Galei Tzahal, which is known in Israel by its acronym Galatz, is a nationwide Israeli radio chain run by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The station broadcasts news, music, traffic reports and educational programs. The network runs its flagship radio station and a secondary channel, Galgalatz, that broadcasts solely music and traffic reports in Hebrew.
Media assets
Radio: Galatz
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
Galatz is managed by a director who is a civilian appointed by the minister of defense for a term of maximum five years. The station’s chief is given a military rank; however, the job covers management and editorial issues.
Source of funding and budget
Galatz’s budget is considered classified (because of its association with the Israeli army), hence there is no consolidated public data about its revenues. The station is funded through a combination of state funding (awarded by the ministry of defense) and advertising. Although the revenues generated by Galatz through advertising have increased considerably in recent years, the state contribution accounts for over 50% of the station’s budget, according to local experts and journalists.
Editorial independence
Although it is affiliated with state bodies, Galatz is known for its independent editorial coverage. “Galatz maintains a tradition of high quality, liberal pluralism and reliable broadcasts,” according to a recent academic report.
Galatz operates in line with a series of norms and principles that govern most areas and issues related to its operations, including its marketing activities, description of violence in broadcasting, the right to reply, good name and privacy. When it comes to censorship, the station has to only get the authorities’ approval to distribute content in extreme cases (such as terrorist attacks). The norms that guide Galatz’s work also include conflict of interest provisions preventing journalists at the station from asking for favors or doing favors to people close to them that would breach the station’s independence standards.
No mechanism of assessment and oversight that would validate the editorial independence of Galatz’s radio stations has been identified.
August 2023