Actors Ravindra Randeniya and Sangeetha Weeraratne have clashed with private television stations over the television tax that was imposed several months ago. The clash erupted at a meeting called by the treasury officials over the controversial tax. Capital Maharaja have stopped paying the tax over the past few weeks in protest over the affect on the financial viability of the television stations. It also seems that this tax should be paid before the programme is screened.
The problem with the tax issue should be a discussion between the Treasury/Finance Ministry/Media Ministry and the private media, the actors should not get directly involved. If these actors want their dramas/movies to do well then they should act properly and should be involved in high quality productions. They are not happy that the latest English/Hindi/Tamil movies are being screened in Sri Lanka almost at the same time as their International release.
These actors view imported television entertainment and movies as a threat to them, but this should not be so. They should learn from international productions and raise their level so that local productions will be able to compete directly. This is unfortunately something that these people are not prepared to do, at least the group led by Sangeetha and Ravindra do not want to do it, so the only way they can think of doing to popularise the industry is to curtail the choice that the general public have and force them to watch their third grade acts. A person who has common sense will know that this is difficult since DVD's are readily available in the market and content can be downloaded off the internet.
Sangeetha has also mentioned that dubbing staff employed in television stations are not part of the industry. If they are not part of the industry, we wonder what they are part of. This shows the level of intelligence of some of these high profile stars.
The film industry should discard actors and actresses such as these who hold narrow minded views and let them stick to soap and insurance commercials. They should source younger people who are able to take the challenge and act in productions that are able to compete directly with the international productions.
This tax has a very damaging effect on the operations of mainly the English Language stations which have a limited audience, a sentiment echoed by both Channel One MTV and ETV. It also seems that the government has no proper plan on how to make use of this money collected by this tax. In fact these actors/actresses should be more worried on how the money collected is being spent but they are concentrating on things that do not concern them. This is in itself proof that they are not in the least concerned about developing the industry but are more concerned in achieving petty political goals and oppressing the choice of the general public.
Please refer the following links
Clash over controversial TV Tax - The Sunday Times July 8th 2007
Sri Lanka TV industry hit by penal tax - LBO July 07th 2007
The problem with the tax issue should be a discussion between the Treasury/Finance Ministry/Media Ministry and the private media, the actors should not get directly involved. If these actors want their dramas/movies to do well then they should act properly and should be involved in high quality productions. They are not happy that the latest English/Hindi/Tamil movies are being screened in Sri Lanka almost at the same time as their International release.
These actors view imported television entertainment and movies as a threat to them, but this should not be so. They should learn from international productions and raise their level so that local productions will be able to compete directly. This is unfortunately something that these people are not prepared to do, at least the group led by Sangeetha and Ravindra do not want to do it, so the only way they can think of doing to popularise the industry is to curtail the choice that the general public have and force them to watch their third grade acts. A person who has common sense will know that this is difficult since DVD's are readily available in the market and content can be downloaded off the internet.
Sangeetha has also mentioned that dubbing staff employed in television stations are not part of the industry. If they are not part of the industry, we wonder what they are part of. This shows the level of intelligence of some of these high profile stars.
The film industry should discard actors and actresses such as these who hold narrow minded views and let them stick to soap and insurance commercials. They should source younger people who are able to take the challenge and act in productions that are able to compete directly with the international productions.
This tax has a very damaging effect on the operations of mainly the English Language stations which have a limited audience, a sentiment echoed by both Channel One MTV and ETV. It also seems that the government has no proper plan on how to make use of this money collected by this tax. In fact these actors/actresses should be more worried on how the money collected is being spent but they are concentrating on things that do not concern them. This is in itself proof that they are not in the least concerned about developing the industry but are more concerned in achieving petty political goals and oppressing the choice of the general public.
Please refer the following links
Clash over controversial TV Tax - The Sunday Times July 8th 2007
Sri Lanka TV industry hit by penal tax - LBO July 07th 2007
11 comments:
The governemnt of 1970-77 tried to improve the local film industry by settling the national film corporation, who were the sole authorised importers and ditributors of films.
