Yael Bar Zohar and Ilan Levy Join New Israeli Channel 16

Israeli presenter and actress Yael Bar Zohar and media personality Ilan Levy have joined Channel 16, a new Israeli TV channel currently broadcast exclusively on Cellcom TV. Bar Zohar will host the channel's morning segment, while Levy will present a daily news program focusing on major international events and their impact on Israel and the world. Channel 16 began broadcasting on June 28 from the former studios of the Educational Television in Beit Aviv. The channel is owned by real estate entrepreneur Itzik Hadad, with Ram Landes serving as the project manager.

Channel 16 launched with a half-hour news edition anchored by Yaakov Ayalon and features a relatively small journalistic team, including the respected U.S. correspondent Yael Lavi. Entertainment productions will be managed by presenter and actor Tzvika Hadar, who also recently joined the channel, and original productions will be overseen by creator and director Maor Zaguri. The channel is currently in a "soft launch" phase until August 2 and plans to engage the public in shaping its content through an AI-based system called "SAY16."

Ahead of the launch, Haaretz reported skepticism about Channel 16, suggesting it might become a government propaganda outlet similar to Channel 14 and i24NEWS, citing a controversial investor and a CEO with ties to Channel 14. In an interview with Walla Culture, Hadar stated he would not participate if Channel 16 became like Channel 14, emphasizing his differing agenda and lack of affiliation with Channel 14, which never approached him.

This development marks Channel 16's effort to establish itself as a new player in Israel's media landscape with a mix of news, entertainment, and innovative audience participation.