Israel Television News Company

1993 - 1997

The News Company was established in 1993 by Channel 2's three franchisees: Reshet, Keshet and Telad. The company was established in orter to produce Channel 2's news broadcasts. Its first news broadcast in November 4, 1993 at Jerusalem Capital Studios opened Channel 2's broadcasting, was less than 5 minutes long, and was anchored by Ya'akov Eilon. As a result of Channel 2's start, Channel 1 decided to move Mabat to 8:00 PM, renew its studios in Romema, Jerusalem, create new intros and extend Mabat to be 50 minutes long. Eilon Shalev wash the News Company's first CEO.

While the company was being established, Shalom Kital stated that the News Company will not hire any reporters from Channel 1 and instead, hired reporters from other media like radio and newspapers. The company's first reporters were: Ya'akov Eilon, Miki Haimovich, Guy Zohar, Dana Weiss, Gideon Sa'ar, Rina Matsliah, Oshrat Kotler, Emanuel Rozen, and Aharon Barnea. After several years, Kital's limitation was removed and reporters from Channel 1 (like Gadi Sukenik and Rafi Reshef) and later, Channel 10 were hired.

Channel 2's news broadcasts became popular a short time after the channel's start. In May 1994, Channel 2's news bulletin started getting more audience than Channel 1. The competition between the two channels in coverage of events like terrorist attacks caused the channels to start broadcasting breaking news and showed uncensored pictures of body parts.

Despite the competition, both channels cooperated during the signing of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty in the end of October 1994. The live broadcast of the signing was simulcast in both channels. The same happened again during Yitzhak Rabin's funeral.

A turning point of the company's history was Yitzhak Rabin's assassination on November 4, 1995, exactly two years after Channel 2's establishment. Dov GilHar, who was a Channel 2's reporter at the time, was a few meters away from the assassination's location and immediately sent a message to Roni Daniel and Aharon Barnea's pagers. The news company started operating under emergency mode. Yoram Arbel broke into Channel 2's broadcasting from Telad studios and told the audience about the assassination. The broadcast was moved to the News Company and Guy Zohar anchored the breaking newscast from a studio in Tel Aviv. Moshe Nusmaum published the assassin's name a few minutes after Ya'akov Eilon replaced Guy Zohar in Jerusalem Capital Studios. After the public announcement of Yitzhak Rabin's death, Rafi Reshef anchored the broadcast all night long.

After the assassination, Nachman Shai, the News Company's CEO, understood that the competition hurts both Channel 2 and 1, and contacted Mordechai Kirshenbaum, IBA's CEO and asked him to share forces. Kirshenbaum refused and since then, Channel 2's news' audience numbers kept rising.

A month and a half after the assassination, the News Company bought the videotape which contained the footage of the assassination filmed by Roni Kempler, an amateur photographer who filmed the assassination. The News Company paied one million Shekels for the videotape. This was the first time the News Company had an actual advantage over Channel 1's Mabat. Many people asked the News Company to air the videotape again, and the company did so.

In 1996, there were elections in Israel. The News Company prepared for its first election broadcast to compete with Channel 1. Reporters were placed in all parties' headquarters and in 10PM, the prediction poll results were published. Eventually, both channels were wrong on their predictions.

In 1997, Haim Yavin, who is considered a legend in Israeli television, stopped anchoring Channel 1's Mabat. Geula Even replaced him in Mabat. In that time, Ya'akov Eilon and Miki Haimovich anchored Channel 2's evening news bulletin.

The News Company started to feel that their studios were too old and built new ones. In the same year, two CH-53 helicopters crashed and 73 soldiers were killed. In that evening, both of the channels broke into the broadcast and aired the first footage from the spot. One of the photographers accidentally filmed a soldier's bag and his name was written on it. His family who watched the broadcast found out this painful way that their member was killed in the disaster.

1998 - 2002

In February 15, 1998, television audience measurement started in Israel. In the first five months, the News Company's broadcasts were not included in the audience measurement reports and only on July 5 of the same year, the Israel Audience Research Board (IARB) started measuring its audience. Since the beginning of the News Company's audience measurements, it was easily noticeable how high its audience numbers were. Usually, the evening news bulletin received between 30-40 percent of audience watching. Other of the News Company's programs got fairly high stats.