They determined wht could come in and where it was shown. A levy on ticket sales was collected and paid into a fund for the development of new (supposedly innovative films)
The overseas films agents (MGM, Colombia etc) refused to work with the NFC, cinemas could not cater to their audience and the industry which had been extremely profitable upto that point almost collapsed.
The only thing that prevented a total disintegration of the industry was a law that made it impossible to tear down cinema halls (if one was brought down another needed to be errected in its place)
People who visted cinmeas in teh 1970's and 1980's will recall dingy, dirty halls selling mostly adult entertainment of the cheapest type.
Most cinemas operators went into other businesses or closed up. There was a revival in the 1990's and a full fledged recovery in the Ranil era of 2001-3. Now things are sliding back again with various restrictions being imposed.
Not beeing content with destroying the local film industry, thi sgovernment now seems to seek the same fate for television.
Ok guys lets not bull shit each other we all know that our local industry sucks balls compared even a bollywood movie created in the late 60's would be more meaningful and well thought out than some of the crap we get here not to mention that all our like that we have a few good ones too but then again its too few to mention therefore by implementing these taxes at the end of the day its the end user that suffers with networks deciding not to purchase the best content available...
Yes the actors or the acresses are not the people who should call the shots and they have no right to dictate terms to the television industry and we can excuse Ravindra Randeniya,but who is Sangeetha to meddle with this?
On the other hand the real authorities should take immediate action to scrap off the cancer on Sirasa TV "GON DEPAYA" which has become a cancer in this country showing extremely low quality indian stuff which is no good and detroys the quality of entire television audiance in the country.Untill Sirasa get rid of these 3rd grade teledramas shown during GON DEPAYA,there is no case for them and no way out.
could somebody please confirm whether Sangeetha is involved in the takeover of comet cable.
I have no idea about connection between Comet Cable & Sangeetha, but one thing I can say surely, that is, Siyatha FM & Siyatha TV's owner is Sangeetha Weeraratne.
Ohh really, Sangeetha is the owener of Siyatha FM & Siyatha TV? If so, its indeed a good news, cause the way she protesting against foriegn content (specially Hindi content, like Sirasa TV's GON-DEPAYA)we can expect good & quality Sinhala programming stuff from Siyatha TV, they are already showing their intend through broadcasting quality Sinhala programs over the Siyatha FM.
well, what i heard was (may not be correct)that Sangeetha is part of the new ownership @comet.
so if thats the case then how can she promote foreign channels whilst fighting 1)for the rights of local artists 2)against foreign content?
hope somebody who knows details of the new owners of comet would enlighten us.
natanna bari minihata polowa adai lu neh... these fellows cant come up with good productions, let alone find decent actors... still, they have enough money to get cable and they probably watch all the international soaps/series etc. according to them it is the common man who should pay the price for their incapabilty and mismanagement.
If Sangeetha is the owener of Siyatha FM & Siyatah TV and th same time Comet Cable, I think Sangeetha is willing to pay taxes to government for their foriegn content in their respective TV channels (Siyatha TV)
Ravindra Randeniya explaining whole drama behind the controversial tax discussion recently held with Finance, Media ministries, artists & media stations representatives. Please read this below interview with Ravindra Randeniya...
http://www.rivira.lk/2007/07/15/rividahara8.htm
it is a known fact that , however refined a person can be but if he/she is exposed to a very low quality environment the standards plummet.what sirasa has done is importing cheap quality stuff and inundating the viewers. with the money they save they offer prizes (millions, cars ,houses) to viewers of this two hours full of indian or local crap .(of same low quality - with amateur actors and actors on their payroll ) locals cannot compete because .....
we dont have equipment and other expertise in srilanka if we keep our films and hollywood bollywood on a lever playing field, then our film industry would be dead.
it is a must that government protects good as well as mediocre local film and tv productions, because without normal films the industry will not last long.
we love our actors actresses , sangeetha s ownership of a radio station ,geethas ownership of newspapers wont matter , they can and they should speak on behalf of sinhala film . ravindra and sangeetha have done a lot . if you are not sure of sangeetha's committment then watch ASWESUMA ,
dilin
BTW :watch my channel DILHANI.magnify.net if you are a dilhani ashokamala fan
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