Sharon Gal's Channel 14 Salary Expected to Exceed NIS 100,000 Monthly

Broadcaster Sharon Gal is reportedly returning to Channel 14 after less than two years with i24NEWS, with his salary once again a subject of discussion. While contract details remain undisclosed, a past legal dispute between Gal and Channel 14 revealed significant figures. The channel sued Gal for NIS 1.9 million, alleging his move to i24NEWS breached his employment agreement. Documents from the lawsuit indicated that Gal's base salary was redacted, but Channel 14 had provided him with monthly additions of NIS 20,000, plus an average NIS 18,000 monthly rating bonus, to prevent him from leaving for a rival network. This amounted to an approximate NIS 38,000 monthly increase, alongside a two-year contract extension. At that time, his total monthly salary was estimated between NIS 80,000-90,000, and is now expected to surpass NIS 100,000.

The lawsuit also revealed that the annual production budget for Gal's program at Channel 14 surged from approximately NIS 300,000 to NIS 2.2 million, a sevenfold increase in investment to retain the show and its host. This comes as Channel 14 has seen substantial growth, with revenues reportedly exceeding NIS 80 million.

While commercial channels do not publicly disclose talent contracts, industry estimates for prominent Israeli news anchors and reporters vary widely. Amit Segal from Channel 12 is estimated to earn over NIS 3 million annually, including other income streams. Yunit Levi and Danny Kushmaro of Channel 12 are reportedly earning NIS 1.5-1.8 million per year, while Amnon Abramovich is estimated at NIS 1.2-1.6 million. Almog Boker from Channel 13 is said to earn NIS 0.8-1 million annually. Yinon Magal currently earns NIS 1.2-1.4 million per year at Channel 14.

Salaries for junior reporters start between NIS 7,000-12,000 gross monthly, with senior reporters or desk heads earning over NIS 20,000, and program presenters at a channel earning NIS 40,000 or more. In contrast, salaries in public broadcasting are lower and more transparent, with figures published in public sector salary reports. For instance, Yinon Magal earned NIS 40,000 monthly at the Broadcasting Authority in 2011, when the highest earner made NIS 52,200. Since then, salaries in public broadcasting have increased by an average of 40%. Salary ranges in public entities like the Public Broadcasting Corporation are determined by the Supervisor of Salaries in the Ministry of Finance, limiting the management's ability to offer top salaries compared to commercial channels.