Israel delays 24-hour news decision
June 27, 2011
By Chris Forrester
Israel has long wanted to counter what it sees as a stream of negative comment from many of the world’s 24-hour satellite news channels. The plan was to create its own news channel, transmitting in English and Arabic, and a parliamentary vote should have taken place yesterday, June 26th.
However, the vote was postponed, with government ministers saying more time was needed to gather information from Israel’s Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and the Prime Minister’s office.
The bill, submitted by former IBA chairman Nachman Shai, would have forced the IBA to come up with a plan for the formation of the channel within a month of the bill taking effect and getting the channel on the air within six months.