"On the LOOKOUT"

Bulletin of the
"FRIENDS OF ISRAEL'S MEDIA WATCH"
Issue Five, January 1999 - Shevat 5759

FROM THE CHAIRMAN'S DESK:

Dear Friends, Four years have passed since the founding of Israel's Media Watch.
Perhaps our greatest compliment is that Israel's Left, through the Israel Democracy Institute,
decided to follow in our footsteps. They have established 'Keshev', a media watchdog
organization. We congratulate them and extend a hand to join forces in our efforts to assure
a fair and balanced media in Israel. As the circle of watchdog organizations increases,
it will finally dawn upon Israel's media that their task is to serve the Israeli public, not dominate it.

These past four years have not been easy. The last year has been extremely difficult.
There were times during which we did not know how we could continue the basic operation
of our office. Somehow, a miracle came about always at just the right time and we are as active
as ever. I do want to specially thank our executive director, Yisrael Medad, for his dedication
to our organization. Even during the most difficult of periods, he continued business as usual.
It is due to his patience and hard work that our organization remains the leading watchdog group
in Israel. Our successes during the past year, some of which are detailed in this newsletter,
were impressive. The fact that two IMW board members were appointed members of the plenum
of the Israel Broadcasting Authority has changed significantly our mode of operation. Our complaints
now receive the highest priority and are treated seriously at the highest echelons of the IBA.
We are now able, through hard work, backed by our research department at IMW, to cause
meaningful changes in the operations of the IBA. Our demands during the budget deliberations
within the IBA forced IBA officials to reveal to the public a variety of facts about their activities
which were never before known. We believe that openness and public accountability are
essential for a public broadcasting authority. We will vigorously continue to pursue these goals.
I thank all of you, our dedicated members, for your ongoing encouragement and support.
We look forward to another year during which Israel's Media Watch continues to succeed
in its efforts in changing Israel's media, as befits a Jewish pluralistic society.

Thanks to all of you, Eli Pollak

IMW INSIDE THE IBA

Congratulations to ELI POLLAK and RAMI SADAN, IMW board members
on their appointment to the IBA plenum.

By decision of Israel's government, IMW Chairman, Prof. Eli Pollak, and Mr. Rami Sadan,
IMW Secretary, were appointed as members of Israel Broadcasting Authority's Plenum,
its public supervisory body. The term of appointment is for three years. Eli Pollak serves
as Chairman of the Army Radio (Galatz) committee and is a member of the Finance
and Program Scheduling committees. Rami Sadan chairs the Academic Relations committee
and is a member of the Finance committee.

IMW Report Published by ARIEL POLICY CENTER

IMW's 73 pages study of Israel's electronic media has been published, in English, by the Ariel
Center for Policy Research. The study, representing the cumulative results of the past four years,
deals with the ideological character of Israel's broadcast media, the imbalance of the IBA,
the coverage of the Oslo Process, Rabin's assassination and the 1996 elections campaign.
The report was sent to leading academic institutions and professional media journals in
the U.S. and Europe as well as prominent media experts in Israel.

ACTIVITIES REPORT

Israel's Media Watch was engaged in a wide variety of activities this past year, as highlighted below:

A. Parliamentary & Legal:

• IMW's petition to the High Court of Justice was heard on June 16, 1998 in regard to the
  inadequate disciplinary steps taken by IBA's then Chairperson, Rina Shapira vis a vis the Butbol Affair.
• IMW reps participated in several meetings of the Knesset's Education Committee dealing
  with the Educational Television Network, the annual report of the IBA D-G and the matter
  of Moshe Negbi's radio law program.
• IMW petitioned the Knesset's Finance Committee on January 20, 1999 not
  to approve the IBA budget for 1999.

B. Meetings:

• April 22, 1998 with Galatz Commander, Dr. Zeev Drori
• June 8, 1998 with Prof. Ozer Schild, Head, Education Ministry's Pedagogical Unit
• June 23, 1998 with Nachman Shai, D-G of the Second Television & Radio Authority
• August 31, 1998 with Andre Modoux, in charge of UNESCO's Press project
• September 8. 1998 with Uri Porat, Director-General of the IBA
• October 7, 1998 with Dr. Johannes Gerster, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
• November 22, 1998 with Education Minister Rabbi Yitzhak Levy.
• December 1, 1998 with Prof. Gidon Doron, Chairman of the Second Television & Radio Authority.
• December 9, 1998 with the Director and Spokesman of MANOF Organization representing the Charedi public.

