Channel 9
Channel 9 is an Israeli television and digital-media brand serving the country's Russian-speaking audience.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Channel 9 is an Israeli television station and digital-media outlet primarily serving Russian-speaking immigrants and Russian-speaking households in Israel. The service began broadcasting on 12 November 2002 under the name Israel Plus, following the development of a dedicated Russian-language television service within Israel's expanding multichannel media market. It was subsequently rebranded as Channel 9, reflecting the channel position through which it was distributed on Israeli cable and satellite platforms. The channel's core editorial and programming proposition is bilingual and community-oriented. Most of its programming is in Russian, generally accompanied by Hebrew subtitles, while some programs are produced or broadcast in Hebrew with Russian subtitles. Its intended audience is the large Russian-speaking population that immigrated to Israel, particularly the more than one million people who arrived from the former Soviet Union and other Russian-speaking areas from the 1990s onward. This audience created demand for news, current affairs, entertainment, cultural programming, and locally relevant information in Russian. Channel 9 emerged from a broader Israeli policy effort to liberalize and diversify electronic media. A government-backed committee chaired by Yossi Peled proposed in the late 1990s an open-sky approach that would expand private and specialized broadcasting. The plan envisaged several dedicated cable channels, including services in Arabic and Russian, alongside music, culture, and news channels. The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council later conducted preliminary selections for these services. Although the Russian-language project was delayed after the initial planning stage, the tender was eventually awarded to Africa Israel Investments in September 2001. Africa Israel Investments established the operating company in November 2002, and Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich served as its first chief executive until February 2004. In May 2013, Israeli-Russian businessman Alexander Levin acquired control of the channel in a transaction reported at NIS 6 million. The acquisition strengthened the connection between the channel's ownership and its principal linguistic audience, although the precise present-day corporate structure is not established in the supplied reference material. In addition to its television service, the brand operates the 9tv.co.il news website and maintains a presence on digital platforms including YouTube, Telegram, and Facebook. These extensions allow Channel 9 to distribute news and video beyond traditional cable and satellite schedules. The service has also been available in North America through free-to-air satellite distribution on Galaxy 25, giving it a potential audience beyond Israel, although its primary editorial and commercial focus remains Israeli Russian-speaking viewers. The channel's content and public identity are closely tied to Russian-language journalism in Israel. Its personnel have included television presenters, news editors, international-affairs specialists, military correspondents, and journalists covering Israeli politics and the Middle East. Former contributors have included Ksenia Svetlova, who later became a Knesset member, and Yosef Shagal, who combined television work with political activity. Channel 9 therefore functions not only as a broadcaster but also as a linguistic and cultural media institution for a major Israeli immigrant community.
History
Channel 9 developed from Israel's late-1990s effort to broaden and commercialize its electronic-media system. The Yossi Peled committee recommended an open-sky policy intended to encourage private broadcasting and specialized services for major linguistic and cultural communities. Among the proposed services was a Russian-language channel, alongside Arabic, music, cultural, and news channels. The policy was designed around cable, satellite, and advertising-supported distribution rather than a single centralized public broadcaster. The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council made a preliminary selection of proposed services in 1998. The Russian-language project was included in the plan but did not immediately proceed after the preliminary bidding stage. In September 2001, Africa Israel Investments, a financial group associated with Lev Leviev, won the tender to create the Russian-language Israeli television channel. The operating company was established in November 2002, and broadcasting began on 12 November of that year under the name Israel Plus. The station was created for Israel's substantial Russian-speaking population, much of which had immigrated from the former Soviet Union and other Russian-speaking regions since 1990. Its main output was in Russian, usually with Hebrew subtitles. It also carried some Hebrew-language programs with Russian subtitles, allowing the channel to address both its core community and the wider Israeli media environment. Its programming mix included news, current affairs, international reporting, entertainment, cultural material, and locally relevant information. The service later adopted the Channel 9 name, corresponding to the number under which it was carried on Israeli cable and satellite systems. The rebranding gave the broadcaster a more concise distribution-led identity while retaining its Russian-language mission. In May 2013, Alexander Levin acquired control of the channel in a reported NIS 6 million transaction. The available reference material does not establish a complete subsequent ownership history or a current corporate parent. Channel 9 has expanded beyond linear television through the 9tv.co.il news site and accounts on online platforms including YouTube, Telegram, and Facebook. It has also been available in North America by free-to-air satellite on Galaxy 25. These outlets extend the brand's reach to Russian-speaking audiences outside Israel, although Israel remains its principal market. The channel has employed a range of Russian-language journalists and presenters. Its former personnel include Ksenia Svetlova, who worked as a correspondent on Middle East issues before entering the Knesset, and Yosef Shagal, a former host who also became a Knesset member. The reference material identifies Yuri Kaganovich as chief executive and lists journalists working in international news, military reporting, editing, and television presentation. Channel 9 therefore occupies a dual role: it is a commercial television service and a major Russian-language media platform within Israel's multilingual public sphere.
