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Israel Media Guide - March 2006

Posted on: Friday, 17 March 2006, 06:00 CST

This guide to Israeli broadcast and printed media precedes the March 2006 elections, and covers main television channels, radio stations and print media. It does not cover websites and weblogs.

Broadcasting regulation

Television in Israel is overseen by a number of regulatory bodies. The publicly owned, monitored and financed television channels, Channel 1 and Channel 33 are regulated and operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA, http://www.iba.org.il). State- owned channels are also funded by the operation of a television licence fee system, whilst programmes may be funded by corporate sponsorship.

The privately owned, advertising-supported Channel 2 and Channel 10 are overseen by The Second Authority for Television and Radio (http://www.rashut2.org.il). In 2005 the Second Authority announced that Channel 2 would continue to be operated by its existing franchise holders, the Keshet and Reshet organizations, who will share broadcast days until 2015. A third franchise holder, Tel-Ad lost the right to continue as a Channel 2 operator.

Cable and satellite TV services are regulated by the Cable and Satellite Council, with licences issued by the Ministry of Communications (http://www.moc.gov.il).

Similarly, the publicly-owned Kol Israel radio network is regulated and operated by the IBA, whilst the second authority oversees the regulation of privately-own regional radio stations.

Additionally, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) oversees the operation of Galei Tzahal, the armed forces radio station.

According to the Second Authority website, there are also at least 150 non-regulated, privately-owned "pirate" radio stations operating in Israel without broadcast licences.

Television

Israel Television Channel 1 ("Arutz Ha-Rishon"): State owned and controlled (mostly) Hebrew-language channel based in Jerusalem. Also carries news bulletins and other programming in English, Russian and Arabic. Despite state control, the channel remains editorially independent. Available on the Amos satellite at 4 degrees West orbital position.

Channel 33 ("Arutz 33"): Formerly IBA Channel 3. State owned and controlled, Jerusalem-based channel with predominantly Arabic- language programming, distributed by cable and satellite. Available on the Amos satellite and via the Hot Bird 3 satellite at 13 degrees East.

Channel 2 ("Arutz 2"): Privately-own television channel regulated by the Second Authority, operated by two franchise holders, who share broadcasting days on a timetable set out by the regulator.

Reshet (http://www.reshet-tv.com) is a Herzliya-based company, owned by Polar Communications (36 per cent), Aviv Gilady (34 per cent), Bino Holdings (21 per cent) and Strauss/Elite Group (9 per cent). Its general manager is Yohanan Zangan.

Keshet (http://www.keshet-tv.com) is based in Tel Aviv. Its general manager is Avi Nir, and the company president is Uri Shenar.

News on this channel is provided by the Yehuda-based Israel News Company Limited. General manager is Shalom Kital.

Channel 2 also carries programming by Israeli Educational Television (http://www.ietv.gov.il), operated by the Ministry of Education, and a small number of programmes produced by the Second Authority.

Channel 10: A second commercially-operated channel launched in 2002, regulated by the second authority. Initially operated by franchisees Israel 10 and Eden Productions, the regulator subsequently allowed the two companies to merge. The single company - also called Israel 10 - ran into financial difficulties in 2003, which resulted in the Second Authority freezing the channel, lowering the company's obligations and erasing its liabilities for its first two years on air. The "freeze" process ended in 2004 with the formulation of a new debt agreement and the entry of new investors.

Israel 10 (http://www.10.tv) is a Givatayim-based company, managed by Nir Lempert.

News on this channel is provided by 10 News Limited, based at the same Givatayim address as Israel 10. General Manager is Ram Landes.

Knesset TV: A cable television channel dedicated to relaying the proceedings of the Israeli parliament.

Cable and Satellite TV: Israel has three regional cable companies, Matav, Tevel, and Golden Channels, with a monopoly in its own geographic area. The YES national satellite company started operations in 2000 via the Amos satellite as a direct-to-home, subscription-based service.. The company is obliged by its licence to carry Channel 1 and Channel 2, plus special interest channels. Bezeq, the state telephony company holds a 50.2 per cent interest in YES.