C. Public Appearances, Ads & Op-Eds:

• Demonstration outside Beit Sokolov, Tel Aviv on March 24, 1998 protesting journalism
  awards to C. Menasheh R. Chalabi and M. Negbi;
• Media Consumers Conference in Ramat Gan on April 20, 1998;
• Panel participation by E. Pollak at a special seminar on the media on April 25, 1998
  together with Profs. A. Diskin and Y. Agassi;
• Open University Conference to discuss the Zuckerman Report on May 7, 1998;
• IMW Chairman participated in a discussion on the political character of the media at
  the Tzavta Club with Gush Shalom on July 6, 1998;
• Lectures on media consumerism were presented to the Overseas Students Program
  of the Hebrew University, special teachers session at the Elisheva High School in Hadera
  the Tel Aviv Academic College as well as Israeli high schools including the national AMIT
  student council members, Bet Shulamit in Jerusalem, the Baharan Ulpana in Gedera and
  the Pesach Adult Seminar at the Netanya Bnei Akiva Yeshiva;
• Twice IMW were guests on hour- long programs on Arutz 7 on June 1 and November 30, 1998;
  a shortened Hebrew version of IMW's research report was published in the Nov. 1998 issue of Nativ.
• The Education Ministry has again recognized IMW's right to benefit from National Service volunteers.
• The weekly IMW opinion column continues on Arutz 7 radio every Thursday following the 12 PM
  midday news. A bi- weekly media show will shortly be aired.

IMW BATTLES IBA BUDGET

The 1999 budget of the IBA was approved by its internal institutions only after a
determined battle waged by the IMW representatives. As members of the Finance Committee,
Eli Pollak and Rami Sadan closely questioned those responsible for budget planning.
Their constant pressure caused the convening of three separate sessions before the other
committee members caved in to the management echelon.. The insistence of Pollak and Sadan
on full disclosure led to the publication of hitherto unknown facts such as the salaries of senior employees.
The executive "won", the budget was approved but the public lost out. This battle, however,
will bear fruit and in the future, the IBA management knows that it will be much more difficult
to approve a similar deficit budget. IMW will continue to do all possible and appear before
any forum to defend the public interest which is the proper administration of the IBA's finances.

WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT US

"This organization [IMW] is a fake. It is a group that is afraid of information" Mordechai
Kirschenbaum, HaShavua, May 30, 1998

"I wish to emphasize the contribution of IMW...at times, their complaints were unjustified
or without foundation and occasionally a nuisance; but with all this, their's was a contribution
to the improvement of the broadcasts". Viktor Grayevsky, IBA Ombudsman Report No. 4, 1999

"It was reported to [then] Prime Minister [Rabin] that the Eyal Organization was in essence
controlled by our boys. The matter surfaced... at the time of the swearing- in ceremony on
television. The PM's bureau asked the GSS what's going on. It was reported to them that it's
all a fake. A double fake, also by the television". GSS Head Ami Ayalon, HaAretz, October 4, 1998

"Our media is one-sided, in one direction. The media is so foreseable...it is mobilized on behalf
of one side to the detriment of the other...the media is leftist and is working against everything
and everyone that moves on the right". IBA D-G Uri Porat, Zman Tel Aviv, August 21, 1998

"Every dedicated and qualified employee in the IBA carries on his back at least another worker
who doesn't produce or works at a fictitious job receiving pay for nothing". IBA D-G Uri Porat,
HaAretz, November 17, 1998

"There is justification to halt the broadcasting of [guest interview] programs in the coming months
[during the election campaign] because the provide an unfair advantage to politicians who have access
to the media". Dr. Amit Schejter, (former IBA Legal Advisor), Yediot Ahronot, December 24, 1998

IMW WEB SITE !!!

With the volunteer help of IMW supporter, Dr. Ilan Malester of Haifa, our Web site
is regularly updated. The site contains information regarding the activities of IMW,
op-ed articles, research reports,freedom of speech, antisemitic / antireligious trends
in media and other relevant data.
Let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions. The address is:
http://www.oocities.org/CapitolHill/2527

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We encourage our friends to complain directly to the media authorities.
This is the essence of democracy and media consumerism.
All complaints should be concise, detailed and non-polemical.
A copy should be sent to us for follow-up.

1. V. Grayevsky, IBA, POB 28080, Jerusalem, 91280

2. Y. Rekem, Second Authority, POB 34122, Jerusalem 95464.

3. Z. Drori, Radio Galei-Tzahal, M.P. 01005, IDF.

4. D. Dvortzki, Educational TV, 14 Klausner St., Tel Aviv 69011.

5. M. Strasbourg-Alkabetz, Cable TV, 23 Jaffa Rd, Jerusalem, 91999.

We need YOU as a "FRIENDS OF MEDIA WATCH"

We cannot continue our vital work without your help - financial and organizational.
Additional funds are needed and the fact that more concerned citizens see IMW
as their public representative strengthens our voice. Become a member; have your
acquaintances become members; open a local branch. Please contact:

ISRAEL'S MEDIA WATCH
P.O.B. 6023, JERUSALEM 91060

Tel: 02-623 6425;----Fax:02- 623 6426

E-mail: isrmedia@netvision.net.il

Haifa Branch: POB 7261 Haifa, 31072

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