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Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990

חוק הרשות השניה לטלויזיה ורדיו, התש"ן–1990

Published: 1990-02-13Last amended 2026-07-28✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-09
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

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Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter IV: Television Broadcasting

Section A: Licences and Franchises

51.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־3)

51a.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־4)

51b.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־4)

51c.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־2)

51d.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־4)

52.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־4)

53.§

(Repealed — תשע״ב־4)

Broadcasting on a Separate Channel§
53a.

A holder of a television broadcasting licence shall broadcast on one channel on which only the broadcasts of the licence holder and the broadcasts of the news company shall be broadcast.

Franchise for a Broadcasting Unit§
54.
(a)Television broadcasts shall take place during the period of validity of the television broadcasting franchises within the framework of two television channels, which are Channel 2 and the Third Channel; a television broadcasting franchise shall be granted, in each channel, in the first franchise period and also in the extension periods granted pursuant to sections 34(b3), 37a(a)(1) or 37c(a), (b) or (b1), to the extent granted, in Channel 2 – to three tender winners.
(a1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), if a franchise granted to one of the broadcasting units in the Third Channel has lapsed or been revoked, a franchise holder in the Third Channel has not commenced its broadcasts or has ceased broadcasting, or a franchise has not been granted to one of the broadcasting units in the Third Channel, the Council may, if it is satisfied that it is required, inter alia, in order to ensure continuity of broadcasts, determine, with the approval of the Committee, provisions for the operation of that broadcasting unit, including determining the adjustments and changes required in the First Schedule, the Second Schedule and the rules under this Law.
(a2)Provisions as stated in subsection (a1) may provide that the franchise holder or tender winner that remains in the Third Channel (in this section – the remaining franchise holder) shall also operate the said broadcasting unit, if it so requests, provided –
(1)that the undertakings which the franchise holder whose franchise has lapsed or been revoked, who has not commenced broadcasting or who has ceased broadcasting, or the tender winner, as the case may be, undertook within the framework of the tender that preceded the grant of the franchise, as well as the conditions and undertakings that applied to it, or that were to apply to it, under this Law, shall apply to the remaining franchise holder, with the adjustments required according to the circumstances of the matter, as shall be determined;
(2)the provisions of section 41(b1) shall be met in the remaining franchise holder corporation and none of the following shall apply to it:
(1)
(a)it is a corporation that holds any proportion of means of control in a newspaper;
(b)a newspaper holds more than eight per cent of any class of means of control therein, or controls it;
(c)it is a corporation in which a person who holds, directly or indirectly, any proportion of means of control in a newspaper, or who controls a newspaper, holds, directly or indirectly, more than eight per cent of any class of means of control, or controls it;
(2)it is a corporation in which an affiliated newspaper holds any proportion of means of control, or in which a person who holds any proportion of means of control therein is an affiliated newspaper;

In this section –

"newspaper" – as defined in section 41(b)(4);

"affiliated newspaper" – a corporation that is a newspaper, or a person who is an interested party in a corporation that is a newspaper or who controls a newspaper, and who is also an interested party in another franchise holder for broadcasting, as defined in section 41(b1)(1).

(b)The Council shall allocate the various broadcasting units and shall determine the time framework of each broadcasting unit.
(c)Franchise holders in the same channel may, with the prior approval of the Authority, exchange a broadcasting unit or a part thereof with one another.
(d)Nothing in the provisions of subsection (a) shall prevent the regulation of television broadcasts, including on additional channels, under this Law or under any law.
(e)In this section –

"broadcasting unit" – days, including specific days of the week as the Council shall determine in the franchise;

"day" – a period from 05:00 until 05:00 the following day.

