Gilad Ben-Shach, Reshet Gimel Co-founder and Influential Radio Figure, Dies at 85

Gilad Ben-Shach, a composer, musical editor, and veteran of Kol Yisrael radio, has passed away at the age of 85. Ben-Shach was a co-founder of the radio station Reshet Gimel and later served as its director. For decades, he was a significant behind-the-scenes force in Israeli radio and music.

Joining Kol Yisrael in the late 1960s, Ben-Shach held various positions within the Broadcasting Authority, including musical editor, head of the entertainment department, and director of Reshet Gimel. His work was instrumental in shaping the station's musical identity during a period when radio heavily influenced public taste and determined which songs and artists became hits.

One of his notable initiatives was the creation of the program "Mediterranean Basin." In the late 1970s, he tasked Shimon Peres, then a young editor specializing in rock and pop, with developing a show dedicated to Mediterranean music. This program, which aired on Reshet Gimel for years, became a crucial platform for the genre at a time when it struggled for mainstream acceptance in Israel.

Beyond his radio career, Ben-Shach was also a composer and songwriter. Among his well-known works are the songs "Every Man Has a Star," performed by Ilan and Ilanit, and "Sigaliyot." He also spent years curating Hebrew song events and festivals, including those at the Ein Gev Festival, dedicating much of his effort to preserving and promoting Hebrew music. His family stated that his life's passion was Hebrew song, its preservation, and its cultivation.