Channel 1
Former Israeli public television channel operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority from 1968 to 2017.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Channel 1 was Israel's principal public television service for almost five decades. Operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), it began broadcasting on 2 May 1968, following the creation of the authority under legislation passed by the Knesset in 1965. It was the second-oldest television service in Israel, after Israeli Educational Television, and initially shared transmission capacity and broadcast hours with that service. The channel was established during a period when the Israeli government viewed television as an important instrument for public information, national cohesion, cultural development, and communication with Arab audiences and residents of territories under Israeli control. The service began with a live broadcast of the Israel Defense Forces Independence Day parade in Jerusalem. Its early schedule consisted of limited test transmissions, generally divided among Hebrew, Arabic, children's programming, and adult programming. Arabic-language broadcasting was an important part of the channel's public-service remit from the beginning. The first edition of the flagship Hebrew news program Mabat laHadashot aired in August 1968 and remained central to the channel's identity until shortly before closure. For many years, the program was strongly associated with presenter Haim Yavin, who became widely known as “Mr. TV.” An Arabic news bulletin was also introduced in 1968. During the 1970s, Channel 1 became the country's dominant television outlet. Its schedule combined news, documentaries, imported American and British series, films, interviews, entertainment, sports, and a relatively small amount of original scripted programming. Major public-affairs programs included Mabat laHadashot, This Week, and Moked. The channel's news role became especially significant during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when viewers could see live or near-live reports from the conflict. Coverage of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's 1977 visit to Israel was another landmark broadcast and was carried in color, helping demonstrate television's growing national and international importance. Channel 1 gradually adopted color broadcasting, although the transition was uneven and extended over several years. It transmitted the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest internationally from IBA facilities in Jerusalem, and regular color broadcasts began in 1983. The channel later expanded its distribution through satellite transmission and, from the beginning of Israel's digital television era, was available through free-to-air digital reception. In 2010 it became the first Israeli public broadcaster to offer high-definition broadcasts, initially for major events such as Eurovision and the FIFA World Cup before extending HD production to news and other programming. The channel's effective monopoly weakened in the early 1990s with the arrival of cable television and commercial Channel 2. Its official identity shifted from names such as Israeli Television and General Television to Channel 1 after Channel 2 began broadcasting in 1993. Although it continued to provide nationally important news, cultural programming, sports, and public information, its audience share declined and it developed a reputation as an older-skewing service. Critics also questioned its cost structure and reliance on the television licence fee. A 2012 schedule redesign attempted to make the service more competitive during prime time through revised news timing, entertainment, sports, and reality programming. The channel's final news bulletin was broadcast on 9 May 2017 with little advance notice. The IBA was then abolished as part of a public-broadcasting reorganization. Channel 1 ceased regular operations during the early hours of 14 May 2017, after the Eurovision Song Contest final, and its former terrestrial slot was taken over by Kan 11, the flagship television service of the newly established Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. Channel 1 therefore remains a significant historical brand in Israeli media, even though it is no longer active.
History
The institutional foundations of Channel 1 were laid when the Knesset enacted the Israel Broadcasting Authority Law on 6 June 1965. Planning for a national television service began soon afterward, with assistance from CBS executive Joe Stern. Although Israeli Educational Television already operated a limited service, the establishment of a broader national channel was accelerated by the political and security environment following the Six-Day War. Policymakers regarded television as a means of reaching citizens across the country, strengthening public communication, and broadcasting to Arabic-speaking audiences. Channel 1 commenced service on 2 May 1968 with live coverage of the Independence Day military parade in Jerusalem. Because it initially used the same frequency as Israeli Educational Television, the two services shared available transmission hours. Regular experimental broadcasting began in August 1968, first for three evenings a week and later for four. The early schedule included Hebrew and Arabic programming, children's content, news, and a limited evening service for adults. Broadcasting was initially in black and white. The channel's early identity was closely linked to public information and current affairs. Mabat laHadashot premiered on 1 August 1968, while an Arabic news bulletin followed on 13 August. During its first year, Israeli television operated as a semi-independent unit led by an establishment team headed by Eliyahu Katz, a communications scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was subsequently integrated with Kol Yisrael radio within the Israel Broadcasting Authority. The expansion of broadcasting to the full week in 1969 produced a major public and legal dispute over Saturday programming. Religious parties sought to suspend planned Saturday-night broadcasts during coalition negotiations after that year's elections. Prime Minister Golda Meir initially agreed to a temporary freeze, but lawyers Yehuda Ressler and Adi Kaplan petitioned the High Court of Justice. A conditional judicial order allowed broadcasts to begin that evening, making the dispute an early example of the political and legal tensions surrounding public broadcasting in Israel. In the 1970s, Channel 1 was the country's dominant television service. Its adult schedule relied heavily on imported films and series from the United States and United Kingdom, documentaries, interviews, entertainment formats, and news. Original Hebrew scripted production was limited, but programs such as Havoorat Lool, Niki Rosh, Hadva, and Shlomik became notable exceptions. Mabat laHadashot, This Week, and Moked formed the core of its public-affairs output. Mabat was reported to reach a very large share of television households, and Israeli programs were also watched by audiences in neighboring Jordan because of signal overspill. The Yom Kippur War in October 1973 reinforced the channel's role as a national news institution. For the first time, Israeli viewers could receive moving images from close to an active battlefield while events were unfolding. Channel 1 also covered Anwar Sadat's historic 1977 visit to Israel, with the visit broadcast in color for the first time on the service. Israel's victory in the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest created a technical and editorial embarrassment when the satellite connection ended shortly before the winning song was officially announced. In 1979, the IBA hosted and transmitted Eurovision from Jerusalem in color to international audiences. Regular color broadcasting, however, did not begin until February 1983, when the first color edition of Mabat was aired. The Arabic-language television department received the Israel Prize in 1985 for its contribution to society and the state. In 1990, Channel 1 added regular satellite distribution to its terrestrial network. Its technological development continued through Israel's transition to digital television and the introduction of high-definition production. The first HD broadcasts in 2010 included Eurovision semi-finals and the final and FIFA World Cup coverage; the Mabat news program followed in HD the next year. Competition changed the channel's position during the 1990s. Cable television and commercial Channel 2 ended its effective monopoly, and the service became officially known as Channel 1 after Channel 2 launched in November 1993. Programs such as Popolitica and The Fifth Chamber were prominent in the decade, but the channel's ratings and cultural influence gradually declined. By the beginning of the twenty-first century it was frequently characterized as an older-skewing broadcaster with an expensive budget supported mainly by a television fee. In May 2012, management revised the schedule in an attempt to compete more directly with commercial channels, moving and shortening the main news bulletin and adding entertainment, reality, and sports programs. The final Mabat bulletin aired on 9 May 2017. Channel 1 then continued for only a few more days without its normal news and current-affairs service. After the 2017 Eurovision final, the service was partially shut down in the early hours of 14 May. Remaining programming associated with Israeli Educational Television occupied part of the transition, and the new Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation's Kan 11 took over the channel position from 15 May. The closure marked the end of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and of Channel 1 as a broadcast brand.