Radio

Voice of Israel ("Kol Israel"): Government-owned national radio service, funded by the television licence fee. Established as part of the Prime Minister's office in 1948 on the foundation of Israel, following several years of illegal operation under the British Mandate. The station became a public radio service in 1965, based on the BBC model, and is administered by the largely independent IBA. The station remains editorially independent of the government. Voice of Israel operates several radio services, which can also be accessed from the IBA website and via the Amos satellite:

Network A ("Reshet Alef"): Hebrew-language general entertainment service, operating for 18 hours per day on mediumwave and FM. Also carries news bulletins in English, French and Spanish.

Network B ("Reshet Bet"): 24-hour Hebrew-language news and current affairs station broadcasting nationally in the FM band.

Network C: Popular music channel, broadcasting in Hebrew 19 hours per day. Carries hourly news from Network B.

Network D: Arabic language station, broadcasting both on FM and on shortwave to Israel and the Arab world for 18 hours per day. Regular news bulletin.

Network Reqa ("Reshet Qlita v'Aliyah", the Immigrants Network): National radio channel for the immigrant population. Programmes are in Amharic, Bukharian, English, Hebrew, Hungarian, Ladino, Maghrebi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish. The station is on air for 17 hours per day and broadcasts news and current affairs, press reviews, interviews, and Hebrew lessons.

Voice of Education: Educational radio service, broadcasting in the Beersheva, Beit El, Haifa, Holon and Tiberias areas.

Voice of Music: Classical radio and drama station.

Voice of Israel External Service: Overseas radio station broadcasting on shortwave and via satellite. Due to budgetary restraints, the schedule has been cut back considerably over recent years, with many broadcasts being relays of language services from the Reqa, Alef and Bet networks.

IDF Radio ("Galey Tzahal"): The radio service of the Israel Defence Forces, which operates two services. The main service broadcasts news, current affairs, talk and music on FM and shortwave. Additionally, the broadcaster operates Galgalatz Radio (Radio on Wheels), a popular music and traffic FM service for motorists. IDF radio airs both news from its own correspondents (a mix of army conscripts and professional journalists), and relays of IBA Network B.

According to surveys, over 40 per cent of people aged 18-45 listen to IDF Radio. This has led to calls for budget cuts by the Defence Ministry, arguing that funds should not be used to pay for a civilian radio network. The defence minister appoints the station's editor-in-chief, and the station is funded by the Defence Ministry, and, more recently through advertising.

Regional Radio: The Second Television and Radio Authority oversees the operation of a number of advertising-supported commercial radio stations broadcasting in the FM band. The regulator is entitled to issue an unlimited number of broadcast licences based on municipal affiliation, geographic area, demographic and socio- economic parameters, plus the language of the target audience. At the time of writing, there are 14 regional radio stations overseen by the Second Authority. Amongst these are:

- Radio Tzafon Lelo Hafsaka (Non Stop North Radio) - Galilee and Golan region, based in Maalot

- Radio A-Shams - North region, based in Nazareth. Internet: http://www.ashams.co.il

- Radio Kol Rega - Northern Valleys region, based in Galil Tahton, broadcasting to Nazareth, Galilee and the Jordan Valley. Internet: http://www.96fm.co.il

- Radio Haifa - Broadcasting to Haifa and environs. Internet: http://www.1075.fm

- Radio Emtza Haderech 90 FM - Northern coastal region, based in Netanya. Internet: http://www.90fm.co.il

- Radios Broadcasting Limited (operating as 100FM) - Sharon region, based in Rosh Ha`ayin. Internet: http://www.100fm.co.il

- 99Esc - Sharon region, based in Herzeilia Pituah. Internet: http://www.99esc.co.il

- Radio Lello Hafsaka (Nonstop Radio) 103 FM - Gush Dan region, based in Givatayim. Internet: http://www.103.fm

- 102 FM Radio Tel Aviv - Gush Dan region, based in Tel Aviv. Internet: http://www.102fm.co.il

- Radio Kol Chai - Gush Centre Region, based in Bnei Brak. Internet: http://kolchai.moreshet.co.il

- Radio 91 FM Lev Hamedina - Southern coastal region, broadcasting to Shfela and Ashdod. Based in Rishon Leziyon. Internet: http://www.91fm.co.il