During the same year, the News Company launched a website, a fairly new thing for the time. In the website, users could get constant news updates, read information about the company's programs, anchors, reporters and commentators, contact the desks, and watch live video streams and featured items. The website was on for three years and then was shut down.

In 1999, the News Company made its second elections broadcast. In this broadcast, the prediction poll conducted by Mina Tzemakh and "Dahaf Institution", predicted the elected prime minister correctly. Again, the News Company built a special studio for the broadcast.

In April of the same year, Haim Yavin returned to Channel 1 and returned to anchoring Mabat. In order for Channel 1 to gain back some of its viewers, it started airing an early news program for the elections in the same year called "19:30". Channel 2's answer to that was the world news program "World Order" with Arad Nir that aired during the same hour.

In December 1999, a studio was built especially for the inauguration of the year 2000. It was called 'the Millennium Studio' and featured state-of-the-art feats such as holographics. The studio was demolished on January 2, 2000.

In the early 2000's, when the News Company was the most watched in Israel, the anchors changed and many new reporters joined. Carmel Lutzati, Shelly Yachimovich, Oded Ben-Ami (2000), Danny Kushmaro, Ehud Ya'ari (2001), Amnon Abramovich, Oren Weigenfled (2003), Lilach Sonin (2004-2013) etc.

In 2000, the News Company moved to "Kiriyat HaTikshoret" in Neve Ilan. All of the News Company's graphics have changed. During the same time, the evening news bulletin was extended from 30 minutes to 45 long, in 2003 the bulletin turned an hour long. As a result of that, the three minute commercial break in the end of the bulletin turned to a total of 12 minutes of commercials in breaks all over the bulletin. Four times more commercials than what it used to be.

In 2000, the Second Intifada started which caused the News Company to be prepared to broadcast news in unusual hours in live reports from the field after every attack. The Ministry of Communication's decision to establish a dedicated news channel that will broadcast news 24 hours a day. The bid for the channel started and caused Ya'akov Eilon to leave the News Company in order to join "Hadashot Israel", a company that competes in the bid.

"Hadashot Israel" started producing Channel Ten's news broadcasts. Eventually, the plans to establish the news channel faded out and in 2003, Eilon left "Hadashot Israel" to establish Channel Ten's independent news company. Channel 10's news bulletin was aired on 19:00 and moved to 20:00 to compete Channel 2's news.

At the same time, Channel 2's news company started using news tickers. After Ya'akov Eilon quit Channel 2, Miki Haimovich replaced him. The News Company's third election broadcast was anchored by Miki Himovich alongside Dan Shilon. After the election broadcast, Gadi Sukenik started anchoring the company's evening news bulletin with Haimovich.

On March 2, 2002, an incident happened - HaShidur HaMefutzal. On the same day, Telad broadcast a tense football match. Upon being informed of a suicide attack in Jerusalem, Channel 2's broadcast was split. In one third of the screen was the football match and on the other two thirds were first reports from the scene of the attack. The soundtrack was only from the reports and after ten minutes, the split-screen was ended and the entire screen switched to the news reports. This event caused many reactions and public critisim of Telad and to the News Company.

With the end of the year, Miki Haimovich announced that she would leave Channel 2 and move to Channel Ten. The News Company's executives criticised her for being unprofessional since a week before she left, she started crying during a live broadcast.

After Haimovich quit, Yonit Levi and Oshrat Kotler were the main competitors to anchor the news bulletin with Gadi Sukenik. Shalom Kital's choice of the 25 year-old Yonit Levi was considered odd since she was young relatively to Sukenik and her lack of experience. Levi anchored her first bulletin in December 22, 2002.

2003 - 2006

In the beginning of 2003, Ilan Ramon would return to earth after 15 days in space as Israel's first astronaut. Channel 2's news company prepared a special broadcast to air Space Shuttle Columbia's arrival. Ilan Ramon's father was invited to the studio for Israel's first astronaut return from space. The shuttle blew up during its entry to the atmosphere and Ilan's father received the information while he was in the studio. Arad Nir was the only reporter who reported live from the arrival in Texas. In 2009, Nir said that it was the hardest broadcast of his career.

