Vijaya Corea

Vijaya Corea
Former Director-General of the SLBC
Born	Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Education	St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia
Occupation	broadcasting executive, radio and TV presenter/announcer
Employer	The Government of Sri Lanka
Known for	Saturday Star, Lanka's Talent in Focus, Peace for All, and other radio programmes
Title	former Director-General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Spouse(s)	Ranjini Corea
Children	Viran Corea, Sashika Corea
Parent(s)	Dr.C.V.S.Corea and Amybelle Corea
Relatives	Victor Corea (Grandfather)
Website	slbc.lk

Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka's most well known media personalities. Corea is a household name in Sri Lanka, synonymous with broadcasting and show business for over four decades, and has often been referred to as Sri Lanka's No. 1 Compere.

He grew up in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Vijaya Corea is the son of Dr.C.V.S. Corea and Amybelle Corea and the step-brother of Dr. Gamani Corea who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. Corea's grandfather was the famed freedom fighter of Ceylon, Victor Corea. He is a direct descendant of King Dominicus Corea who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in 1596 by Vimala Drama Suriya, King of Kandy.

He was educated at the well known educational institution in Sri Lanka – St.Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. After he left school, Corea was planning to further his studies in Accountancy.

Corea joined the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon in 1964, lending his voice to the popular children's program Kiddies Corner. The American presenter, Craig Thompson, was unwell at the time, so Corea who was visiting Radio Ceylon was asked to step in, by his cousin Vernon Corea, despite having no prior broadcasting experience. He proved to be a natural, however, and lost no time in establishing himself as the most sought after commercial broadcaster. The impact of his voice and style before the microphone captivated the hearts of listeners. He joined Radio Ceylon at a time when the station was ruling the airwaves, right across the Indian sub-continent.The announcers of Radio Ceylon enjoyed star status in South Asia.

Corea climbed the management ladder and in the 1990s he was appointed Director-General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. While there, he succeeded in bringing a resurgence to Sri Lankan radio. Corea has been given numerous tributes and awards through the years. He is included in the list of notable individuals from the island of Sri Lanka.