Hebrew Educational TV goes off the air after 50 years

Country’s oldest station leaving ‘with sadness and love’ to be replaced by Kan Educational

By JTA 15 August 2018, 11:20 pm

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Oscar the Grouch, left, and his Israeli cousin Moishe Oofnik visited the Jewish federations’ General Assembly in New Orleans to promote 'Shalom Sesame,' a version of 'Sesame Street' created for Israel’s Educational Television channel, November 2010. (Daniel Sieradski via JTA)

Israel’s Educational Television channel has gone off the air after more than a half century of broadcasting shows like the Jewish state’s version of “Sesame Street.”

Its departure was part of the deal that created the Kan Public Broadcasting Authority, or IPBA, the state broadcaster that replaced the Israel Broadcasting Authority, or IBA, last year.

“IETV is leaving you with sadness and love,” the station said in a message broadcast right before its closure. “Thank you to our loyal viewers who found a home with us that was warm, smart, enriching and full of humor. We gave our heart and our soul to bring you valuable and quality programming.”

The station is set to be replaced by KAN Educational, a new IPBA-run channel.

IETV, which began broadcasting in 1966 was Israel’s first television network, predating the IBA’s launch by two years. It hosted such classic shows as “Rehov Sumsum,” the Israeli version of “Sesame Street,” which was later brought to the United States as “Shalom Sesame.”