Likud MK blocks bill that sought to shutter public broadcaster

Legislation aiming to shut down the Kan public broadcaster will not be advanced in the Knesset after Likud MK David Bitan, chairman of the Knesset Economic Committee, announces that the bill will be shelved.

“I can’t advance this bill for a simple reason — public broadcasting is necessary,” Bitan says during a meeting of the committee to discuss the legislation, prompting an outcry from Likud MK Tally Gotliv, who submitted the bill, which was originally written by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.

“There has always been public broadcasting in Israel, so in terms of canceling the public broadcaster, I’m not in favor,” adds Bitan.

Bitan also says that a bill that would overhaul the TV ratings board will also be frozen. He says, though, that changes to public broadcasting are still needed, and a bill seeking to provide the government with direct instead of indirect control over Kan’s budget will be considered and advanced by the committee, as will legislation that would compel Kan justify its decisions to the committee on an annual basis.

Gotliv and Karhi vow to continue to move ahead with their plans to privatize Kan — effectively ending public broadcasting — through other avenues including via ad hoc Knesset committees.