Israel at risk of being excluded from Eurovision

Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is under threat.

According to the EuroMix website, next Sunday the Israeli Cabinet will vote on a bill that would lead to the privatization of the public broadcaster KAN – which could prevent it from participating in the contest.

Shlomo Karhi, Minister of Communications, and Tali Gottlieb, a Knesset member, have submitted this bill, and it is expected to pass. The minister argues that the broadcaster features content inappropriate for the State Budget and spends public funds without proper oversight.

If the proposal is approved, KAN is expected to be sold to private owners, which means there may be no public broadcaster in Israel by the end of next year.

Although it is possible for private broadcasters to become members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) under specific and strict conditions, it is expected that with privatization, KAN will leave the organization, thus being unable to participate in the ESC and other events.

Nothing prevents another private station from joining, provided it meets certain requirements: it must be a national broadcaster reaching at least 98% of the country’s households; offer varied and balanced programming for the general public; differentiate itself from commercial channels by maintaining higher ethical standards and being subject to a supervisory body; and broadcast at least one daily 15-minute news program.