Israeli Newspapers Clash with Government Radio over Commercial Ads

Israel’s newspaper publishing industry today launched an attack against the use of commercial advertising over Kol Israel, this country’s Government-owned radio broadcasting service.

At a meeting of newspaper publishers and editors, several resolutions were adopted protesting against Kol Israel’s new commercial policy, inaugurated a year ago. The resolutions, calling for a discontinuance of the radio service’s commercial policy, will be forwarded to the financial committee of the Knesset (Parliament).

Kol Israel made a contract with a French firm a year ago, giving the French enterprise time for commercial advertising in return for $750,000 worth of transmitting equipment.

Speakers at the publishers’ and editors’ meeting said that newspaper revenues have been seriously affected by the competition from Kol Israel. Complaints were voiced to the effect that the very existence of newspapers of smaller circulation is being threatened because of Kol Israel’s competition for the Israel advertising revenue.

Some publishers declared that competition between the State monopoly of radio broadcasting, and private business, is without precedent in any other country where the Government owns and operates the broadcasting services.

The newspaper industry is alarmed not only because of competition from Kol Israel’s radio services, but also because plans are being drawn for inauguration of a television service in Israel. It was made clear at the meeting that the newspaper industry will fight hard against possible use of commercial advertising on Israel’s forthcoming TV service and “will take all necessary steps” to prevent such a development if organized opposition to commercial TV becomes necessary.