Merger of a Channel 2 Franchise Holder and a Third Channel Franchise Holder§
54a.
(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 54, if a franchise granted to one of the broadcasting units in the Third Channel has lapsed or been revoked, a franchise holder in the Third Channel has not commenced its broadcasts or has ceased its broadcasts, or a franchise has not been granted to one of the broadcasting units in the Third Channel, the Council may, with the approval of the Minister and the Committee, permit a franchise holder in Channel 2 and the remaining franchise holder in the Third Channel to incorporate into one corporation, which shall be a franchise holder in the Third Channel, and to prescribe provisions and conditions that shall apply in this regard, provided that the provisions of section 54(a2) shall apply to the said corporation.
(b)If the Council has permitted an action as stated in subsection (a), it shall determine, with the approval of the Minister and the Committee, the arrangements that shall apply in Channel 2, in order to adapt them to the operation of the channel by only two franchise holders, and shall determine, in the said manner, the adjustments required for the operation of the channel as aforesaid, including the arrangements and adjustments required in respect of the transfer of means of control in the news company to the remaining franchise holders in Channel 2.
(c)During the first franchise period in Channel 2, nothing in the provisions of subsection (b) shall oblige any of those who hold means of control in the remaining franchise holders in Channel 2 to reduce their holdings in means of control, which were permitted to them and were actually held in any of the remaining franchise holders in that channel on the eve of the commencement of the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law (Amendment No. 17), 5762-2002.
(d)The provisions of this section shall not apply if two of the franchise holders in Channel 2 have incorporated into one corporation in accordance with the provisions of section 71a(a)(1) and (2).
Franchise for Educational Television§
55.
(a)The Council shall grant to educational television, without a tender, a franchise for television broadcasting for a first franchise period, as defined in section 34(b); such a franchise shall be granted for a broadcasting unit comprising one-seventh of all broadcasting units, for educational-instructional subjects only and during viewing hours of the population for whom these broadcasts are intended.
(a1)From the day of commencement of broadcasting on the third channel, educational television shall be granted a franchise as referred to in subsection (a) comprising eight and a half per cent of all broadcasting units on Channel 2 and a franchise as aforesaid comprising eight and a half per cent of all broadcasting units on the third channel; the validity of the said franchises shall be until the 5th of Cheshvan 5764 (31 October 2003), provided that nothing herein shall derogate from the powers of the Council under section 37.
(a2)(Repealed).
(a3)
(1)The Council shall grant to educational television, without a tender, a franchise for television broadcasting on Channel 2 for the franchise period referred to in section 34(b1), commencing on the 29th of Tishrei 5766 (1 November 2005); such a franchise shall be granted for a broadcasting unit comprising eight and a half per cent of all broadcasting units on Channel 2 for the subjects and during the hours referred to in subsection (a).
(2)Nothing in the provisions of this subsection shall derogate from the powers of the Council under the provisions of section 37.
(b)Once educational television has become a franchise holder as aforesaid, it shall be treated as any franchise holder under this Law, except in respect of sections 51, 51a, 51b, 52, 53, 54(a) and (b), 59, 66, 67, 70, 71d, 99 and 100.
(c)At least half of all educational television broadcasts shall be of local production as defined in section 58.
(d)Educational television shall pay the Authority annual franchise fees out of its revenues from the conduct of broadcasting and the provision of other services, at the rate and in the manner that the Minister shall prescribe from time to time by Regulations.
(e)In this section, "broadcasting unit" – broadcast hours, including parts of an hour, on different days of the week, at different hours or at fixed times, all as the Council shall determine in the franchise or in rules.
Restriction on Franchise or Licence§
56.
(a)A franchise for television broadcasting or a licence for television broadcasting shall not be granted –
(1)to a holder of a franchise for television broadcasting;
(1a)to a holder of a licence for television broadcasting;
(2)to a person who holds, directly or indirectly, one or more means of control in a holder of a franchise for television broadcasting or in a holder of a licence for television broadcasting;
(3)to a corporation in which an interested party satisfies the conditions set out in paragraphs (1), (1a) or (2).
(b)For the purposes of this section, "holding" – including holding by an interested party as referred to in this section, except holding through a company whose shares have been offered to the public by prospectus and are traded on a stock exchange in Israel, provided that no single holder or single interested party who satisfies the conditions referred to in this section holds half or more of any class of means of control therein, or is not capable of directing its activity in any other manner.

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Section B: Teletext Services

Franchise for Teletext Services§
57.
(a)The Council may permit the operation of teletext services either by way of granting a franchise or by any other means; if the Council has decided to permit the operation of teletext services by any other means, the provisions of this Law shall apply to such services, with the necessary modifications, all as the Council shall direct.
(b)A franchise as referred to in subsection (a) shall not be regarded as an additional franchise for the purposes of section 56.

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Section C: Content of Broadcasts

Definitions§
58.

In this Section –

"local production" – a programme produced wholly or mostly in Israel, excluding a news programme, a current affairs programme and a sports programme, all in accordance with rules to be prescribed by the Council;

The Second Authority for Television and Radio Rules (Broadcasting of Television Programmes by a Franchise Holder), 5770-2009, have been published.

"self-production" – local production produced by a holder of a franchise for television broadcasting, a holder of a licence for television broadcasting or a corporation in which the franchise holder or licence holder as aforesaid is an interested party, whether directly or indirectly;

"acquired local production" – local production that is not self-production, and is not a production of a governmental institution or of one who is permitted to broadcast to the public by law, or is not a production of a corporation controlled by a corporation permitted to broadcast as aforesaid or by its interested parties, directly or indirectly.

Allocation of Broadcasting Time for Local Productions§
59.
(a)At least forty per cent of all television broadcasts shall be of local productions, produced especially for the purpose of their broadcasting pursuant to this Law and in accordance with rules to be prescribed regarding the allocation of conditions and budgets, provided that such rules shall enable the execution of productions at an appropriate level and quality; however, the Authority shall act to expand the proportion of television broadcasts of local productions, including during the first franchise period, provided that such expansion may include local productions not produced especially for the purpose of their broadcasting pursuant to this Law and in accordance with such rules.

The Second Authority for Television and Radio Rules (Broadcasting of Television Programmes by a Franchise Holder), 5770-2009, have been published.

