The much-hyped debate between the leader of the National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Samagi Jana Balawegaya chief Sajith Premadasa on ITN last night (06) did not happen as widely expected.
Instead, with only Dissanayake in attendance, the ‘Thulawa’ talk-show moderator Sudarman Radaliyagoda agreed they should change it to a discussion on political affairs.
According to media analysts, at least four million viewers watched it in the beginning.
By the time it ended, it still had around 2.7 million viewers, they said.
Had Dissanayake-Premadasa debate taken place, the viewership could have been much higher.
By this afternoon, nearly 300,000 Sri Lankans abroad had watched the programme via ITN's YouTube chanel.
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