Independent Television Network

Prior to the establishment of ITN, several decisions had to be taken regarding the deployment of television in Sri Lanka. The Japanese company NEC provided technical assistance for the construction of the station, and later also supported the establishment of Rupavahini in 1982. The development of ITN took place alongside that of Rupavahini. One of the crucial decisions concerned the selection of a colour television system. Although neighbouring India was then operating a black-and-white system using NTSC equipment, Sri Lanka adopted the PAL system, with technical support provided by Japan, which itself used a variant of NTSC.

ITN was founded by Anil Wijewardene and Shan Wickremesinghe at Mahalwarawa, with additional support from an American investor. The first test transmissions were carried out in 1979 and were initially received only in Colombo, the channel's first coverage area. Early programming included international content such as the American educational series Sesame Street and the British sitcom Mind Your Language.

ITN Ltd formally commenced operations on 13 April 1979 with the launch of the ITN television channel. As the first television broadcasting service in Sri Lanka and South Asia, ITN introduced the first terrestrial television channel in the country. It was also the first privately owned television station in a region where radio and television were generally under government control. The founding board of directors comprised Shan Wickramasinghe, Anil Wijewardene and Bob Christie. Initially, the ITN studios and transmission station were located at Mahalwarawa Estate, Pannipitiya. A one-kilowatt transmitter and a 65 feet (20 m) transmission tower broadcast within a 15 miles (24 km) radius of Colombo. However, due to the geographical location of the station, weather conditions and limitations of the transmission equipment, early viewers often experienced disruptions and interference in programmes caused by voltage fluctuations.

On 5 June 1979, ITN Ltd was taken over by the state as a business undertaking under a Competent Authority. The late D. Thevis L. Guruge, former Director General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, was appointed as Competent Authority and played a significant role in the early development of the organisation.

Soon after commencing test broadcasts, ITN expanded its regular programming to a wider urban area. Local companies began importing Japanese-manufactured television sets, and sales quickly exceeded projections by UNESCO. At the time, television in India was still limited to black-and-white transmissions by Doordarshan, largely aimed at agricultural education, which contributed to the high demand for Japanese-made television sets in Sri Lanka, some of which were smuggled across borders due to the absence of an established market for foreign brands.

ITN was also the pioneer of colour television broadcasting in Sri Lanka. On 5 June 1984, ITN relocated to its present headquarters in Wickramasinhapura. In 1992, ITN was converted into a public company, with the state as its major shareholder. Thereafter, its revenue, programming diversity, technical capacity and coverage expanded considerably.

Among its radio operations, ITN manages Lakhanda and Vasantham FM. Lakhanda originated as a subsidiary of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and was amalgamated with ITN Ltd on 1 April 1997. It broadcasts content in Sinhala. Vasantham FM, launched in June 2009, was established to cater to the Tamil-speaking community in Sri Lanka.

On 25 June 2009, ITN introduced its second television channel, Vasantham TV, which broadcasts in Tamil. On 12 November 2009, ITN also launched Prime TV and Prime Radio, which provide content in English.