Israeli Parliament Approves Communications Reform Law Amid Heated Debate

The Israeli Knesset approved the Communications Reform Law proposed by Minister Shlomo Karhi in a second and third reading on Thursday evening. The vote concluded with 53 members supporting the bill and 48 opposing it, following a heated debate and a legislative rush. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the chamber without voting due to an urgent phone call.

The law aims to open the Israeli broadcasting market to free competition by significantly reducing regulatory burdens. It seeks to align all market players, from broadcast channels to streaming services, to increase diversity and potentially lower consumer prices. Instead of a complex licensing system, the law introduces a registration requirement for content providers meeting certain revenue, subscriber, or investment thresholds.

A new independent regulatory body, the Broadcast Communications Authority, will be established to manage the market, supported by a nine-member council responsible for policy and budget approval. The law mandates a 50 million shekel budget cut for the public broadcasting corporation, with half allocated to continue the "Idan Plus" service and the rest funding the new regulatory structure without increasing government spending.

Regarding sports broadcasting, the law designates certain events as public interest, requiring free access for all citizens. It also prohibits exclusivity and discrimination, ensuring popular sports content is available across platforms, and allows sports content to be sold separately from general content packages.

In the news sector, the law removes structural separation and minimum investment requirements for commercial news companies to ease their operations. Significant providers must invest 6.5% of their revenue in high-quality Israeli productions, especially documentaries, while maintaining accessibility to major channels.

Consumer protection measures include graduated regulation with exemptions for smaller providers to encourage new entrants and prevent market concentration. The new authority will oversee protection of minors and prevent obscene broadcasts while maintaining content quality. Additionally, the council can require platforms to provide aggregated viewership data, enabling more accurate and transparent ratings based on millions of households alongside existing surveys.