- Jerusalem Radio 101 FM - Greater Jerusalem region. Based in Jerusalem, operates additional transmitter for Beit Shemesh. Internet: http://101fm.tapuz.co.il

- Radio Darom - Negev region. Broadcasting to Beer Sheva and the Negev desert, Kiryat Gat, Ashkelon and the Lakhish Region, Arava and Dead Sea Settlements. Based in Beer Sheva. Internet://www.9697.fm

- Kol Hayam Haadom (The Voice of the Red Sea) - Eilat and Eylot regions. Based in Eilat. Internet: http://www.102fm.co.il

A map showing the distribution of these radio stations can be found on the Second Authority's website at http:// www.rashut2.org.il/english_radio.asp.

Unregulated radio

All for Peace: A joint Israeli-Palestinian radio station operating in East Jerusalem on 107.2 MHz, promoting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian communities. Operated by the Palestinian Biladi organization, The Jerusalem Times (an independent East Jerusalem newspaper, supporting the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and the peace process) and the Israeli Jewish-Arab Centre for Peace, Givat Haviva, the station broadcasts in Hebrew, Arabic and English 18 hours per day. Although operating outside of the remit of the Israeli authorities, the station was not granted a broadcast licence until agreement had been reached with Israeli regulatory authorities over the use of the frequency. Internet: http://www.allforpeace.org

Pirate Radio: The Jerusalem Post, in an article published in January 2004, estimated there are some 150 unlicensed radio stations operating in Israel, with the authorities rarely taking action against them. Broadcast regulator, the Second Television and Radio Authority acknowledges there is an ongoing problem with the many pirate radio stations operating in Israeli territory, concurring with the Jerusalem Post's estimate of 150 unlicensed stations.

The unlicensed stations are diverse in nature, often operating from private houses or within Israeli settlements, offering ethnic and religious programming, whilst others are commercial in nature.

The most prominent of these stations is the right-wing station Arutz 7, which formerly broadcast from a ship off the Israeli coast, and broadcast legally between 1999-2002 between changes in the broadcasting law. The station was forced to close in 2003, but still operates as a web-only entity. Internet: http:// www.israelnationalnews.com

Print media

The Israeli press is regulated by a Press Council, which is charged with protecting press freedom, ensuring high ethical and professional standards, and facilitating public access to information. The Council is comprised of journalists, publishers, press editors, and the public, and has the power to order retractions and apologies from any title that falls under its remit.

In addition, the press in Israel is subject to censorship, where the state is entitled to censor any publication to safeguard national security. A report published by the Nazareth-based I'lam (Arabic: Media) Centre for Arab-Palestinians in Israel (http:// www.ilamcenter.org) in November 2005 said that censorship is employed, in the main, against Arabic-language publications.

Main publications

Yediot Aharonot ("Latest News"): Tel Aviv-based tabloid style Hebrew-language daily with Israel's largest circulation and the country's most popular internet site, Ynet. Extensive holdings by Yediot Aharonot's owners - including the leading Israeli Arabic and Russian newspapers - led Israel's anti-trust commissioner Dror Strum to declare the newspaper a monopoly in 1996 and again in 1999. The paper offers the reader a wide range of views, giving space to commentators from the political right and left. Edited since 2005 by Rafi Ginat.

Ma'ariv ("Evening"): Founded by former Yediot Aharonot employees in 1948, the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv was for many years Israel's most popular newspaper, although it lost ground in the 1980s. The paper has a tabloid format and no daily editorial, although its columnists are generally regarded as taking a centre-right line. Ma'ariv's website (http://www.maariv.co.il) carries a full version of the print copy. International version at http://www.maarivintl.com. Edited by Amnon Dankner. Owned by the Nimrodi family, with Ya'akov Nimrodi the chairman.

