News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) A Knesset committee has removed from the Economics Arrangements Bill a measure that would allow five free public television channels for the public. The bill accompanies the proposed budget every year and has been criticized for being an undemocratic measure that allows the budget to include certain benefits while using the arrangements bill to cancel carrying out the expenditures.

The only free channels that currently are available to the public require individuals to buy antennas and satellite dishes. The Hebrew newspaper Ha'aretz reported that cable and satellite companies lobbied Knesset Members to block the proposal for free channels.