Israel comptroller to review broadcasting reform

Israel's state comptroller said Wednesday he will examine audiovisual reform as the premier and his finance minister face off over replacing the state broadcasting authority with a new organisation.

Yossef Shapira, who is in charge of assessing state policies and the use of public funds, would start to review the reform on public radio and television, his office said in a statement.

The comptroller would examine the "financial volumes concerned, the fate of hundreds of employees and the importance of the issue for the public", it said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed a plan to replace the Israel Broadcasting Authority with a new organisation after initially supporting it.

But Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon supports the project, into which an estimated 400 million shekels ($104 million/94 million euros) have so far been invested.

Former communications minister Gilad Erdan in 2014 suggested replacing the IBA with a new body, officially to reboot a frail public authority to compete with private broadcasters.

IBA employees have been fired or sent into early retirement and the new broadcasting organisation has been set up prior to taking over.

Netanyahu's critics accuse him of backtracking after realising that the journalists he wanted to stifle had in fact been re-hired in large numbers in the new organisation, many in leading positions.

The cabinet could vote on Sunday on a draft law put forward by Netanyahu supporters to stop the project from going ahead.

Some observers have said the dispute could lead to early parliamentary elections less than two years after the previous vote.

But others have said Netanyahu may be able to gain support on the issue thanks to bargaining and parties of the coalition being opposed to early elections.

Source: AFP