Distribution of Broadcasts via Digital Transmission Stations Law (Amendment No. 7 – Temporary Provision) Bill

What does the bill do?

This is instead of the option they had to do so under the Distribution of Broadcasts by Digital Broadcasting Stations Law, 5772-2012 (hereinafter – the law) before the amendment, and alongside the obligation imposed under the law on the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, on the television broadcasting licensees that are the veteran commercial channels and on the Knesset Channel to distribute their broadcasts through the system, which the amendment does not change. The amendment also does not change the legal situation on this matter regarding radio stations, under which their broadcasts will be distributed through the system if they request it. As a rule, distributing broadcasts through the system involves payment of distribution fees paid by the distributed parties to the entity operating the system – currently the Second Authority for Television and Radio. Because of the imposition of this obligation, the amendment exempts the small channels and small dedicated channels, for the duration of the temporary provision, from the obligation that applies under the law to all channels distributed through the Idan Plus system to give registered content providers broadcasting over the internet consent to retransmit their broadcasts without consideration. In addition, the amendment provides that all television broadcasting licensees and radio broadcasting franchisees will be exempt from paying distribution fees to the operating entity, starting from 22 Tishrei 5784 (October 7, 2023), in line with the date of the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war and in view of the need to distribute security alerts to as wide a public as possible through the media channels, and until the end of the temporary provision. The amendment further provides that the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, the Knesset and the State Treasury will bear those distribution fees for distributing the broadcasts of all television broadcasting licensees during the exemption period, according to the calculation currently set in the law. The State Treasury will bear the distribution fees for distributing the broadcasts of the radio broadcasting franchisees. The exemption from paying distribution fees will take effect only if the operation of one of the multiplexers – an outdated component that is part of the Idan Plus system and is costly – is discontinued, by the expiry date of the temporary provision. Discontinuing the operation of the multiplexer involves a cost of about three and a half million new shekels, and the amendment provides that this cost will be paid to the operating entity by the bodies expected to benefit from the savings from discontinuing its operation: the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, the Knesset and the veteran commercial channels. If the operating entity does not discontinue the operation of the multiplexer by the end of the temporary provision, it will return the sums transferred to it as stated, and will bear the distribution fees of the bodies that received an exemption from distribution fees, from an amount the State Treasury will transfer to it for that purpose.