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Channel 14 Criticized for Skipping October 7th Memorial Ceremony
On Wednesday, Israel marked the anniversary of the October 7th attacks with a national memorial ceremony at Ganei Yehoshua Park, initiated by the "Families of October 7th" and the "Komo" movement. While nearly all Israeli media outlets broadcast the event, Channel 14 chose to air its regular program "HaPatriotim" instead.
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What happened
- 01Channel 14 chose not to broadcast the national memorial ceremony for the October 7th anniversary on Wednesday, airing its program "HaPatriotim" instead.
- 02The decision boosted Channel 14's prime-time ratings to 8.4% viewership, placing second behind Channel 12's ceremony broadcast which led with 15.2%.
- 03Channel 14 anchor Tal Meir defended the decision, stating it broke the media's "uniform voice" and represented those who felt excluded.
- 04Tal Meir claimed that some bereaved families felt betrayed by the ceremony and cited hostage Rom Breslavsky calling the event political.
- 05Knesset candidate Gadi Izkanot criticized Channel 14 as a "regime channel" and accused it of attempting to rewrite history.
- 06The national memorial ceremony was held at Ganei Yehoshua Park and was initiated by the "Families of October 7th" and the "Komo" movement.
This decision resulted in a significant ratings boost for Channel 14, with "HaPatriotim" securing second place in the prime-time ratings with 8.4% viewership. Channel 12's broadcast of the national memorial ceremony led the prime-time slot with 15.2% viewership, while its evening news program topped the overall ratings at 14.8%.
Channel 14 anchor Tal Meir defended the network's decision, stating it broke the media's "uniform voice" and provided a platform for a large part of the public that felt excluded. Meir claimed that some bereaved families felt betrayed by the ceremony, and cited hostage Rom Breslavsky, who reportedly called the event political. Meir framed the controversy as part of a broader ideological struggle linked to the upcoming elections.
The network's decision drew sharp criticism from others. Knesset candidate Gadi Izkanot labeled Channel 14 the "regime channel," accusing it of a shameful disregard for the memorial, promoting hate, and attempting to rewrite history.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
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