Former Media Minister Imthiaz Bakeer Markar was appointed as the Chairman of the newly established National Media Centre (NMC), which comes under PM’s office. Government already controls two TV stations, number of Radio stations and huge print media institution Lake House. On the top of these media government operates dozens of news websites which comes under different ministries.
Government says this new institution is to have centralized system where information can be disseminated through accurate and reliable channels.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe table this proposal last month to establish the NMC to “provide complete, reliable and accurate official information to the public, through a centralized system,” which was endorsed by the Cabinet.
The centre will come under of the Prime Minister’s Office and Department of Government Information.
Bakeer Markar was a Member of Parliament from the Kalutara District from 1989 to 2004, as well as a former Vice President of the United National Party (UNP), reports