Israel: A Critical-Legal History of Public Broadcasting Financing

Licence-fee funding in many public service broadcasting regimes is in turmoil and Israel is no exception. Since its inception in 1965, public broadcasting has been a continous presence and a central player in Israeli public life and culture, and the licence fee a common fixture. However, in 2014, the law that established the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was repealed and replaced by a new law, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Law, and the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) was formed to replace the IBA. While the IBA was funded by a combination of a licence fee on television sets, a levy on cars, public service announcements, underwriting on television, and advertising on radio, the IBC is mostly funded by government funding collected through a levy on cars, while the licence fee has been eliminated. The chapter reviews 55 years of rulemaking and policy development regarding the financing of public broadcasting in Israel. It argues that even though Israeli public broadcasting is in the midst of its biggest crisis, it is not the funding mechanism that is threatening its viability but political expediency, disrespect for its public mission, and, probably, corruption and greed.