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 civilian director appointed by the minister of defense for a maximum of five years. The station’s chief is given a military rank; however, the job covers management and editorial issues. In recent years, the government has stepped up pressure to control the broadcaster by interfering with the management appointment process. In January 2024, for example, the Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi showed opposition to the Defense Ministry’s plans to appoint Tal Lev Ram at Galei Tzahal’s helm.
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 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 only to get the authorities’ approval to distribute content in extreme cases (such as terrorist attacks). The norms guiding 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, which would breach the station’s independence standards.
Although the government has stepped up its efforts to impose more control over the broadcaster’s programming and editorial agenda, especially after the conflict in Gaza began, veteran journalists working with the station say they have managed to protect their independence thus far. Moreover, an analysis of audio content aired by Galatz over two weeks in March 2024 found no obvious government bias. However, the future of the broadcaster is in limbo as the war gives authorities even more justifications to control media outlets in Israel.
No mechanism of assessment and oversight that would validate the editorial independence of Galatz’s radio stations has been identified.
July 2024