THE ORIGINAL

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Television
Of Babel

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The medium's vast expansion says a lot
about Israeli society these days.

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ly high salaries have per-
suaded many to jump ship.
Cable stations, received
in more than half of
avid Ben-Gurion
Israeli homes for about
was right.
$35 a month, are serious
Decades ago, the
competition for the two
state's legendary
Hebrew stations. Cable net-
first prime minister opposed
works are devoted to
the introduction of televi-
movies, sports, sitcoms,
sion in Israel. He feared it
pop music, children,
would undermine his
culture, nature and
attempt to create a unique
more. The big three
Israeli culture. And that,
English-language
irideed, is what has happened.
news networks
Today, local television sta-
— CNN, BBC
tions carry most of the same
and Star — also
programs one sees in America,
are big in Israel.
albeit with Hebrew subtitles.
Making the modern TV
These include everything from
Tower of Babel even more
Seinfeld and Melrose Place, to talk
diverse are stations devoted to
shows by Jay Leno and Rikki
programming in Russian,
Lake. Moreover, even when the
Irrlhe growth in television stations in Israel has
Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian,
language of a show is Hebrew,
az led to a diversity of viewing patterns. A few
German, Turkish and
the format is likely to be derived
years ago, Professor Gabriel Weimann, chair of
Hungarian. In this way, immi-
from an American original. For
Haifa University's department of communica-
grants from different countries
example, Galgal Hamzalot is
tions, discovered that males have increased daily
can keep up with what's hap-
clearly Wheel of Fortune in the
viewing by 56 minutes while females are up 33
pening "back there."
language of the Bible.
minutes. And, not surprisingly, Israelis ages 6 to
Of course, it's happening in
The Americanization of Israel,
15 as well as 65 years and older have increased
other countries, too. So efforts
spurred by TV, has increased over
daily viewing by about 1 1/3 hours a day.
are being made by the Israel
the years. In the old days —
Similar increases, he reports, were seen in other
Broadcasting Authority to have
from 1968 to 1992 — only one
countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands,
the country's Hebrew programs
Israeli station broadcast, although
Sweden and Switzerland, when there was a
picked up abroad. Today, Israeli
others could be picked up from
noticeable increase in television channels.
shows can be seen — if not
Jordan and Lebanon. And that
blocked by governments — in
station was under de facto gov-
Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran,
ernment control.
public channel is still in business,
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf
A large proportion of the programs
thanks primarily to the income it
Emirates and Turkey.
shown — most in black and white —
receives from the annual $130 TV tax.
And now IBA Director of
were deemed educational, a pseudo-
Yet, it lags dramatically in the ratings.
Marketing Oded Geri is talking about
nym for dull. In fact, color was
Week after week, its chief rival, the
an Israeli-Jewish TV network in North
removed from the pictures so — it
commercial Israeli channel, monopo-
was claimed — people wouldn't waste
America,
followed by a similar one in
lizes the top ratings with its light
Europe.
But
don't expect many pro-
money on color sets. Only as a pre-
entertainment programs.
grams to have much Jewish content;
election gimmick in 1981 was the
A degree of serious competition
restriction lifted.
it's rare in Israel other than the requi-
exists in news and documentaries, in
site holiday features. It seems, indeed,
Today, dozens of channels are avail-
which the public channel is particular-
that David Ben-Gurion knew what
able to local viewers thanks to cable
ly strong. But even that's slipping..
was to come. H
television. And more are coming. The
And the commercial channel's relative-

NECHEMIAH MEYERS
Israel Correspondent

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