Communications (Broadcasting) Bill, 5786-2025

This bill seeks to significantly update the Communications (Broadcasting) Law to align regulation with technological and market changes in the communications sector. The main proposed changes are: Establishment of a new Communications Authority: A new independent statutory body is proposed to regulate the entire broadcasting sector, including television and radio, as well as the provision of viewing and audio content. The authority will be subject to a council composed of public representatives and experts, operating independently based solely on professional considerations. The authority will be responsible for policy setting, budget approval, oversight of target compliance, and approval of financial reports. Changes to registration and supervision of providers: Two new registries are proposed: a content provider registry and a news provider registry. Providers wishing to operate in the broadcasting sector will be required to register, subject to established conditions. The registries will be public and include information such as the type of activity, revenue volume, and affiliations with other entities. The council may revoke a provider's registration in certain cases, such as submitting false information or violating registration conditions. Investment in local productions: A mandatory investment in local productions is proposed for registered providers at a rate of 6.5% of their annual revenue. This obligation will also apply to international providers with significant activity in Israel. Part of the investment will be directed toward documentary productions. Regulation of sports and news broadcasts: Rules are proposed to regulate sports broadcasts, including defining sports events of public and commercial importance. It is proposed to regulate the broadcasting of news content, including obligations for content transfer between providers and rules for journalistic ethics. Protection of minors and consumers: The council is proposed to be authorized to set rules for protecting minors from harmful content, including subtitles, sign language translation, and audio description. Additional consumer provisions are proposed to be applied to content providers in accordance with the Communications Law. Regulation of emergency broadcasts: It is proposed to regulate the dissemination of emergency messages via a dedicated system operated by the authority or its designee. Emergency message dissemination will be free of charge and immediate. Restrictions on controlling shareholders and appointments: It is proposed to restrict the ability of controlling shareholders in providers to acquire control of other broadcasting media to prevent concentration. It is proposed to set limitations for the appointment of council members, including eligibility requirements, conflict of interest prohibitions, and fair representation of various population groups. Structural and organizational changes: A new Communications Authority is proposed to replace existing authorities (the Second Authority, the Cable and Satellite Council). Subcommittees for finance, competition, and other necessary areas are proposed. The council's roles, including budget approval, policy setting, and oversight of target compliance, are to be regulated. Transitional provisions and repeals: Various transitional provisions are proposed to regulate the transition from existing regulation to the new regulation. Existing laws and arrangements that do not conform to the new proposals will be repealed or adjusted. The bill seeks to create a modern, flexible, and efficient regulatory framework that adapts to technological and market changes and ensures the existence of important public interests, such as pluralism of opinions, protection of minors and consumers, and the promotion of local creation.

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