Israeli Broadcasting Public Corporation (IPBC)

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), also known as Kan, operates three national television channels and eight radio stations, alongside a broad portfolio of digital content including podcasts, web series, and video features. Its flagship channel, Kan 11, offers a mix of news, current affairs, and cultural programming, as well as satire, investigative journalism, and entertainment. In addition, IPBC runs Kan Educational, a youth- and children-focused channel, and Makan 33, a dedicated Arabic-language service providing news and cultural content tailored to Arab-speaking audiences in Israel.

Media assets

Television: Kan 11, Makan 33, Kan Educational

Radio: Kan Tarbut, Kan Reshet Bet (Kan Network B), Kan Gimel (Kan C), MaKan, Kan Farsi, Kan Reka, Kan 88, Kan Moreshet, Kan Kol Ha Musica, Kan Nostalgia, Kan Yam Tichon, Kan Tel Aviv 2019

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

IPBC was formally established in 2015 as the successor to the defunct Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), a bloated and inefficient institution that had lost public trust. Unlike its predecessor, IPBC is structured as a public corporation governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Minister of Communications for renewable four-year terms. Candidates are vetted by a search committee, which recommends nominees to the minister. Statutory requirements mandate that the Board include at least six women and one Arab member.

The Board’s core responsibilities include shaping corporate policy, approving programming schedules and annual budgets, appointing the Director-General (who serves a four-year term), and monitoring the executive team’s performance.

The inaugural board, appointed in 2016, was selected by then-Prime Minister and Communications Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On January 30, 2025, the Knesset approved in preliminary reading a bill that would shift appointment authority for the IPBC board: appointments would now be made directly by Cabinet, based on the Communications Minister’s recommendations—bypassing the existing independent search-committee framework. These developments suggest a consolidation of control in the hands of the current government/ministerial apparatus, undermining the institutional checks established during IPBC’s founding.

Golan Yochpaz is the current Director-General of the IPBC. He was appointed to the position in 2022. He is a veteran journalist and media executive with decades of experience in Israeli news and broadcasting.

Source of funding and budget

According to IPBC data from 2018, approximately 88% of its operating budget is sourced from the state, specifically through revenues raised from the annual vehicle licensing fee and funneled via the Ministry of Transport. The remainder stems from advertising income and miscellaneous sources. In 2023, the broadcaster operated with a total budget of ILS 822.8 million (US$228 million).

Throughout 2023 and into 2024, IPBC faced sustained political threats to its financial and institutional autonomy. In January 2023, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced his intent to dismantle the broadcaster, proposing instead to redistribute public funds among various media outlets to foster market competition. This triggered fierce criticism, with opponents alleging that the true motive was to undermine IPBC’s editorial independence.

While the plan was “indefinitely delayed” in February 2023 due to broader political turmoil, by July 2023, the Ministry of Communications unveiled a broader media reform blueprint, proposing to strip IPBC of its right to carry advertising. Given that advertising revenues account for roughly ILS 100 million annually, this move risked severely weakening the broadcaster’s financial base.

In March 2024, the Knesset passed the Israeli Public Broadcasting Bill, spearheaded by Likud MP Ariel Kallner. The law grants the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee investigatory authority over IPBC’s reports and spending. Proponents claim the bill enhances transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. Detractors, however, warn that it serves as a veiled attempt to exert political influence over public broadcasting. Among other contentious proposals under consideration is a prohibition on the commercial sale of IPBC-produced content such as films and documentaries—another potential blow to the broadcaster’s financial sustainability.

In June 2025, a private member’s bill backed by Likud MK Galit Distel Atbaryan passed the Ministerial Committee. This legislation would privatize Kan’s news division—a move described as “the first step” to end Hebrew‑language public news broadcasts. A separate June 2025 bill (supported by Zulat) proposes cutting IPBC’s total budget from roughly ILS 700 million to ILS 500 million, forbidding advertising and limiting archival content revenues—reducing resources by over ILS 300 million.

Editorial independence

From its inception, IPBC was shaped by political ambivalence. While the 2014 broadcasting law laid its legal foundation, several Israeli politicians openly expressed the view that public media should remain under government control. The launch of IPBC was repeatedly delayed, with officials maneuvering to ensure influence over its editorial direction before it began broadcasting.

Nevertheless, over time, and particularly amid Netanyahu’s legal battles and successive election cycles, IPBC journalists resisted political encroachment, leading to a de facto retreat from more overt efforts to dominate editorial content. According to local experts cited in academic studies conducted by the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC), government attempts to tighten editorial control largely stalled as public resistance and professional pushback mounted within the broadcaster.

Since mid-2023, however, pressure on IPBC has escalated. Minister Karhi has launched repeated public attacks, alleging political bias and vowing to reshape the public broadcasting landscape. IPBC has been forced to navigate this hostile climate while striving to maintain its editorial integrity.

Notably, Section 7 of the Broadcasting Law states that IPBC content must “reflect and document the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, its values and the heritage of Israel, and give fair, equal and balanced expression to the diversity of views and opinions prevalent in the Israeli public.” IPBC is also legally bound to uphold a strict code of professional and journalistic standards.

Despite persistent threats, no independent mechanism currently exists to evaluate or certify IPBC’s editorial independence. Nevertheless, the resilience of its newsroom staff has thus far forestalled more extreme forms of state capture.

Content analysis conducted by the MJRC between January and March 2024 detected no systematic pro-government bias. On the contrary, IPBC’s journalism has grown more cautious and fact-focused, often presenting opposing perspectives with scrupulous neutrality—perhaps a strategic move to avoid further political backlash.

Through early 2025, multiple proposals to dismantle IPBC’s news capability have been heavily front-page—sparking warnings from IPBC itself and external groups that these bills aim to “terrorize” Kan’s newsroom and suppress independent public reporting. Critics—including the Attorney‑General’s Office—have raised alarm that privatization or government takeover of Kan news would severely hamper press freedom. Industry bodies such as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have also publicly urged Israel to keep IPBC’s budget and governance free from direct government pressure to preserve its editorial autonomy.

As of mid‑2025, IPBC’s newsroom remains operational, but the barrage of legislative attacks has clearly shifted editorial priorities—it now increasingly operates under a “fact-first” and damage-control editorial model to withstand political pressure. Nevertheless, its newsroom remains intact and is holding firm, striving for journalistic rigor amid unprecedented external pressure, hence we have not downgraded the broadcaster in our State Media Matrix taxonomy.

July 2025