Channel 10 awarded 15-year broadcasting license

Channel 10
Channel 10

Channel 10 had been on the verge of closure; it is now Israel's first television licensee.

Just a few months after it was on the verge of being shut down for good, Channel 10 is about to become the first Israeli commercial channel with a 15-year license. Yesterday, The Second Authority for Television and Radio, the public authority that supervises commercial broadcasting in Israel, decided to grant Channel 10 a 15-year license, in the light of the fact that the channel had met all the legal requirements. The Authority announced that its Council had approved the grant of the license to Channel 10, subject to the completion of information on the channel's ownership structure, in connection with the takeover of the channel by RGE, within the next two days.

This morning, the Council for Cable TV and Satellite Broadcasting stated that it saw no objection to RGE continuing to hold its cable and satellite channels, since the restriction that might have prevented this applied to a franchisee and not to a license holder. RGE had said that the deal to buy Channel 10 would not be worthwhile for it unless it could also continue to hold its seven channels on the Hot cable platform and the Yes satellite platform.

The award of the license brings to an end the upheaval that has continued for years, and ensures the survival of Channel 10, headed by CEO Yossi Varshavsky.

Earlier in its session yesterday evening, the Second Authority Council unanimously approved the wording of the licenses for television broadcasting and news broadcasting, at the end of a comprehensive hearing procedure. As a result of the public hearing, several changes were introduced into the licenses, among the removal of the obligation to obtain advance approval for broadcasting schedules, and the addition of the obligation to ensure appropriate employment conditions in production.

Second Authority chair Eva Madjiboj said, "This is a precedent-setting step that heralds the start of a new era in commercial television in Israel. Channel 10, the first channel in Israel to receive a 15-year broadcasting license, sets out today on a new path that will allow it stable growth over time. This is a first step in the revolution being led by the Second Authority, at the end of which the Israeli public will enjoy more stable and independent television broadcasting, healthy competition, and greater variety on the screen."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 29, 2015

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2015

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