Under the Ministry of Finance plan, Israel Broadcasting Authority will cut NIS 90 million from this year’s budget.
Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) director general Yosef Barel plans to retire 200 employees soon, as part of IBA’s restructuring. IBA also plans to merge television and radio stations.
Barel told the IBA managing committee today that IBA was restructuring because of the Ministry of Finance’s cutback plan. Under the Ministry of Finance plan, IBA will cut NIS 90 million from this year’s budget, out of a planned NIS 230 million cut by 2006.
The employee retirements, which will save NIS 30 million, are contingent on the Ministry of Finance approval of preferential retirement terms.
IBA also plans to save NIS 65 million by merging Israel-Middle East Television (its Arabic-language satellite station) and Channel 33. The number of Voice of Israel radio stations will also be cut: Reshet Aleph and the classical music stations will be merged into one cultural station, and the Moreshet - Jewish Religious Network, Reka - A Network for Immigrants, and foreign broadcasts will be closed, leaving Reshet Bet, Reshet Gimmel, and 88FM.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on June 11, 2003