The first radio broadcast in Ceylon was in 1923 when recorded music was broadcast using parts of radio equipment from a captured German submarine.^[1] Regular broadcasting started in Colombo in July 1924.^[1] Ceylon's first radio station Radio Colombo started regular broadcasting on 16 December 1925.^[2][3] The station was taken over by the British military during World War II who renamed the station Radio SEAC which broadcast across South Asia from October 1944. After the war the station was handed back to the civilian government of Ceylon who renamed it Radio Ceylon on 1 October 1949.^[1][3] The station was immensely popular both in Ceylon and other parts of Asia.

The Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Act No. 37 of 1966 incorporated the Department of Broadcasting.^[2] Radio Ceylon became a public corporation on 30 September 1967, changing its name to Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).^[2][3] Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972 after becoming a republic and consequently CBC was renamed Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).^[2][3]

SLBC broadcast on medium wave until 1993 when FM broadcasting began.^[2] 95% of the country received FM transmissions by 1999.^[2] The government maintained a monopoly on radio broadcasting until the early 1990s when private radio stations were allowed to broadcast. Today there are numerous private radio stations but the state-owned stations continue to dominate the market.