Deepam TV has recently published a picture advertising for a "new" programme on Deepam TV on their facebook page. On the picture it is stated that Deepam TV is the first 24 H Tamil TV-channel launched in Europe. But this is not true. The first 24 H Tamil TV-station from Europe was launched by Radio Asia from Paris, France in June 1997. The channel was called "TRT Tamil Oli TV" (Tamil Radio & Television - TRT). The channel was available on Eutelsat Hotbird satellite in Europe, North Africa and Middle-East. It also began transmission to Canada and Mauritius & Reunion islands. 
In June 2000 Deepam TV was launched from UK, and later the 3rd Tamil TV station from Europe, Cee(I)TV Tamil, from Reminiscent TV Network was launched in UK. 

TRT Tamil TV is not existing anymore, but the radio-station from TRT, TRT Tamil Oli from Paris is still broadcasting on satellite & web in Europe. The popularity of Deepam TV has fallen for the past years and many presenters, who have worked for Deepam TV since it was started, has left the channel and some are now working for the popular IBC Tamil TV from UK. A programme called "Vanakkam Thainaadu", which was first introduced to viewers on IBC Tamil TV is now being telecasted on Deepam TV.

The programme-head of Vanakkam Thainaadu is Rishi, and the programme shows different places and events from the Tamil homeland of the island called Sri Lanka. Rishi and his team did it very well until they produced a Vanakkam Thainaadu programme where they portrayed Sri Lankan army in a positive way. It made many Eelam Tamils angry as the Sri Lankan army is responsible of the killing and disappearence of tousands of Eelam Tamils in the final war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

The head of IBC Tamil TV, Niraj David, made an official excuse of the programme and said it would never happen again. It seems to be that Rishi & team couldn't work under these conditions, and now they have joined Deepam TV instead. The programme is aired on Deepam TV with the same name, and it is remarkable that Deepam TV management has allowed it even if IBC Tamil TV is already telecasting "Vanakkam Thainaadu" produced by another team from Jaffna on their channel. Even if there is a competition between Tamil channels from Europe, it is a bad move from Deepam TV to allow the programme with the same name known from IBC Tamil TV on their channel. It is like stealing the populariy of a special programme from another channel - and like being a copycat. 
For example when a presenter from GTV, Dinesh Kumar, moved to IBC Tamil TV, his programme "Velicham" was launched as "Puthu Velicham" on IBC Tamil TV because "Velicham" was still aired on GTV.

Deepam TV is available through Eurobird 9A satellite and also through Lyca TV IPTV platform. Lyca TV is the provider of Sri Lankan anti-Eelam channels like DAN TV, DAN News, Nethra TV and Vasantham TV. 

- MEDIA ASIA