Israel Broadcasting Authority - Overview

Overview

It operates four television channels and several radio stations. IBA's television stations are officially free of advertising, but 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 enable and regulate commercial television and private radio broadcasts in Israel. Until the establishment of the Second Broadcasting Authority and the widespread availability of cable television services in Israel (which also produce their own cable programming directed at the local market) 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 Defense Forces 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. The television licence for 2012 is ₪ 369 and the radio licence is ₪ 114. The licence fee is the primary source of revenue for the Israel Broadcasting Authority, the state broadcaster; however, its radio stations carry full advertising and its TV programmes sometime receive "sponsorship" from commercial entities to supplement this income. All broadcasting is covered by the code of ethics set out in the Nakdi Report.

The IBA (IBS at the time) 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) quit as active members.

The IBA provides news programming in 14 foreign languages directed at audiences abroad or in Israel through its IBA News programming available on the internet and through rebroadcasters.