In the beginning of 2003, Gadi Sukenik and Yonit Levi anchored the evening bulletin and the News Company's fourth election broadcast. During the Iraq War the News Company replaced the bulletin's graphics. In the same time, the company cooperated with the internet portal MSN. The website the company's featured video articles. This service was shut down after a short period.

In 2005, weatherman Danny Roup announced that he moved to Channel Ten. That completed the union of Eilon-Haimovich-Roup who were recognized as Channel 2's leading anchors. Channel 1's weatherman Danny Deutch moved to Channel 2 to replace Roup.

In April, the Second Authority did another bid for two Channel 2 franchisees. Keshet and Reshet won the bid and Telad stopped broadcasting and funding the News Company. This caused the News Company's deficit to grow to 10 milion Shekels.

In the end of August, after the disengagement plan, the News Company replaced its graphcs for the third time since 2000. The graphics, made especially for this event, aired until August 27, and was replaced by a brand new set of graphics. In the same year, Channel Ten's audience measurements started to rise over Channel 1. With the end of the bid, the News Company wanted a new CEO but then decided that Shalom Kital will keep his role as CEO.

In the company's fifth election broadcast, the company replaced its studios for a special broadcasting week, purchased a 3D graphics system and cooperated with Reshet's satire show "Mishak Makhur". During the entire special broadcasting week, the News Company marketed the slogan "Israel chooses 2".

In the same year, the Knesset's committee chose Channel 2's news company to operate the Knesset Channel. Later, in June 2006 when the second bid for the Knesset Channel started, the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council chose the News Company once again to operate the Knesset Channel for ten years.

In September 2006, Channel Ten's news topped the audience measurements over Channel 2 after the purchase of the film "Hatufim" where the capturing of three IDF soldiers in Har Dov in 2000 and a video where Ron Arad is shown talking to a camera in prison. Channel Ten's news paid around 1 million Shekels.

2007

After 12 years in position, CEO Shalom Kital quit Channel 2's news company and Avi Weiss, who was among the executive editors in the company, replaced him.

In July 12, 2007 Gadi Sukenik announced that he quits Channel 2 news and in Augush 1, anchored his last evening news bulletin and Yonit Levi made a special video which shows all of his work for the company. Although there were some contestants to replace Gadi Sukenik in anchoring the evening bulletin, it was decided that Yonit Levi will anchor the bulletin alone and Danny Kushmaro will replace her every once in a while.

Tamar Ish-Shalom who was Channel Ten's morning show anchor, joined the News Company in October 2007 as a news messenger in London and after she returned, she took the role as an anchor. Eventually, Ish-Shalom moved to Channel Ten's evening news bulletin in 2011.

During the same month, the News Company spent two milion Shekels in building a new advanced and bigger studio. All of the old studio's elements were there but the news desk appeared on a big video screen instead of a window.

Gut Suderi, editor of Channel Ten's evening news bulletin, moved in September 2007 to the News Company and replaced Boaz Stembler and Liran Dan. Stembler moved over to edit "Friday Studio" and then quit working for the News Company. Liran Dan got assigned to be the head of the project of creating a new website for the News Company. The company announced that in the first phase, they will upload their contents in Keshet and Reshet's websites and in the second phase, the company will create their own website where all of their contents will be. In the end, the company decided to abandon the project and keep uploading their contents in Keshet and Reshet's websites.

In the beginning of October 2007, two months before the switching of Channel 2's franchisees broadcasting days, Aharon Barnea, the anchor of "Friday Studio" announced that he will move to Washington, D.C. and will take the role of the news messenger from there. This happened because Reshet wanted to refresh the program since its move to broadcast in this day. Reshet offered the role to Yair Lapid. He anchored "Friday Studio" until January 2012 when he moved on to politics.

2008 - 2012

In the beginning of April 2008, the News Company announced that it got an agreement with El Al to produce and edit a special, 30 minutes long, news program for El Al's passengers. Additionally, in April 17 of the same year, the company started broadcasting in a special online channel in Keshet and Reshet's website.

