More than 35 undergraduates from the Department of Applied Communication & Media Technology at NIIBS Campus wrapped up a two-day field study at Uva Community Radio this week, gaining hands-on experience in live broadcasting and programme production.
First, second and third-year students travelled to the Bandarawela station on 5 and 6 June under the supervision of department head Senaka Senaviratne. Lecturers Samira Attanayake and Sherly Samarasinghe joined the visit, working alongside station programme director Ajith Wasantha Epa and Tamil-medium producer Ramesh to guide students through studio operations, editing suites and on-air presentation techniques.
During the workshop, the students produced what is believed to be the first documentary on community radio broadcasting made by Sri Lankan university students. The project, completed in the station’s main studio, covered the role of grassroots radio in local development and cultural preservation.
Uva Community Radio waived its standard studio fee of Rs 8,000 per hour for the visit, and management pledged to open future training placements and internships to NIIBS students, officials said. Consolidating all three academic cohorts into a single trip also helped the university keep transport and accommodation costs to a minimum.
The annual field study is a core component of NIIBS’s media-technology curriculum, designed to give students real-world exposure ahead of their final-year internships and capstone projects.