(b)Out of all local productions and in addition to the obligations that the Council shall prescribe in the franchise or in rules, a franchise holder shall broadcast each year programmes as detailed in the First Schedule, in quantities no less than the annual quotas prescribed therein.
(c)The Council, with the approval of the Committee, may amend the First Schedule.
(d)Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Council may, with the knowledge of the Minister and the Committee, permit, for the first two years from the day of commencement of broadcasting by a franchise holder on the third channel, a reduction in the scope of broadcasts prescribed in the First Schedule or the Second Schedule, as the case may be, with which a franchise holder on the third channel is required to comply, provided that the reduction shall not exceed half the scope of such broadcasts.
Provisions regarding Compliance with Obligations on the Third Channel§
59a.
(a)A franchise holder on the third channel who, from the 6th of Cheshvan 5764 (1 November 2003) until the end of the second franchise year on the 4th of Shevat 5764 (27 January 2004), has fulfilled all the conditions and obligations applicable to it in respect of that period under the provisions of this Section, the provisions of sections 99 and 100, and the provisions of the Second Schedule, shall be deemed to have fulfilled the conditions and obligations under this Section and the First Schedule or the Second Schedule, as the case may be, during the first two franchise years.
(b)For the purposes of subsection (a), a negligible breach of a condition or obligation shall not be taken into account.
(c)Without derogating from the other powers of the Council under this Law, the Council may permit a franchise holder on the third channel to fulfil the conditions and obligations that it is required to fulfil during the interim period, pursuant to the First Schedule and the Second Schedule and pursuant to the other provisions of this Law, the Council's rules and the franchise provisions concerning local productions and expenditure thereon, at later dates to be determined, provided that the deferred dates to be determined shall apply until the end of the first franchise period, and that the franchise holder shall fulfil, by the end of that period, all of the conditions and obligations as aforesaid; for this purpose, "the interim period" – the period from the 5th of Shevat 5764 (28 January 2004) until the 27th of Tevet 5766 (27 January 2006).
(d)Where the Council has decided to permit a franchise holder on the third channel to fulfil the conditions and obligations referred to in subsection (c) at later dates, it may determine that the review procedure under section 34(c)(2) shall be deferred by one year.
Broadcasting Time for Acquired Local Productions§
60.

At least half of the broadcasts allocated to local productions in accordance with the provisions of sections 55 and 59 shall be of acquired local productions and in accordance with the Council's rules.

The Second Authority for Television and Radio Rules (Broadcasting of Television Programmes by a Franchise Holder), 5770-2009, have been published.

Broadcasts in Arabic and Translation§
61.

The Council may prescribe rules regarding broadcasts in the Arabic language, including regarding their duration and the screening of a translation of their content.

The Second Authority for Television and Radio Rules (Broadcasting of Television Programmes by a Franchise Holder), 5770-2009, have been published.

Prevention of Similar Programmes§
62.
(a)The Director may, on his own initiative or at the request of a franchise holder for television broadcasting, instruct another franchise holder on the same television channel to refrain from producing any programme or to cease its production, if he has found that an identical or similar programme has been produced or its production has commenced by a franchise holder.
(b)A franchise holder who considers itself aggrieved by the Director's decision may appeal against it to the Council within fifteen days of the date of its receipt; the Council shall deliberate and decide on the appeal.
Prohibition on Engagement§
62a.
(a)A holder of a franchise for television broadcasting or a holder of a licence for television broadcasting shall not engage, directly or indirectly, in an agreement with another holder of a franchise for television broadcasting or with another holder of a licence for television broadcasting in relation to the broadcasting, acquisition, or production of programmes or other broadcasts, including advertising spots.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Council may from time to time approve a specific engagement between holders of franchises for television broadcasting on the same television channel in respect of the broadcasting, production or acquisition of sports broadcasts, documentaries or other programmes, if it is satisfied that there is importance in ensuring content continuity in broadcasts between the broadcasting units of all or some of the franchise holders, and it may also, in special cases, approve such an engagement having regard to the importance and uniqueness of the joint production or acquisition.
(c)The provisions of this section shall not apply to the news company and nothing therein shall derogate from the provisions of the Competition Law.

In this section –

"holder of a franchise for television broadcasting" – including an interested party therein, and including a corporation controlled by one or more holders of a franchise for television broadcasting, or by the interested parties in such a franchise holder, jointly or severally;

"holder of a licence for television broadcasting" – including an interested party therein, and including a corporation controlled by one or more holders of a licence for television broadcasting, or by the interested parties in such a licence holder, jointly or severally;

"acquisition" – including the acquisition of broadcasting rights or rights to bring to broadcast.

Editor-in-Chief§
62b.

The general manager of a holder of a franchise for television broadcasting or of a holder of a licence for television broadcasting shall be the editor-in-chief of the broadcasts of the franchise holder or the licence holder, as the case may be, and the authority to decide on any matter relating to their content is vested in him.

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