Israel Broadcasting Authority

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Israel Broadcasting Authority
רשות השידור
Type Broadcast radio and
television
Country Flag of Israel Israel
Availability National; international (via iba.org.il)
Website iba.org.il

Israel Broadcasting Authority (often referred to as the IBA) (Hebrew: רָשׁוּת השׁידוּר, Rashùt Ha-Shidúr) is Israel's state broadcasting network. It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on 14 May 1948. The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951. The law creating the Israel Broadcasting Authority was passed by the Knesset on 6 June 1965. Television broadcasts commenced on 2 May 1968, with colour television following on 13 January 1981 (Although occasional colour transmissions were made earlier, most notably the Eurovision Song Contest 1979). The Authority is currently headed by Minister Without Portfolio Eitan Kabel.

Contents

[edit] Overview

It operates three television channels and several radio stations. IBA's television stations are ostensibly advertising-free, however programs are often "sponsored" by commercial entities. Full advertising on the radio is allowed however.

In 1990, the Israeli parliament passed a law which resulted in the creation of the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority, whose function was to regulate commercial television and private radio broadcasts in Israel for the first time. Until the establishment of the Second Broadcasting Authority and the widespread availability of cable television services in Israel (which also produce their own programming directed at the local market that is broadcast via cable) in the early 1990s, the IBA maintained a virtual monopoly on television and radio broadcasting and production in Israel. There were a few exceptions, such as the morning and afternoon broadcasts delivered through IBA's television channel which were produced by Israel Educational Television, the popular Israel Army Radio service, and a private radio station (the Voice of Peace) which operated offshore, outside Israeli territorial waters.

Israel Broadcasting Authority domestic programming and broadcasts are funded by levying television licence fees upon the owners of television sets. Additional funding is received by "sponsorship" from commercial entities and from radio advertisements.

The IBA (formerly IBS) was admitted as a full active member of the European Broadcasting Union in 1957. The decision made by the EBU General Assembly had the immediate effect that two founding broadcasters (the Egyptian and Syrian broadcasting services) no longer stayed as active members.

[edit] TV channels

  • Haarutz Ha-Rishon ("Channel 1"): the IBA main TV channel (until 1994 it was called "Ha-Televizya Ha-Klalit" - The General Television, or simply "Ha-Televizya Ha-Israelit" - The Israeli Television).
  • Arutz 33 ("Channel 33").
  • List of Israeli television channels

[edit] Radio stations

Kol Yisrael ("The Voice of Israel") is the collective name for IBA's radio networks as well as for the international service.

  • Reshet Aleph ("Network A"): radio station.
  • Reshet Beit ("Network B"): popular news radio station.
  • Reshet Gimel ("Network C"): radio station devoted for promoting Israeli music.
  • Reshet Dalet ("Network D"): radio station in Arabic.
  • Reka or Reshet Klitat Aliya: radio for the immigrants to Israel, broadcasts in 13 languages (mostly Russian). This service was formerly known as "Kol Zion La-Golah" ("Voice of Israel abroad") and Reshet Heh ("Network E").
  • 88 FM: radio for quality music.
  • Kol Ha-Musika ("The Voice of Music"): a radio station devoted for promoting classical music.
  • Kol Ha-Kampus ("The Voice of the Campus") - a joint educational project of Kol Yisrael and the Israeli College of Management media school, in which students run the radio station and host programs of alternative music.

[edit] External links