The Israel Communications Ministry’s Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting issued a tender yesterday for an Arabic-language television channel. The tender allows for foreign investors, including those from countries that do not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel. The foreign investors may own as much as 40 percent of the channel’s shares.
The licence for the channel will be valid for 10 years. At least half of its broadcast must be in Arabic, and from year three of its operation, the tender holder will be required to broadcast at least one daily newscast in Arabic, of no less than 20 minutes. In the first two years, the Arabic channel will broadcast for at least six hours a day, and 7.5 percent of the air time must go to original programming, with the amount increasing over time.
