M. J. Perera

Infobox Person
name = M.J.Perera


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birth_date = birth date and age|1914|12|14
birth_place = Padukka, Sri Lanka
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nationality = Sri Lankan
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known_for = The first Ceylonese Director-General of Radio Ceylon
education = Nalanda College, Colombo
employer = The Government of Sri Lanka
occupation = broadcasting / television executive
title = Director-General of Radio Ceylon,first Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
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predecessor = John Lampson, Director-General, Radio Ceylon
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Mapatunage Jamis Perera (aka M. J. Perera) is a Sri Lankan civil servant. He created broadcasting history by being the first Ceylonese Director General of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia, taking over the helm from John Lampson of the BBC.cite web |title= Gnanam Rathinam - a pioneer Radio Ceylon broadcaster|url=http://www.tamilweek.com/Gnanam_Rathinam_0010.html|accessdate=2008-09-04]

Perera witnessed the transformation of Radio Ceylon as "King of the Airwaves" in South Asiacite web |title=The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon (Sunday Observer,Sri Lanka)|url=http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2004/07/18/fea20.html|accessdate=2008-09-04] - the radio station was the market leader and the number one radio station in the region during the 1950s and 1960s, with a loyal base of millions of listeners.cite web |title=When Ceylon ruled the airwaves|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2006/01/01/stories/2006010100150400.htm |accessdate=2008-09-04] Radio Ceylon enjoyed huge success under his leadership.

Clifford Dodd, an Australian administrator, was appointed (via the Colombo Plan) as the first Director of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon and he contributed to the station's popularity across the Indian sub-continent.

M.J.Perera was also appointed the first Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation,the island's television station and the country's first competent authority.

Born on 14th December 1914 in Padukka, he was educated at Nalanda College and at the University of Ceylon. He became a assistant Government Agent and went to become Chairman of the Rupavahini Corporation and Permanent Secretary of the Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry, retiring from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service after 48 years public service.

ee Also

*Radio Ceylon
*Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
*Nalanda College

Further Reading on M.J.Perera

[http://lakdiva.org/suntimes/000102/sup5.html "When life was simple"] As told to D.C. Ranatunga by M. J. Perera former Civil Servant and Permanent Secretary to the Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry

[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/livy.html "Livy's golden years on radio"] by Noel Crusz

[http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/08/09/fea01.asp "Cultural orthodoxy and popular Sinhala music"] an article by Dr. Tissa Abeysekara

[http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/02/14/art03.asp "At the Berliner Ensemble"] Henry Jayasena Column

References

External links

* [http://www.slbc.lk Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation - Live Streaming]
* [http://ivan_corea.tripod.com Vernon Corea of Radio Ceylon]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/12/21/fea10.htm SLBC-creating new waves of history]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/12/27/fea02.htm Eighty Years of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka]