Coalition Pushes Media Bill Seen as Favoring Government-Friendly Outlets

Four months before Israel’s elections, the coalition is advancing what the article describes as a media law that would redistribute regulatory benefits, financial advantages, and influence in ways that could reshape the market ahead of the vote. The bill is presented as a “media reform,” but the report says it would channel hundreds of millions of shekels in yearly benefits to outlets aligned with the government while weakening their competitors.

One major beneficiary would be businessman Patrick Drahi, whose holdings include HOT, i24NEWS, Srugim and Kikar HaShabbat. Among the reported perks for his group are permission for i24NEWS to air commercials immediately once the law passes, continued prominent channel placement without the fees others paid, expanded distribution through cable and satellite, abolition of a minimum news-investment requirement, and removal of cross-ownership limits. The law would also require commercial broadcasters, including Keshet, to provide some content to distribution platforms without payment, a change that could mainly help HOT.

Channel 14, which is identified with the governing camp and owned by businessman Yitzchak Mirilashvili, would also receive substantial relief, worth tens of millions of shekels a year. The proposed law would exempt it from part of the rules applied to large commercial channels, allow it to charge for content, lower its state licensing fees, cancel the requirement to set up a separate news company, remove the obligation to invest a minimum amount in news, end the demand to move its studios to Jerusalem, ease requirements for premium content, and change the ratings system in a way that could steer state advertising money to the channel.

The article says the timing, just months before elections, raises concern because this is not only a regulatory change but a political move that could shift resources toward media organizations seen as friendly to the government and pressure more critical outlets. It frames the expected impact as significant both for the media market and for coverage in the run-up to the election.