After an all-night filibuster by the opposition, the Knesset postponed the start of operations by the new Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation to the end of April.
At the end of an all-night session, the Knesset plenum passed the amendment to the Israel Public Broadcasting Law by a majority of 32 to 17. This means that the new Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (branded as "Kan") will start to operate only at the end of April, despite the fact that it is ready to operate and despite a petition to the High Court of Justice on the matter. The corporation was due to begin broadcasting on January 1, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also minister of communications, seeks to change its structure or to dismantle it and rehabilitate the existing Israel Broadcasting Authority, which the new corporation was to have replaced, instead.
The cost of continuing to operate the Israel Broadcasting Authority until April 30 is estimated by the Ministry of Finance Budgets Division at NIS 140 million.
The filibuster organized by the opposition continued all night following a reservation put forward by MK Prof. Yossi Yona. "Tonight I am proud to be part of a militant and effective opposition fighting another bad law of the coalition headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. I suggest to the government and members of the coalition parties that they should stop dealing in petty politics and start serving the public in Israel."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 3, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017
Public Broadcasting Corp Kan photo: Shlomi Yosef