Knesset Economics Committee chairman MK Avraham Poraz (Shinui) threatened yesterday to shelve the broad amendment to the Communications Law for arranging the opening of the inland communications market to competition. Poraz said he would table the law if proposals that would harm basic principles of freedom of expression, such as preventing the airing of erotic films on cable and satellite television channels, were accepted.
Poraz made the statement in response to the repeated declarations by religious MKs that they would prevent erotic films from being broadcast under the new law.
The Committee is scheduled to complete the preparation of the bill for second and third readings next week, and submit it for final approval at the plenum within two weeks, prior to the summer recess.
YES satellite company representatives Michal Rafaeli-Caduri and Adv. Matalon said today that the amendment would have an adverse impact on the company. It would be obliged to transfer 12% of its revenue to original productions. Poraz replied that the chances that obligations would be imposed on the company that would lead to its crash were negligible.
Cable companies representative Adv. Esther Sternbach said that the satellite company should be required to make this investment, if the amendment obliges the cable companies to invest a similar amount in local productions.
With the agreement of Minister of Communications Reuven Rivlin, the committee decided to insert a transitory directive, stipulating that YES will not be required to meet any obligations which the government was not able to force it to undertake before the amendment was passed.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 5 July, 2001