97 Jaffa Rd.
P.O. Box 6387
91063 Jerusalem
Tel. (02) 5015555
Website: http://www.iba.org.il (Hebrew)
From the Israel Broadcasting Authority Law:
- The Israel Broadcasting Authority shall broadcast radio and
television programs as a public service.
- The Authority shall broadcast educational and entertainment programs,
as well as information in the areas of social, economic, monetary,
cultural, scientific and arts policy.
- The Authority shall ensure that the broadcasts give suitable
expression to various and opinions, and transmit reliable
information.
Since its inception in 1967, Israel Television has been the country's
principal and most influential channel of media communications.
As a public broadcasting network, Israel Television ensures that most of
its schedule - 70% on average - consists of original Hebrew language
broadcasts: news, current affairs, sports, original entertainment
productions, as well as documentary films and dramas by Israeli
artists.
TELEVISION
ISRAEL TV - CHANNEL ONE
Israel TV's first channel consists of two divisions:
The News Division directs news, current affairs magazines, sports and
special local and overseas broadcasts. News in English, aimed at local
English speakers, tourists, diplomats and viewers in the neighboring
countries, is broadcast once a day.
The Program Division, which administers Israeli original TV
productions, comprises five departments:
- The Documentary Department produces original films, series and
special broadcasts.
- The Entertainment Department is responsible for weekend recreational
programs, Israeli and Middle Eastern musical productions, games shows and
special broadcasts for the Jewish festivals.
- The Drama Department is in charge of original plays and dramatic
series, with its most recent success including the prestigious "Kastner".
- The Children's and Youth Department produces some three hours of
programming a day for the younger age groups.
- The Israel Heritage Department schedules programs for the Jewish and
national holidays, with emphasis on the Hebrew language, Jewish music and
productions about Jewish communities abroad. The programs Division
cooperates with the film purchasing department to present selections of
cinema movies and TV series.
ISRAEL TELEVISION IN ARABIC
Arabic TV broadcasts 20 hours a week to an audience of Arabic speakers in
Israel and the neighboring countries. Its news and current affairs
broadcasts included two daily news shows, discussions of topical interest,
weekly news and sports magazines and direct broadcasts of sporting
events.
The Programs Division produces magazines on the arts, literature,
agriculture, medicine and family related matters, as well as guest shows
and specials for the Christian, Moslem and Druze festivals.
Audience surveys in 1994 show that Israel Television in Arabic is the
station most preferred by the country's Arab community, with some ratings
as high as 80%.
ISRAEL TV - CHANNEL THREE
The Broadcasting Authority's Channel Three is transmitted by satellite and
can be picked up in all the Middle Eastern countries, the Persian Gulf,
North Africa, some southern European nations and the Commonwealth of
Independent States. In Israel, the transmissions are also relayed by cable
(channel 33).
Every week, from Monday until Wednesday, Channel Three carries full live
transmissions of Knesset plenum debates.
On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the channel carries a variety of news feature and cultural programs, half in Arabic (with
sub-titles in Hebrew), and the rest in Hebrew and other languages (usually
with sub-titles in Arabic).
Arabic-language programs include sports and cultural magazines, and "open
studio" live broadcasts, dealing mainly with the life of Israeli Arabs and
Middle Eastern events.
In the evening, Channel Three complements Israel TV, to transmit a variety
of Israeli and foreign cultural and entertainment programs. These
broadcasts are aimed at a large audience, including residents of the
neighboring Arab countries and viewers in Israel, both Arab and Jewish.
RADIO
THE VOICE OF ISRAEL - "ALL THE NEWS"
Kol Yisrael, "the Voice of Israel", is a public radio station, set up
before the state was established in 1928. The Voice of Israel currently
transmits 130 hours a day on eight networks.
CHANNEL TWO
Since the Gulf War, the station's second channel has become "all-news" and
the main source of news and current affairs for Israelis. Its
transmissions are on AM and FM around the clock. Apart from news every
hour on the hour and updates every half hour, the network puts out current
affairs magazines, newsreels and sports, social, economic and
entertainment programs. News reporters are deployed on a local, regional
and international basis, with specialist beats. The main newsroom is in
Jerusalem, backed up by branches at the Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba
studios.
