TV Lanka, a worldwide digital satellite television channel has made its debut on the LMI1 satellite.

The state of the art 24-hour channel is being promoted by Electroteks, a global satellite communication network. It will be one of the first worldwide digital satellite TV channels operating from the region, media reports say.

The Sri Lankan media also say that the network will operate two full time digital video and six audio/music channels to run cultural and entertainment programmes in addition to news. TV Lanka, reports say, will be used to boost the Sri Lankan image worldwide and could be a catalyst to promote Sri Lanka in the SAARC countries. It is projected as a free to air channel for Sri Lankan expatriates in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

TV Lanka, the reports say, is a fully Sri Lankan owned and operated service without any foreign skill or funding.

Sri Lanka already has the government owned and operated Independent Television Network (ITN), Young Asia Television (YATV), ETV 1 and ETV 2 and the Telshan Network's TNL TV.