Eden Golan, Haim Cohen/screenshot, Keshet 12, here 11
The good viewing figures achieved by the Eurovision finals show The Next Star, which was broadcast yesterday (Tuesday) on Bequest 12, raised the question again of how the broadcasting corporation gave up on choosing the representative for Eurovision - a flagship, ratings and buzz almost unusual in the local landscape.
About 733 thousand viewers tuned in to the transmitter that aired over two hours and closed the current season - which began stuttering a few weeks after 7/10 and deep into the war in Gaza - with a magnificent ending under the title "the most watched season of the format since 2019".
A short reminder from the recent past:
according to several months, even before the war, despite the phenomenal success of Noa Kirel (who was selected by Kan and led to an excellent viewing figure for the Eurovision itself), it was decided in Kan 11 to give up the selection of the Israeli representative for Eurovision this year.
The corporation justified this in the heavy costs of financing the preparations for the Eurovision contest, and in the security needs of the delegation to a destination that was not really considered a fan of Israel even before the war - Malmo in Sweden.
The corporation stated at the time that the decision to return the selection of the Eurovision representative to Keshet was made after an orderly selection procedure within which network 13 also submitted a candidacy that was considered "less attractive".
Wow!
The barangay learned that the corporation enjoyed, in exchange for giving up, a wide and significant advertising and promo package on the Keshet 12 screen worth hundreds of thousands of shekels - for free
The corporation's decision was also based on proven receipts issued by Keshet 12, most of the time: here and Keshet previously collaborated for six seasons, at the peak of which Neta Barzilai won first place with the song "Toy" following which the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Israel in 2019. After Barzilai was selected through "The Next Star" Kobi Marimi and Nahal Kishlon in Eurovision, as well as Eden Elena who followed him.
Because of the corona virus, the competition was postponed for a year.
After that, the selection went to "X Factor Israel", then he returned to the corporation in a move that was considered successful when Noa Kirel represented Israel and came in the respectable third place.
This year the competition returned to Keshet, as mentioned, in a controversial manner.
To the decision to forgo the procedure (and to settle for the song's presentation transmitter, financed by Keshet) was added the understanding at the top of the corporation that it would be difficult to reproduce Kirel's success, while understanding the inherent limitations of Kaan 11 in producing a reality show of this magnitude, with an entertainment orientation.
This is at a time when the corporation wants to strengthen the current affairs and investigative sections.
Now another, central reason becomes clear.
Wow!
Barangay learned that in exchange for giving up a wide and significant advertising and promo package on Keshet 12 screen worth hundreds of thousands of shekels - for free.
One of them, with the participation of the Kaan 11 delegates to Eurovision, could be seen last night on the special channel.
The huge amount of advertisements enjoyed by the Rolnik Corporation's investigative program on the Keshet 12 screen is also part of that barter that has so far remained under the radar.
It is likely that in a world devoid of this kind of consent, Rolnik, who often criticizes capital-government relations, including those concerning the News 12 screen and the tycoons who own it, would not have dreamed of receiving such wide exposure on the screen of the Wertheim family.
It is enough to see what happened in the latest news when they were asked to promote the program over its pages.
Promos on Keshet screen 12. Rolnik/screenshot, here 11
Under the agreement of Keshet 12, the program starring Cohen returned to the screen here in mid-January, and since then has become one of the most watched tracks in the corporation
But the icing on the cake is actually one of Keshet 12's main talents, Chef Haim Cohen.
One of the gains achieved here by 11 in the negotiations with Keshet in exchange for giving up the choice of the representative was a green light for the return of "Garlic, Pepper and Olive Oil", one of the prominent and beloved brands of the Broadcasting Authority that went off the air in 2017.
Under the agreement of Keshet 12, the program starring Cohen returned to the screen here in mid-January, and since then it has become one of the most watched strips in the corporation, under the strategy of the corporation's management to strengthen the jump to the channel's Friday magazine.
The results were accordingly:
"No Pepper" jumped the average of the strip by almost 40% with an average of close to 5% and also strengthened Shishi news with Moab Verdi.
Has the strategy of strengthening the Shishi strip at the expense of losing a brand seen as the selection of the song for Eurovision paid off? Here too, probably, the answer will depend on the glasses through which you look.
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Haim Cohen
Broadcasting Corporation
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Eurovision
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