GTBC FM (Global Tamil Broadcasting Corporation) has surprisingly been renamed as Athavan Radio. GTBC was first started as a web radio station, but later it replaced Tamil International Radio (TIR), a radio station from Sri Lanka run by EPDP, on Eutelsat Hotbird satellite on 13 degree East. 
Due to high costs to broadcast on satellite, one by one Tamil radio stations closed down their satellite transmissions - and GTBC was one of them - leaving only TRT Tamil Olli, IBC Tamil Radio and ILC Tamil Radio as remaining Tamil satellite radio stations in Europe. 

Recently GTBC has been running advertisement for Athavan TV and Lyca TV (IPTV) on their radio and website. Athavan TV is run by Lyca, which is known from its Lyca Mobile company in many countries. Athavan TV is telecasting free-to-air on Eurobird 9A satellite in Europe and through their Lyca TV IPTV platform in different parts of the world. Athavan TV is mainly telecasting programmes from Puthuyugam TV from India - along with some few locally produced programmes in Sri Lanka and UK - and some movies. 

Lyca Media's big competitor is Lebara's IBC Tamil Radio and IBC Tamil TV from UK. Lyca Media is already running some Hindi radio stations in UK, but they have missed a Tamil radio station to attract Tamil listeners in Europe. Already Lebara's IBC Tamil Radio and IBC Tamil TV are running very successfully with wellknown presenters and programmes in high quality. Lebara and IBC are also known for their support of Eelam Tamils while Lyca and Athavan is known for their pro-Srilankan stand - for example Lyca TV is telecasting Sri Lankan government owned/supporting channels who are known for their anti-Tamil Eelam propaganda. 

Lyca has earlier been testing Athavan Radio on www.athavanradio.com, but the stream was later closed down. But with the new cooperation with GTBC, they now have presenters and live shows which Tamil listeners already know. 

Athavan Radio will be developed further and it is also planned to start satellite transmission and DAB transmission in London to compete with Lebara's well-established and wellknown IBC Tamil Radio, which is regarded not to be easy for Lyca even if they have GTBC on their side now. 

- MEDIA ASIA