i24NEWS Joins Legal Battle Supporting Communications Law Reform in Israel

Israeli news channel i24NEWS has formally requested to join as a respondent in the Supreme Court petitions challenging the recently approved Communications Law reform spearheaded by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi. The channel warned that both the acceptance of the petitions and the temporary injunction freezing the law’s implementation could cause it direct and severe harm. The reform was passed last week in the Knesset’s second and third readings, but Supreme Court Justice Ofer Groskopf issued an interim order on Sunday halting its enforcement.

Several petitions against the law were filed by Knesset members Efrat Rayten and Eitan Ginzburg, the Zulat Institute, the "Hatzlacha" association, the Journalists’ Organization, and the Movement for Quality Government. i24NEWS’s legal team, including attorney Uriel Bovli and the Shalem-Kerem law firm, submitted the request to join the case. Notably, these lawyers also represent Minister Karhi in related petitions concerning the expansion of regional radio broadcast areas.

The law aims to reduce outdated regulatory frameworks in broadcasting, lower entry barriers for new players, and increase market competition to benefit consumers with more diverse television content. A late addition to the law explicitly allows i24NEWS to broadcast via cable and satellite without a traditional license, a provision introduced at the behest of the Communications Ministry and Minister Karhi. This reflects the minister’s stated goal of "technological neutrality," ensuring equal treatment regardless of broadcast platform.

i24NEWS argued that the petitioners should have included them from the start, as the court cannot rule on petitions without all affected parties present. The channel also highlighted the outdated and inconsistent regulatory environment prior to the reform, which failed to regulate internet-based broadcasting platforms despite their widespread use, while maintaining complex licensing and distinctions for traditional broadcast infrastructures.

By joining the case, i24NEWS seeks to provide the court with a comprehensive perspective on the consequences of delaying the law and its impact on competition. The channel has publicly supported the reform, including through its news broadcasts and campaigns opposing resistance from major broadcasters Keshet and Reshet. Industry insiders expect the law to benefit major players like i24NEWS owner Patrick Drahi and HOT, which will gain new rights such as catch-up TV without commercial agreements and the ability to acquire additional media outlets without cross-ownership restrictions.