Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT.B1) is preparing to halt its broadcasts of the Fox News channel, sources inform "Globes." The US news channel, which is also currently broadcast by DBS Satellite Services (1998) Ltd. (YES) and Cellcom TV, is regarded in the US as having right wing conservative views, and usually gives Israel favorable coverage.
As far as is known, Hot has asked the Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting for permission to take this measure. Several weeks ago, the Knesset enacted a law proposed by MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) that will allow Hot and Yes to broadcast international news channels that broadcast from Israel, which likely accounts for Hot's interest. The law actually refers to a single channel, i24news, which has been broadcasting in English, Arabic, and French from studios in Jaffa since July 2013. Hot controlling shareholder Patrick Drahi also owns i24news, and this question was discussed in the debate about the law.
The recently approved law states that the Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting will set precise rules within four months for allowing the channel to be broadcast in Israel. It can be assumed, however, that as soon as this happens, Hot will begin broadcasting the i24news channel, which belongs to its owner. Ostensibly, i24news, whose broadcasts can be described as pro-Israeli, fits into the same category as Fox News, which is considered friendlier to Israel than its counterparts, such as CNN and BBC. Is Hot in effect substituting i24news for Fox News, and does the common ownership of Hot and i24news pose a problem? The relevant parties will have to answer this question. At the same time, Hot currently broadcasts 12 international news channels, and resumed its broadcasts of CNN over the past year.
The Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting said, "The request was received, and will be considered in accordance with the rules. No response from Fox News' representative in Israel was available.
Meanwhile, the Israel Journalists Union has declared a labor dispute at i24news because of what it called "attempts to interfere with labor organizing, foot-dragging in negotiations, and unilateral measures by management." The union says that it announced unionization at i24 news already two years ago, adding, "Negotiations have been taking place ever since, with management refusing to provide data and preventing progress towards the signing of an agreement."
i24news management said, "i24news is facilitating a constructive dialogue with the workers… "The Israel Journalists Union is not a representative organization, and is systematically refusing to provide membership forms. Nevertheless, management is open to dialogue, and will continue its policy of fairness, as it has done up until now."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on June 22, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017