Israel’s parliament approved the Communications (Broadcasting) Law, 5786-2026, on Thursday, passing the measure 53-48 in its second and third readings to implement a broad restructuring of the country’s broadcast media regulatory system.
The legislation replaces the current regulatory framework with a new model that expands the government’s role in supervising the broadcasting sector. Among the changes, it removes longstanding requirements covering minimum journalistic standards, investment in original Israeli productions and restrictions on cross-ownership, while giving the government greater authority over television audience measurement and the allocation of state advertising.
At the center of the overhaul is the creation of the Broadcast Communications Authority, an independent statutory regulator that will consolidate and eventually replace Israel’s existing broadcast oversight bodies. The authority will operate with an annual budget of 25 million shekels, financed through deductions from the budget of Israel’s public broadcasting corporation.
The law also establishes a nine-member Broadcast Communications Regulatory Council to set policy for the new authority. Members will be selected through a nomination process led by a committee chaired by the director general of the Communications Ministry.
Lawmakers also approved a last-minute amendment benefiting the pro-government Channel 14 broadcaster. The provision exempts the channel from a new requirement that would have required television broadcasters to make designated programming available to distribution platforms free of charge. The exemption has been estimated to be worth approximately NIS 40 million ($13.8 million) each year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in the Knesset debate on the legislation but did not take part in the final vote. Netanyahu is standing trial in cases involving his dealings with the media.