- 2017
Channel 1 shuts down
[1]The service closed in May after the Israel Broadcasting Authority was abolished and Kan 11 assumed its former terrestrial position.
- 2012
Prime-time schedule redesigned
[1]The channel revised its news timing and added entertainment, reality, and sports programming to compete with commercial broadcasters.
- 2010
HD broadcasting introduced
[1]Channel 1 began offering high-definition coverage of major events and later expanded HD production to news.
- 1993
Official Channel 1 identity adopted
[1]Following the launch of commercial Channel 2, the service became officially known as Channel 1.
- 1985
Arabic television department receives Israel Prize
[1]The Arabic-language department was recognized for its contribution to Israeli society and the state.
- 1983
Regular color broadcasting begins
[1]Regular color service began in February, including the first color edition of Mabat.
- 1979
Eurovision hosted in Jerusalem
[1]The IBA transmitted the Eurovision Song Contest internationally from Jerusalem in color.
- 1977
Sadat visit covered in color
[1]Channel 1 broadcast Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's visit to Israel in color, a landmark for the service.
- 1973
Yom Kippur War coverage elevates television news
[1]Live and near-live battlefield reporting made Channel 1 a central source of information during the war.
- 1968
National television service launches
[1]Channel 1 began broadcasting on 2 May with live coverage of the Independence Day IDF parade in Jerusalem.
Products and positioning
A national public-service television channel combining news, current affairs, Arabic-language broadcasting, culture, entertainment, sports, and major national and international events. It was funded primarily through Israel's television licence system rather than operating as a conventional commercial broadcaster.
News · 1968
Mabat laHadashot
Channel 1's principal Hebrew television news bulletin, launched in 1968. It became one of Israel's most recognizable public-affairs programs and was strongly associated with presenter Haim Yavin. The final edition aired on 9 May 2017, shortly before the channel closed.
Public-service broadcasting · 1968
Arabic-language television
Arabic-language programming and news formed part of Channel 1's remit from its first year. The service was intended to communicate with Arabic-speaking citizens and audiences in the surrounding region. Its television department received the Israel Prize in 1985.
News and current affairs
Public affairs programming
Programs including This Week, Moked, and later Popolitica provided weekly news analysis, interviews, political discussion, and public debate. Together with Mabat, they defined Channel 1's role as Israel's principal public broadcaster before the growth of commercial television.
Sports broadcasting
Sports and special-event coverage
Channel 1 broadcast major domestic and international events, including Eurovision, FIFA World Cup matches, and Maccabi Tel Aviv EuroLeague coverage. Such events attracted audiences beyond the channel's normal demographic and were among the occasions when it used text-based sponsorship-style announcements rather than conventional commercial advertising.
Brand decisions
2017
Closure following public-broadcasting reorganizationStrategyBackground
The Israeli government abolished the Israel Broadcasting Authority and created the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
Action taken
Channel 1 ended regular operations in the early hours of 14 May 2017, and Kan 11 took over its former terrestrial position.
Aftermath
The Channel 1 brand became defunct and the new public broadcaster became the successor occupant of the national television slot.
2012
Prime-time competitiveness overhaulStrategyBackground
Audience ratings had declined after the arrival of cable television and commercial channels, and Channel 1 was widely viewed as an older-skewing service.
Action taken
The channel moved and shortened its main news bulletin and scheduled entertainment, reality, and sports programs in prime time.
Aftermath
The redesign represented an effort to compete with commercial broadcasters, but it did not prevent the channel's eventual closure in 2017.
1983
Transition to regular color broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
Channel 1 had used color only intermittently for major events while most of its regular output remained in black and white.
Action taken
The service introduced regular color broadcasts in February 1983, including a color edition of Mabat.
Aftermath
Color became the standard for the channel's domestic television output.
1969
Expansion to seven-day broadcastingStrategyBackground
The IBA planned to expand Channel 1 from four broadcasting days to a full-week schedule, including Friday and Saturday programming.
Action taken
The expansion proceeded amid political pressure from religious parties seeking to suspend Saturday-night transmissions. A High Court order ultimately allowed broadcasts to begin.
Aftermath
The dispute established an enduring precedent for political and judicial involvement in the scheduling of Israeli public broadcasting.
Sources1 sources
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