Possible New Government Regulations May Stifle Israel National News Internet Broadcasts
Excerpts;
“Broadcasting via cable or satellite to the Israeli public requires a license. The council has the power to grant licenses to selected content and service providers who meet its requirements, and revoke the licenses of broadcasters who do not.”
“If the council’s authority is broadened to include Internet broadcasts, broadcasters such as Israel National News (Arutz-7), might be subject to government regulation and oversight, something that could severely compromise its independence, objectivity, and ability to report and comment on current events the way it sees fit.”
“While satellite and cable companies must get a license to start Internet broadcasting, companies who limit their broadcasting only to the Internet, can still reach out to the public without government interference.”
“But once such broadcasts “reach half the country via the Internet,” Mokdi said, many people, particularly Israel’s media conglomerates, will demand that the government start subjecting them to regulation as well, or in the alternative, exempt satellite and cable broadcasting from government regulation.”
“Mokdi said, however, that in his opinion, ‘regulation is not always a good thing,’ and that the council does not intend to create ‘a dictatorship for Internet sites.’”
“But when asked what would happen if Arutz-7 started broadcasting television news content over the Internet the way CNN or Fox News do in the United States over cable, Mokdi said he could not be certain that Arutz 7 would be exempt from Israeli government regulation and supervision.”
“Under current regulations, the state would have to grant Arutz-7 a special license for broadcasting news, if it were on cable or satellite.”
“In today’s political reality, with Arutz 7 more often than not at odds with government policy, especially on the sensitive issue of holding all the land of Israel under Jewish sovereignty, getting a license to broadcast news and commentary from the government would be highly unlikely.”
“Baruch Gordon, director Israel National News’ English website, said it was no coincidence that the government shut down Arutz-7’s over-the-air broadcasts shortly before announcing the Disengagement Plan to the public.”
He said the best way to ensure the future of Israeli democracy would be to allow unregulated Internet news broadcasting regardless of how many Israeli’s decide to tune in, “even if it’s half the country.”