Sri Lanka’s three state-owned broadcasters recorded combined losses of Rs. 271 million in the first six months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry’s Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2026 shows that the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) made a loss before tax of Rs. 166 million between January and June. Independent Television Network (ITN) recorded a loss of Rs. 37 million, bringing the two television broadcasters’ combined loss to Rs. 203 million.
The state radio broadcaster, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), recorded a loss before tax of Rs. 68 million over the same period.
Rupavahini’s six-month loss is already equal to nearly 87 percent of the Rs. 191 million it lost during the whole of 2025. ITN, which had made a profit of Rs. 62 million in 2025, moved into loss in the first half of this year.
Background
Rupavahini has lost money for several years running. It recorded a loss of Rs. 247 million in 2024 and Rs. 191 million in 2025, the report shows.
ITN had reported a profit of Rs. 3 million in 2024 and Rs. 62 million in 2025, so this year’s loss is a reversal for the company. SLBC lost Rs. 176 million in 2024 and Rs. 203 million in 2025.
The broadcasters’ figures stand apart from the wider picture in the same report. The Finance Ministry said Sri Lanka’s major state-owned enterprises recorded a combined profit of Rs. 259.3 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with Rs. 227.8 billion in the same period of 2025. Several state banks and major commercial enterprises reported substantial profits, while the three broadcasters remained loss-making.
What it means
State-owned enterprises belong to the public, and their results feed into the government’s own financial position. The figures show how the broadcasters’ finances compare with those of other state-owned enterprises that reported profits during the same six months.
The report covers the period up to June and gives the position before tax. Full-year results for 2026 will show whether the broadcasters’ losses grow, shrink or reverse in the second half of the year. The Finance Ministry’s report does not set out the reasons for the losses at any of the three institutions.
