This week saw the conclusion of the merger of Israel’s Reshet commercial TV network with Channel 14 (until 2017 known as Channel 10). The newly merged channel is called – perhaps just a little confusingly – Channel 13. The merger had been approved in November last year by Israel’s broadcasting authority. At the time, the owners of Reshet and Channel Ten said: “The approval this evening [8 November 2018] is an important and critical step toward regulating the television market in Israel. Merging the activities of Reshet and Channel Ten will allow the merged company to hold on to the majority of its employees and to offer the Israeli viewer better television, based on investing in quality and original content.”
The new channel was launched at a gala event in Tel Aviv attended by 1,500 celebrities and guests.
The merger reduces the number of commercial channels in Israel to two – Keshet Channel 12 and Reshet Channel 13.