Ha'aretz ("The Land"): The Tel Aviv-based Ha'aretz broadsheet has a degree of prestige in Israel as the oldest of the national dailies - founded in 1919 - and as the paper with the most editorial and opinion-related content. It identifies itself as an "elitist" newspaper and has a reputation for quality reporting. With an editorial line to the left of Yediot Aharonot and Ma'ariv, Israel's daily of record is strongly secular, and moderate on security and foreign policy issues. A shorter English-language version of the paper is distributed with the International Herald Tribune. Current Editor-in-Chief is David Landau. The paper is still entirely owned by the Schocken family. Websites at http://www.haaretz.co.il (Hebrew) and http://www.haaretz.com (English)

The Jerusalem Post: Founded in 1932 as a left-wing broadsheet, the English-language Jerusalem Post experienced a marked shift to the right following its purchase in 1989 by the Hollinger Group, which also owns newspapers in the UK and the US. This led to the resignation of a large number of staff. The paper's tougher line on issues such as security and the Palestinian territories has remained constant through another change in ownership in 2004. Having no Hebrew edition restricts its popularity within Israel, but with its separate international editions The Jerusalem Post has, according to its editor, "a unique role in enabling the Israel-Diaspora dialogue". The title is owned jointly by the Mirkay Tikshoret Group and Canwest Global Communications Group, after being sold by the Hollinger Group in November 2004. Current editor-in-chief is David Horovitz. President and CEO is Moshe Bar-Zvi.

Hatzofe ("The Watchman"): is a right-wing, Tel Aviv-based religious Hebrew daily that serves as a mouthpiece for the National Religious Party. Like other ultra-orthodox papers, it does not fulfil the wider role of a normal daily newspaper, but concentrates on religious and settler-related articles. Hatzofe's editorial line turned against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on account of his Gaza disengagement plan, but the paper has less influence inside Israel than it has abroad, where it is widely distributed to Orthodox Jewish communities in the US and Europe. Founded in 1938, controlled by businessman Shlomo Ben-Tzvi. Website: http://www.hatzofe.co.il

Kull al-Arab ("All the Arabs"): is a Nazareth-based Arabic- language paper, owned jointly by a group of Arab businessment and the Yediot Media Group. The weekly Kull al-Arab, founded in 1988, is the most influential of Israel's two daily and five weekly Arabic newspapers. It carries a wide range of items, from news and entertainment to sports stories, and although it is trying to expand its Muslim audience it is known primarily as a Christian paper. The editorial line is scathing of Israeli and US policies, but can be equally critical of the Palestinian Authority. Like most Arabic papers, Kull al-Arab relies principally on advertisements for income, and as a result it is often handed out free at Israeli-Arab shops and businesses. It is also available throughout the West Bank. Website at http://www.kul-alarab.com

Al-Sinnarah ("The Fish-hook"): The second highest circulation Arabic-language paper. Based in Nazareth. The publication is edited by Lufti Mash'ur, a Christian Arab, and owned by the Mash'ur family. The paper claims a neutral editorial stance, but says the Israeli government is boycotting the paper, and no longer places official advertising with Al-Sinnarah, a vital source of income. Website: http://www.assennara.net

Vesti: The Tel Aviv-based Vesti is Israel's most popular Russian- language newspaper and the last remaining Russian daily. Like all of the Russian press in Israel, it relies heavily on recycled news and has links with newspapers based in Russia. Although it has claimed a top circulation of 55,000 for its weekend edition, a large drop in sales has forced economies, such as changing from a broadsheet to a compact format in 2004. Owned by the Yediot Media Group.

Globes: Influential Hebrew-language daily newspaper focussing on business and financial affairs, bashed in Rishon. Website at http:// www.globes.co.il, which features both English and Hebrew versions. Edited by David Gillis, the publication is own by the Monitin Group, which publishes a number of titles in Israel.

News agency

ITIM (Israel News Agency): Founded in 1950, and controlled by the IBA and Israel's major newspapers, the agency has survived recent attempts to close down its loss-making operations. ITIM was purchased by ATLAS, an Israeli company which distributes foreign newspaper titles, in February 2004 for 75,000 US dollars.

The agency, refused permission to operate in any language other than Hebrew by its previous owners, now has an English service, and is expanding operations throughout the Middle East and the USA with a number of distribution deals with other agencies, such as the German DPA and China's Xinhua. Editor-in-Chief: Haim Noy.

Source: BBC Monitoring Media

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