CHANNEL C (GIMMEL)
The Voice of Israel's Channel C was opened in 1977 to broadcast a variety
of light music and has set the tone for the Israeli electronic media in
this field ever since.
From its studios in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the network puts out 19 hours
a day of non-stop FM music, studio-presented entertainment programs,
special outside broadcasts and news on musical topics.
THE CULTURAL CHANNELS
The First Channel transmits a wide range of plays,
literature, the arts, science, Israeli heritage and traditions, folklore,
instructional and educational programs, interspersed with Hebrew language
songs. It also transmits programs to specific target audiences, such as
children and retired persons.
The Voice of Music transmits 18 hours a day, on FM
stereo, of classical and modern music, jazz, as well as orchestral,
chamber and solo performances from Israel and abroad.
The Voice of Music transmits a weekly afternoon chamber concert "Etnachta"
and performances by the Jerusalem Symphony - Broadcasting Authority
Orchestra. In terms of public recognition, these concerts greatly assist
Israeli performers and composers.
The Voice of Music sponsors an annual music festival in the Upper
Galilee, competitions to encourage and discover young artists, and some of
the Israel Festival's musical events etc.
OVERSEAS BROADCASTS
Operating since 1955, the Voice of Israel's shortwave transmissions on
Channel Five broadcasts to the entire world. They are also the main link
between Israel and Jewish communities abroad. In its early years, "Kol
Zion la'Gola" as it was known, was the sole reliable and direct source of
information for Jews living in the Arab countries and behind the "Iron
Curtain".
Administered by the overseas broadcasting division, it transmits to
listeners abroad in 14 languages: English, French, Russian, Bukharan,
Georgian, Tatar, Yiddish, Ladino, Spanish, Rumanian, Hungarian, Persian,
Yemenite and easy Hebrew.
Apart from news and broadcasts reflecting events in the country, the
channel transmits documentaries on Judaism, the history of the Israeli
people, Israeli culture and discussions on immigration and absorption.
REKA
"Reka," a Hebrew acronym for the "Immigrant Absorption Channel" was set up
on May 26 1991, the day "Operation Solomon," to bring Ethiopian Jews to
Israel, was completed. This was also at the peak of immigration from the
Commonwealth of Independent States.
Established to help hundreds of thousands of newcomers settle and
integrate into Israeli society, the channel transmits 10 hours a day in
Russian and two hours in Amharic, along with parallel broadcasts in 10
languages from Channel Five.
Reka's main programs are aimed at helping immigrants understand what is
happening in the country. Apart from news and current affairs, there are
programs that offer counseling and guidance on employment, health,
education, social rights, legal advice, help in tracing missing relatives
and a "getting to know you" show. There are three daily news bulletins in
easy Hebrew and two hours of Hebrew language lessons.
CHANNEL FOUR - "THE VOICE OF ISRAEL" IN ARABIC
Covering most of the Middle East, the Voice of Israel in Arabic transmits
18 hours a day on two medium and two short wave frequencies. The
broadcasts are intended for listeners in Israel, the territories and the
Arab countries.
The daily output includes seventeen news bulletins, four newsreels, a wide
variety of current affairs, entertainment, religious, musical and
"phone-in" programs.
The Arabic Voice of Israel broadcasts have very high listener ratings. A
survey carried out in 1994 showed that more than 80 % of the Arab
community in Israel listens regularly. Surveys by international
organizations and radio stations in the nearby and more distant Arab
countries show that the "Voice of Israel" Arabic broadcasts have a high
proportion of listeners beyond Israel's borders and are considered
especially reliable.
One of the most popular programs for the Arabic audience in the Middle
East is "Doctor Behind the Microphone," which has been on the air for more
than 20 years. In this program, physicians and consultants answer
listeners seeking medical advice throughout the entire Middle East. Many
patients from Arab countries, some still in a state of war with Israel,
have come to Israel for medical treatment through the program.
