The i24news network is warming up its engines and trying with all its might to build a system that can compete, even if partially, with that of the major commercial channels.
Wow!
Branch learned that the editor-in-chief of the venture, former CEO of News 13 Israel Toito, has met in recent weeks with quite a few officials in the news companies of Channels 12 and 13 - including senior officials, in attempts to convince them to move to work in the system being built. One of them She is a 13 news anchor Hila Korah, who received an offer, and as far as is known she refused.
A senior official at the channel described Toito's courtship in recent days as "stubborn", another source called it "obsessive".
We will remind:
the i24news network will soon launch a new news channel in Hebrew that will broadcast from Israel via streaming The network says that the decision to launch i24news in Hebrew comes at the end of a long period of market research and development, based on which the new channel will be built in accordance with the Israeli audience."
In practice, it is estimated that among the heads of the channel, the understanding was internalized that at this stage Minister Karai's legislation to reform the broadcast market will not be promoted in full, and therefore it was decided to go up independently, in the first stage online.
Hila Korah/Official website, News 13
The reform promoted by Communications Minister Karai was supposed to allow a news broadcasting license for anyone who wants it under the platforms of the multi-channel television companies.
Through the transformation of i24news by the billionaire businessman Patrick Darhy, it was possible, for example, to establish competition (and weaken) the news companies in the commercial channels and to establish competition against Channel 14 in the right sector.
As of now, i24news in Hebrew will be a commercial channel based on advertisements, and as long as there is no change in legislation, it will be available in Israel as mentioned only in streaming.
Let's remember:
the owner of the i24news network Patrick Darhi is also the controlling owner of the HOT company and was previously considered close to Netanyahu.
The cross-ownership law does prohibit cable and satellite license holders from owning a news channel, but in 2017 legislation was passed in the Knesset that allowed him to own a TV channel, provided that it was in a foreign language.
Hila Korah chose not to comment, as did the i24news channel.
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Hila Korah
News 13
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