The European Broadcasting Union, which puts on the Eurovision Song Contest, releases a statement citing its concern over “fresh threats to the independence and sustainability” of the Kan public broadcaster.
In a statement, the organization notes Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s comment last month that there’s “no place” for public broadcasting in Israel and a number of moves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is advancing, including plans that would lead to a drop in Kan’s revenues and the closure of several radio stations.
It also mentions that Karhi, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, sent a letter this week calling into question the broadcaster’s coverage of the coalition’s plans to weaken the judiciary.
“Impartial news and information are critical to the functioning of a healthy democracy,” EBU director Noel Curran says. “We call on the Israeli government to safeguard the independence of our member Kan and ensure it is allowed to operate in a sustainable way, with funding that is both stable, adequate, fair, and transparent.”
The warning is the second from the EBU since the government took office in late December.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