A year and a half later after Avi Weiss started working as the company's temporary CEO, the company's board of directors decided that Weiss will remain CEO for five more years.

After half a year when Yair Lapid edited "Friday Studio" (since he joined the News Company) in the middle of June, Golan Yokhpaz will edit the program. Yokhpaz also edited "Kolbotek" for 9 years.

In April 2008, the company started producing a daily newsflash in 13:00 anchored by Oren Weigenfled. In September the company launched their webpage in Keshet and Reshet's websites.

In 2009, the News Company worked with YouTube and offered users to ask the election contestants questions and the contestants will answer them in a special broadcast. The broadcast aired in 18:30 on a Saturday and got 19% audience rating. A relatively good number for a program airing in the same hour.

In the 2009 elections broadcast, anchored by Yonit Levi, the company cooperated with Keshet's satire show "Eretz Nehederet". The broadcast got 32.6% of audience measurement and while the announcement of the prediction polls, the audience was three times more than Channel Ten and five times more than Channel 1.

In the beginning of March 2009, Channel 9 notified the News Company of its termination of agreement with the News Company after 6 and a half years that the News Company made its news program. As a result of the company's bad economic state, in 2009, the company decided to stop some of the programs due to budged cuts. It ended with the company bringing new sources of income like a world weather forecast in some of its short programs which brought more sponsorship advertisements.

In May 2011, the company started the "Young Edition", a news bulletin for kids, anchored by Gidon Oko.

In November 2012, the company started "Election System" a daily program which covers in depth the 2013 elections anchored by Udi Segal and Dana Weiss.

In December 2012, the company had to stop the programs "Six With" and "Meet The Press" and to shorten the evening news bulletin to 45 minutes as a result of the company's board of directors decision to cut 20 milion Shekels from the company's budget. After ten days, a change in the Second Authority law occurred which helped Channel 2's franchisees, the company cut only 5 milion from its budget.

2013 - 2016

In the 2013 elections night, the News company cooperated again with Keshet's "Eretz Nehederet" and Yonit Levi anchored the broadcast again. The broadcast got 47.7% audience measurements and while the publishment of Mina Tzemakh and "Dahaf Institution"'s prediction poll the audience measuerement was 42.7% and was the most watched broadcast since the beginning of audience measurements.^[6]

In May 2013, Dany Kushmaro was chosen to anchor "Friday Studio", Dana Weiss was chosen to anchor the weekend news bulletin and Rina Matzliah started anchoring "Meet The Press".^[7]

In October 2013, the company started working with "The Kids' Channel (Arutz HaYeladim)" and producing the "Young Edition" as a 20-minute daily program alongside with the weekly edition aired on Fridays on Channel 2.^[8]

In November 2013, the company celebrated its 20-year old anniversary and aired promos with some of the important events it reported. In the same month, the company started producing a night news edition instead of a midnight newsflash which was broadcast until then.^[9] Since Yonit Levi went to a maternity leave, Keren Marciano replaced her alongside with Danny Kushmaro.^[10]

During Operation Protective Edge in July 2014, the average audience measurement was 29.4%, the company's best July ever and its strongest month in its last 15 months.

Before the 2015 elections, the company conducted its first debate between the runners for prime ministry. The debate was aired in February 26, 2015 and got 30.6% of audience.

In the election night, the company broadcast its evening bulletin from a transparent studio located on the Knesset Plaza as a part of a special broadcasting week. The special broadcast got 37.7% of audience.

2017 - Present: Splitting of Channel 2 and the move to Keshet 12 and Reshet 13

On May 9, 2017, the IBA announced that it would cease its broadcasts at the end of the week. The channel was replaced with Kan, which would air on channel 11. At that time, the IBA was airing under 11, Channel 2 under 22, the Educational Television Service on 23, the Sports Channel under 55, the Knesset channel under 99, and Channel Ten under 10. As a result of this, the major Israeli channels would reform and move to other channels the following period.

Because of Keren Marciano going on a maternity leave, Dana Weiss started anchoring the evening news bulletin with Yonit Levi and Danny Kushmaro.

