Channel 13 (Reshet)

Channel 13 (Reshet)
Name	Channel 13 (Reshet)
Country	Israel
Launched	2017
Owner	Reshet Media
Picture format	1080i HDTV
Language	Hebrew
Headquarters	Tel Aviv
Former names	Channel 2 franchise
Sister channels	Reshet 13+2

Channel 13 (Reshet) Channel 13 (Reshet) is an Israeli commercial television channel operated by Reshet Media, broadcasting Hebrew-language general entertainment, drama, and news. The channel emerged from the reorganization of Israel's terrestrial broadcasting landscape and competes with other major Israeli broadcasters for viewership, advertising, and talent. It features programming that intersects Israeli culture, politics, and society through partnerships, journalists, and production companies.

History

Reshet's lineage traces to the liberalization of Israeli television and the creation of terrestrial franchises that involved entities such as Keshet Media Group, Channel 2 (Israel), Knesset-era regulatory reforms, and the Second Authority for Television and Radio. The transition from shared franchises led to a formal split involving players like Reshet Media, Makan, and international format holders such as Endemol and Fremantle. Key milestones include licensing negotiations with the Israel Broadcasting Authority, competition with Kan 11, and industry restructuring influenced by figures from Shas, Likud, and Yesh Atid-era policy debates. The channel’s launch era involved executives and producers formerly associated with Keshet, RE/MAX entrepreneurs turned media investors, and legal disputes adjudicated in the Tel Aviv District Court and referenced before the High Court of Justice (Israel).

Ownership and Corporate Structure

The corporate ownership of Reshet involves media investors, private equity stakeholders, and broadcast management reminiscent of structures seen at Gulfstream, Amdocs-linked investors, and regional conglomerates. Board-level leadership has included executives with prior roles at Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, and Maariv, and legal counsel drawn from firms that have represented clients before the Antitrust Authority (Israel) and international arbitration panels like ICC. Corporate affiliates have negotiated carriage with pay-TV operators including HOT (Israel), YES (Israel), and streaming tie-ins with platforms akin to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and regional services. Strategic alliances and share transfers have involved media groups, family offices, and stakeholders linked to industrial groups such as Poalim-linked holdings and global content distributors including Sony Pictures Television.

Programming

Programming spans scripted drama, reality formats, imported series, and commissioned documentaries produced by companies with credits alongside Keshet International, Endemol Shine Group, and independent houses that have worked with creators like Avi Nesher, Savi Gabizon, and Eytan Fox. Prime-time lineups feature adaptations of international formats previously seen on Got Talent, Big Brother, and reality franchises developed with format sellers such as Banijay. Local drama commissions have included writers and directors with ties to Rami Heuberger, Keren Yedaya, and actors previously starring in productions from Habima Theatre and the Cameri Theatre. Entertainment programming interweaves sports highlights referencing events like Israeli Premier League fixtures, cultural specials connected to Jerusalem Film Festival, and holiday programming aligned with observances recognized by organizations such as Jewish Agency.

News and Current Affairs

The channel’s news division competes with legacy newsrooms from Channel 2 (Israel), Kan 11, and private outlets including Channel 20 (Israel) and i24news. Prominent anchors and correspondents have backgrounds at Channel 10 (Israel), Reshet 2 predecessors, and newspapers like Maariv and Yedioth Ahronoth. Coverage spans parliamentary sessions at the Knesset, election cycles involving parties such as Likud, Blue and White (political alliance), and Labor Party (Israel), as well as security reporting from sources including the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet, and regional correspondents covering neighboring states like Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories. Analysis programs often feature commentators formerly affiliated with think tanks such as INSS and academics from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University.

Technical Operations and Broadcast Reach

Technical operations encompass terrestrial transmission infrastructure, multiplexing arrangements following reforms by the Second Authority for Television and Radio, and content delivery networks comparable to those used by WIX-backed platforms. The channel broadcasts in high-definition, with distribution agreements for cable and satellite providers like HOT (Israel) and YES (Israel), and streaming availability through mobile operators such as Cellcom and Partner Communications. Audience reach includes urban centers such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, and carriage extends to international Jewish and Israeli diaspora outlets including broadcasters in United States, United Kingdom, and France communities.

Controversies and Legal Issues

Controversies have included labor disputes involving journalists and production crews represented by unions with precedents at Histadrut, contractual litigation in the Tel Aviv District Court, and regulatory complaints to the Second Authority for Television and Radio. Editorial controversies have prompted criticism from political figures across Likud, Yesh Atid, and United Torah Judaism, and legal challenges touching on defamation law adjudicated by Israeli courts. Commercial disputes have involved advertising agencies and media buyers affiliated with groups like Osem and Tnuva in negotiations over sponsorship and branded content practices.

Audience and Ratings

Audience measurement relies on data from rating agencies and research firms analogous to AC Nielsen methodologies and local surveys conducted by media analysts linked to IPBC studies. Ratings competition sees Channel 13 contending with Keshet 12, Kan 11, and niche channels for prime-time dominance in demographics coveted by advertisers representing retailers such as Candy, telecom operators like Pelephone, and consumer brands distributed by Central Bottling Company (CBC). Viewership trends reflect shifts toward digital platforms, with on-demand consumption tracked through partnerships with analytics providers and internal metrics comparable to those used by global broadcasters.

Category:Television channels in Israel