- 2013
Control acquired by Alexander Levin
[1]Alexander Levin purchased control of the channel in a reported NIS 6 million transaction.
- 2002
Broadcasting begins as Israel Plus
[1]The station was established in November and began broadcasting on 12 November under the Israel Plus name.
- 2001
Africa Israel Investments wins the tender
[1]Africa Israel Investments won the tender to establish Israel's dedicated Russian-language television channel.
- 1998
Russian-language channel included in preliminary selections
[1]The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council included a Russian service among the proposed dedicated cable channels, although the project was subsequently delayed.
- 1997
Open-sky broadcasting policy proposed
[1]The Yossi Peled committee's recommendations supported a more open and specialized Israeli electronic-media market, including a proposed Russian-language channel.
Products and positioning
A Russian-language Israeli television and digital-news service designed for Russian-speaking immigrants and households, combining local Israeli news with entertainment, culture, and international coverage.
Television broadcasting · 2002
Channel 9 television service
The core linear television service is aimed at Russian-speaking viewers in Israel. It primarily broadcasts in Russian, generally with Hebrew subtitles, and also carries selected Hebrew-language programs with Russian subtitles. Its editorial and programming mix includes news, current affairs, international coverage, entertainment, cultural programming, and content relevant to Russian-speaking Israeli communities.
Digital news media
9tv.co.il
The 9tv.co.il website extends the Channel 9 brand into online news and video publishing. It provides a digital outlet for the channel's Russian-language journalism and enables audiences to access coverage outside scheduled television broadcasts.
Brand decisions
2013
Change of control to Alexander LevinM&ABackground
After operating as a Russian-language Israeli television service, the channel changed control in a transaction involving Israeli-Russian businessman Alexander Levin.
Action taken
Levin purchased control of Channel 9 in May 2013.
Aftermath
The channel continued operating under the Channel 9 brand; the supplied sources do not provide further details about the post-transaction corporate structure.
Reported transaction value. NIS 6 million (May 2013)
2002
Launch of Israel PlusProduct launchBackground
Israel's media liberalization and the growth of its Russian-speaking population created a basis for a dedicated Russian-language television service.
Action taken
The operating company established by Africa Israel Investments began broadcasting on 12 November 2002.
Aftermath
The service became a dedicated Russian-language television platform and was later rebranded as Channel 9.
Recent events
- 2013
Alexander Levin acquires control of Channel 9[1]
M&A
Israeli-Russian businessman Alexander Levin purchased control of the channel in a reported transaction valued at NIS 6 million.
- 2002
Israel Plus begins broadcasting[1]
Product launch
The new Russian-language television station began broadcasting on 12 November 2002.
- 2001
Africa Israel Investments wins tender for Russian-language Israeli television channel[1]
Other
Africa Israel Investments won the tender to establish a dedicated Russian-language television service in Israel.
Sources3 sources
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