[ad_1]
Netta Barzilai managed to emerge victorious from Eurovision's recent song contest. This has been touted by our media and some of our politicians as a fantastic achievement and a great honor for the state of Israel.
Certainly, he played well in the hands of the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) who got out rather badly in the notes and was under threat of being divided into two sections : a public information society, the other, responsible for entertainment.
Be the first to know –
Luckily, not only will IPBC orchestrate the next Eurovision contest in Israel, but the feat of Barzilai has established that the IPBC will not divided into two parts.
MK Ayoub Kara (Likud) filed a new law, which would cancel the division. The reasoning given for the law was that "letters were recently received from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) regarding the possible implications of the creation of a separate broadcasting entity … [this law will] Eliminate Concerns about Potential Implications
In a letter to Eldad Koblenz, Editor-in-Chief of IPBC and its Chair, Gil Omer, the EBU said: "We do not we do not know any PRM organization that manages news. in a totally separate entity with distinct governance. If the Supreme Court were to confirm amendment B to the IPBC Broadcasting Act … the EBU can issue reservations on its membership and a new application for membership will be required and subject to review. thoroughly by all EBU governing bodies to ensure that IPBC would be able to adhere to the core values of PSM. "
The implication of the contents of the letter is obvious and therefore justifies the Minister's decision to repeal the law and retain the IPBC as a single entity.
As Israel's Media Watch pointed out in a letter sent on July 1 to the minister, the EBU does not say that having two entities involves withdrawal, but only secondly that the subject would be re-examined. [19659002] Secondly, the statutes of the EBU make it clear that "membership in the EBU is open to broadcasting organizations or groups of such organizations".
In fact, there should be no fear that the division of IPBC Despite this, one can understand that the minister, a political figure, would not want to create a situation where such an important competition and popular among the Israeli population would be in danger, but is this really the case? Eurovision in a disproportionate event, but we badume that neither the Arab population nor a large fraction of the Orthodox Zionists are really interested in it.
In fact, the Ashkenazi (and Zionist) Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Aryeh Stern specifically urged politicians not to hold the Eurovision event in Jerusalem for religious reasons of profanation of the Sabbath. How many mid-range Israelis are interested in the kind of music heard at these competitions is also a factor. The fact is that in recent years the songs of Israel have not lasted and nobody remembers it.
The EBU estimates that only 1 million viewers in Israel have followed the contest this year, representing 13% of the population
. It would not be an exaggeration to estimate that, at most, a quarter of the population is interested in the contest.
In truth, the facts are more sinister. It is clear from the EBU's letter to Koblenz and Omer that the two previous ones had corresponded with the EBU
Israel Media Watch, under the Freedom of Information Act, has asked IPBC to provide him with all his correspondence with the EBU. . IPBC is now refusing to do so.
Moreover, their response to a question from the Israeli newspaper Hayom expressed their contempt for the public and their right to know: "We are preparing to produce Eurovision and are therefore too busy to embarrbad theories clearly. false on the plot. "But no one accused them of conspiracy
Could they know that there was a conspiracy and that they were hiding it? Why are they reluctant to publish the content of their correspondence with the EBU? The more we think about it, the more questions we should ask.We know full well that the EBU has been used (unsuccessfully) by the previous directorates of Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to try to prevent the dissolution of the IBA Gentlemen
Koblenz and Omer could have tried to do the same here, urging the EBU to send them a letter official saying that the division could compromise Israel as a li If not, they should come clean.
But more than that, how much does this fiasco cost us? Nobody seems to talk about the cost.
Producing the Eurovision contest is expensive. In an article by Sam Dean on May 13, 2016 entitled "How much does it cost to organize the Eurovision Song Contest and is it worth it?", Estimates an expenditure of about $ 32 million. Euros, a little more than 150 million. Is it worth the investment? We concluded: "The longer-term benefits are more difficult to estimate, but with over 180 million viewers worldwide, the positive international exposure that accompanies hosting will greatly increase tourism-related revenue." In other words, the expenses
The truth is that the cost can be much higher in the long run, especially if the IPBC remains an entity. Here we note that in a month or two, according to IPBC law, it will swallow Israel's educational television. We remember that the same Eldad Koblenz was the CEO of Educational TV from 2011 to 2017 and took part in the legislation that led to the dissolution of the station in a month.
In other words, the legislation whose primary objective was to turn IPBC into a lean and hungry entity now leads to the creation of a new entity. a media giant, with the biggest broadcast budget in Israel.
Michael Mero, a former Israeli IBA radio chief, noted in a commentary on June 28 in Haaretz's "The Marker Cafe," "For the first time, the Knesset accepts what it defines as a directive of the European countries, repeals the law and is waiting for the Eurovision Song Contest .. Without going into the details of what the members of the European Broadcasting Union were referring to, a government whose members are attacking the European Union. 39 European aid to Israeli non-profit organizations, the Israeli government responds positively and happily to the letter, a technical explanation, annul the law to ensure the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel. "
So what do we have? A government panicked because the media say the Eurovision contest is important; a broadcasting company that takes advantage of government insecurity to promote its own interests; and an audience that, as usual, is the victim of treason.
The authors are members of Israel & # 39; s Media Watch (www.imediaw.org.il)
Source link