A short time before Channel 2's splitting, the News Company decided to be branded as "The News (HaHadashot)". Its contents will be moved to Keshet 12 and Reshet 13 and will be broadcast in HD. As a result of the company building a new studio in Neve Ilan, in September 25 the company moved to broadcast in a temporary studio in the same compound. The company started broadcasting from the new studio in November 1 after Channel 2 got split.

With the splitting, it was decided that most of the company's contents will be aired on both channels parallelly except for "The Economic Program" to be aired only in Keshet 12 and "Good Night Israel" as well as "Meet The Press" will be aired only on Reshet 13. When a breaking news event happens, the channels will have an option to join the News Company's broadcast or to stay with the regular programming.

On October 31, 2017, Channel 2's last evening news bulletin was aired and Danny Kushmaro introduced the company's new studio, while Yonit Levi was in the temporary studio.

On November 1, 2017, the company started broadcasting in Keshet 12 and Reshet 13 under its new name "The News (HaHadashot)", from a new studio and in HD quality.

On August 1, 2018, the company lost the bid for the Knesset Channel and it moved to Channel Ten news.

Programs from Sunday to Thursday

• "First Edition (Mahadura Rishona)" at 16:30 - the first newscast of the day dealing with the news of Israel and the world today, presented by Oren Weigenfeld (alternately with Ofer Hadad or Dafna Liel) (broadcast since 2007).
• "Six With (Shesh Im)" at 18:00 - a daily affairs magazine that Oded Ben-Ami, Sivan Rahav-Meir, Arad Nir and Rina Matzliah offer alternately. (Originally "Five" with Rafi Reshef, and later with Gadi Sukenik, until 2002).
• "The Economic Program (HaTochnit HaKalkalit)" at 19:30 - a half-hour economic edition submitted by the economic correspondent, Keren Marciano (alternately with Gideon Oko and Oren Weigenfeld). The program is broadcast from 2007. Until August 2008, the program was called "The Economic Supplement". Until November 2017 was called "savings plan", and since the split broadcast program only in Keshet 12 under the name of the economic program.
• "Main Edition (HaMahadura Hamerkazit)" at 20:00 - The main news broadcast on weekdays. The program is usually alternately presented by Yonit Levy and Danny Kushmaro, or sometimes, Dana Weiss or Keren Marciano (alternately broadcast since 1993).
• "Good Night Israel (Layla Tov Israel)" at 23:15 on Wednesday and Thursday - night edition of the news - alternating presenters (airing from November 2013). Formerly known as "The Night News" and "The Night Show". As of November 2017 the program is broadcast only on Reshet 13.

Programs on Friday regularly

• "الأسبوع (The Week)" at 13:30 - Arabic news magazine, presented by Forat Nassar.
• "The Young Edition (HaMahadura HaTzeira)" - a summary of the week's news for children and youth, hosted by Gideon Oko and Liron Zaid, alternately at 14:00 and a replay on Saturday at 7:30. It also airs daily on the KidZ channel from Sunday to Thursday, previously broadcast on the children's channel and blog.
• "Friday's Studio (Ulpan Shishi)" at 20:00 - a program of the company that integrates the news commentary this week, articles on various subjects and debriefings. The program's current anchor is Danny Kushmaro. In the past, the program was submitted by Gadi Sukenik, Emanuel Rosen, Oshrat Kotler, Dan Shilon, Aharon Barnea and Yair Lapid.

Programs on Saturday regularly

• "World Order (Seder Olami)" at 17:00 - Foreign News Magazine, which reviews the events of the week in the world by the foreign news editor Arad Nir (aired from 2001 to 2007 in a daily framework and from 2007, alternately broadcast weekly with Arad Nir, foreign news editor, Aharon Barnea and Gideon Oko).
• "Meet the Press (Pgosh Et HaItonut)" at 18:00 - a program in which the people who were at the center of news during the past week are interviewed by Rina Matzliach (broadcast since 1996). As of November 2017, the program is broadcast only on Reshet 13.
• "Weekend News (Hadashot Sof HaShavua)" at 20:00 - the company's weekend edition, the first part devoted to weekend headlines and the second to soft news and stories presented by Dana Weiss.