TTN
CountryFrance
Broadcast areaEurope, Australasia, Middle East, North Africa
Programming
Language(s)Tamil
History
LaunchedJune 1997
Former namesTamil Radio & Television (TRT)
Links
Websitehttp://www.ttn.tv

Tamil Television Network (TTN) is a France-based Tamil language satellite television channel. Its main audience were Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe, Australia and the Middle East. The channel mainly broadcast films, live broadcast of football, crickets matches and news.

Launch

In June 1997 Paris based Radio Asia (founded by Sabapathy Suppiah Kuhanathan, editor of Eelanadu) launched Tamil Radio & Television (TRT), the first Tamil-language TV station outside India.[1] The subscription channel broadcast 24 hours to viewers across Europe, South Africa, Mauritius and Réunion. The channel broadcast news and original cultural programmes as well as films, soap operas and music imported from Tamil Nadu.

By 2000 it had about 7,000 subscribers and 50,000-60,000 viewers. Despite this the channel faced financial difficulties. In September 2000 Tamil Media Ltd, owner of IBC Radio, took a 50% stake in TRT, against the wishes of Kuhanathan.[2] On January 14, 2001 TRT was renamed Tamil Television Network.

Sabapathy Suppiah Kuhanathan now started Dish Asia Network and DAN Tamil Alai Radio

Closure

The French authorities started investigating TTN after the Sri Lankan government protested about its links to the Tamil Tigers. The investigations revealed that TTN did not have a license to broadcast from the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), the French broadcasting regulator.[3] Later TTN applied for a license but this was rejected by the CSA in February 2006 as TTN was already broadcasting from French soil without a license. The matter was referred to the Procureur de la République (Attorney General). The channel ceased broadcasting on 2 May 2007 when Globecast stopped relaying the channel.[4]

Relaunch

In 2013 TTN Tamil Oli has started their own IP TV Service, where you could watch Tamil Channels like TTN Tamil Oli and more channels.

References

  1. ^ Anbarasan, Ethirajan (February 2000). "Sri Lankan expats find a guardian angel". UNESCO Courier. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  2. ^ Ranetunge, Dushy (20 September 2000). "LTTE establishes global TV sweep with merger". The Island, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  3. ^ "French guillotine ready to chop the head of Paris-based Tamil Television Network". LankaNewspapers.com. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  4. ^ "France suspends TTN broadcast". TamilNet. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
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