Sports Broadcaster Accuses Israeli Public Broadcasting of Favoring Maccabi Tel Aviv

Veteran sports broadcaster Uri Levy has revealed alleged behind-the-scenes dealings at Israel's public broadcasting authority, claiming that Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club received preferential treatment for years, while other teams, including Hapoel Tel Aviv, were sidelined. Levy stated in an interview on the "Shidur Chozor" podcast that this bias stemmed from decisions made by senior officials, with the broadcasting authority playing a significant role in creating this reality.

Levy recalled a period when Maccabi Tel Aviv's basketball games became a Thursday night tradition, highlighting the cost to other teams due to the exclusivity granted to Maccabi. "For many long years, Maccabi Tel Aviv was the only thing the broadcasting authority agreed to broadcast," Levy said, attributing the initial preference to Alex Giladi, who was a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan. He described a feedback loop where broadcasting Maccabi benefited both the team and the broadcaster, while teams like Hapoel Tel Aviv were "simply thrown out of this broadcasting circle."

According to Levy, the preference for Maccabi was so pronounced that broadcasting other teams was virtually impossible. He noted that this policy only began to change later, particularly after Yoash Alroey took over. "There was absolutely no chance of broadcasting any team other than Maccabi Tel Aviv," Levy asserted, adding that officials explicitly stated, 'There is one team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, we don't deal with any of the others.'

Levy specifically pointed to Alex Giladi as the primary driver of this broadcasting policy. He described meetings at the broadcasting authority's offices in Jerusalem where any mention of Hapoel Tel Aviv would be met with shouting. "The yellow dominated. There was no question. If you dared to mention Hapoel Tel Aviv, they would yell at you. That's how much," Levy recounted.