THE SAFETY AND EDUCATIONAL CHANNELS
To help in the war against road accidents, the Voice of Israel operates
two radio channels:
The Voice of the Road, which began operating in 1995 to
fight road accidents, broadcasts 10 hours a day in the center of the
country. Along with reports on traffic conditions, advice to drivers,
safety instructions and accident-prevention promos, the channel puts out
entertainment, light music and telephone games shows, as well as
transportation news bulletins.
The Safe Wave was set up in 1990 in Haifa and has been
broadcasting 12 hours a day, in a format similar to the Voice of the Road,
to listeners in the north.
Educational Radio Stations, sponsored by the Voice of Israel:
Each of these stations, which operate from a number of schools and
colleges throughout Israel, transmits educational, musical and
entertainment programs to its own area. The editors, broadcasters and
technicians, under the supervision and direction of Voice of Israel
staffers, are pupils studying communications. The project is experimental
and is run jointly by the Voice of Israel, the Ministry of Communications
and the Ministry of Education.
THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY'S STRUCTURE
The Broadcasting Authority's plenum has 31 members, who are appointed by
the president of the state for a three-year term. Among its tasks it
decides overall operational principles and approves the broadcast
listings. The plenum also has various advisory committees.
The Board of Directors has seven members - the chairman of the Authority,
his deputy and seven plenum members. The Board's task is to discuss and
decide on matters concerning the Authority, receive a report from the
Director-General on ongoing activities: draw up the budget, supervise
implementation of decisions concerning the budget, decide how much the
television license will cost viewers, make sure the various prevalent
public attitudes and opinions are given space, and that radio and
television broadcast reliable information.
The Director General is appointed for a five-year term by the government,
and acts as editor-in-chief of all the Broadcasting Authority's radio and
television broadcasts.
The Ombudsman is appointed by the chairman of the Authority with plenum
approval for a five-year period as the registrar of public complaints. The
Ombudsman receives and looks into complaints from the public concerning
radio and television broadcasts and the way the Authority operates.
THE LICENSE FEE
The license fee is the Authority's main source of income. The fact that
the Authority's budget is funded by independent collection of license fees
makes sure the Broadcasting Law is kept and frees the creative groups and
journalists from reliance on commercial bodies and outside pressure.
Funding through license fees safeguards a stable income, enabling planning
and creativity, and gives the public the service at a low cost.
SPECIAL SERVICES
Over and above its radio and television transmissions, the IBA offers
other related services an products:
Public service broadcasts on television
Commercial advertising on Radio
Sponsorship television programs
Sale of Program Transcripts
Merchandising
Book and Disc Publishing
Film and Script Archives
Addresses and Telephones
ISRAEL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY
Head Office
97 Jaffa Road
Jerusalem 91280
TEL 972-2-5015555
VOICE OF ISRAEL
News Center
15 Tora Mitzion St
Jerusalem 48101
TEL 972-2-5383311
FAX 972-2-6249322
Jerusalem Studios
21 Heleni Hamalka St
Jerusalem 91010
TEL 972-2-5302222
FAX 972-2-6221133
Reshet Gimmel (Jerusalem)
TEL 972-2-5302490
FAX 972-2-6259862
Tel Aviv Studios
2 Leonardo Da Vinci St
Tel Aviv 61070
TEL 972-3-6944777
FAX 972-3-6944780
Reshet Gimmel (Tel-Aviv)
TEL 972-3-6944366
FAX 972-3-6944370
Haifa Studios
21 Bezalel St
Haifa 33538
TEL 972-4-8674572
FAX 972-4-8624887
ISRAEL TV
Jerusalem Studios
Romema
Jerusalem 91071
TEL 972-2-5301333
FAX 972-2-5301345
Tel Aviv Studios
6 Makleff St.
Tel Aviv 61070
TEL 972-3-6936444
FAX 972-3-6918334
Haifa Studios
2 Khouri St
Haifa 33045
TEL 972-4-8623456
INFORMATION CENTER
16 Shamai St
Jerusalem 91061
TEL 972-2-6243432