to them. They are abusing their bargaining power, keeping TV viewers as a bait. What you do is exactly what they (TV Chanel owners) want us to do. They want us (TV Viewers) to make this (The new Tax) our problem, and push the government to remove the tax. Then who'll be benifited? Chanel owners. So, don't fall into the trap laid by MTV & Maharaja. Just wait few days. ART & ETV will start telecasting those programs as usual. Cuz, they can't survive without telecasting those for more than 3, 4 days.

TV Channels earn, Rs. 60, 000 to Rs, 100,000 per every 30 second Commercial aired on their chanells. They don't have a huge purchasing cost for these programs as well. So, what do you think? ART TV is in a loss by paying the tax for telecasting LOST ????

I repeat. Don't fall into the trap of Maharaja. Just wait and watch. TV Chanells will pay the tax, and keep on telecasting these programs as usual. If you & me try to take their (Chanel owners) problem as our problem, they (Channel owners) will do us on our ass, and enjoy the benifit of tax redeem.

Anonymous said...

For voice_in_colombo

In case you do not know some programmes telecast over ETV & Art Tv such as American Idol and Lost are expensive programme's. I do not whether you work for Rupavahini.

Even India has said that they are allowing open improts of foreign tv programmes and this has helped them to improve the quality of their programmes as well.

May be our president is taking the advice of China and Iran.

Voice in Colombo said...

To Anonymous,

Good that you are Anonymous.

\\\\In case you do not know some programmes telecast over ETV & Art Tv such as American Idol and Lost are expensive programme's\\\



Expensive? How expensive? I just learned the average price per English program is 200 USD per episode. Let's say, this is 500 USD per episode of LOST, since you say its "expensive". That's about Rs.50,000/-

So the cost can be covered by just one commercial.

For your information, I'm not working for Rupavahini. But I'm not scratching the back side of Maharaja, like you do. Are you working for Maharaja by the way?

Just don't make their problems your own. They won't stop telecasting these programs for any reason. That's their business. They just want to save few bucks, like any human being want. Don't be "used" as a tool for them to save their money.

Anonymous said...

Dear Voice of Colombo !!!

You are also anonymous my dear. Is this the name given to you by your parents ????

If you really care about foriegn tv programs destroying our culture go ahead and scratch the asses of the government and BAN THEM !!!

Why are you taxing them ??

You are trying to make a living out of these foriegn programms.

Is the damage to the culture is not done when you tax these programs ????

justavisitor said...

Good Cartoon