Israel: The bill for the closure of IPBC/Kan was not passed! | The future of the broadcaster as a member of the EBU still in question!
The bill to close down IPBC/Kan, Israel’s national broadcaster, was ultimately not passed. However, the question remains whether the broadcaster will meet the requirements to continue as a member of the European Broadcasting Union.
During the debate in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Finance Committee, Chairman David Bitan announced that the committee did not approve the bill to close the Israeli broadcaster, which had already passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenary. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had also intervened, sending a strong letter to MK Bitan and other members of the committee, emphasizing the need for an independent broadcaster. Bitan reiterated this message in his statement:
“We need public broadcasting.”
What will be forwarded to the committee is the section that would subsume the broadcaster’s budget into the state budget. This move could potentially jeopardize the independence of “KAN” and may jeopardize Israel’s participation in Eurovision. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi responded to this decision by saying that they would find another way to pass the bill.
The proposal and its consequences
Despite the announcement by the chairman of the Economic Committee that the law to close down the broadcaster will not be advanced, some sections that the coalition wanted to advance will proceed as normal. Among them is the section that would submit the broadcaster’s budget to the state budget, requiring annual government approval. This still jeopardizes the broadcaster’s independence and, consequently, Israel’s participation in Eurovision.
The European Broadcasting Union has already warned committee members that the country’s participation in the international contest is at risk if the law is passed. If enacted, the broadcaster’s budget would become vulnerable, as it would require government approval every year. Even if “KAN” is not closed, its independence would be at risk and the EBU could decide that “KAN” no longer meets the criteria for membership of the Union.
The Journalists’ Organization stated that it will continue to fight against MK Bitan’s decision, arguing that it will politicize the broadcast and ultimately destroy public broadcasting in Israel.
Source: euromix
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