Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a wide-ranging broadcast media reform law on Thursday, approving the Communications (Broadcasting) Law, 5786-2026, by a vote of 53 to 48 in its second and third readings.
The new legislation replaces the existing regulatory framework with a system that gives the government a larger role in overseeing the broadcasting industry. Under the changes, longstanding rules requiring minimum journalistic standards, investment in original Israeli productions, and limits on cross-ownership have been removed. The government will also gain more control over how television audiences are measured and how state advertising dollars are distributed.
A centerpiece of the reform is the establishment of the Broadcast Communications Authority, a new independent statutory regulator designed to consolidate and ultimately replace Israel’s current broadcast oversight bodies. The authority will operate on an annual budget of 25 million shekels, funded through deductions from the budget of Israel’s public broadcasting corporation.
The law also creates a nine-member Broadcast Communications Regulatory Council, which will be responsible for setting policy for the new authority. Council members will be chosen through a nomination process overseen by a committee chaired by the director general of the Communications Ministry.
Shortly before passage, lawmakers approved a last-minute amendment that benefits Channel 14, a pro-government broadcaster. The amendment exempts Channel 14 from a new rule that would have required television broadcasters to provide certain programming to distribution platforms at no cost. That exemption is estimated to be worth approximately 40 million shekels — roughly $13.8 million — per year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took part in the parliamentary debate over the legislation but stepped aside and did not vote when the final tally was taken. Netanyahu is currently on trial in cases connected to his past dealings with media outlets.
