Last update - 00:00 12/03/2007
Yedioth Ahronoth editor-in-chief Rafi Ginat to step down
By Asaf Carmel, Haaretz Correspondent
The editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth, Rafi Ginat, will step down from his position, apparently by the end of this week. His decision to resign was released Monday on the newspaper's Web site, Ynet.
As published on the site, "Yedioth Ahronoth's Board of Directors has reached an agreement with Rafi Ginat - at his request - concerning the termination of his employment as editor-in-chief of the paper."
Ginat served as the paper's editor-in-chief for a period of two years, having replaced Moshe Vardi, who held the position for two terms (13 years). While Ginat was in office, Nir Bachar (current editor of Haaretz Magazine) was dismissed from his role as editor of the newspaper's weekly supplement, Shiva Yamim, leading a significant number of the supplement's writers and editors to leave their positions as well. With this exception, no major changes occurred during Ginat's term as editor-in-chief.
Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, and Ginat have refused to comment or provide any explanation for Ginat's decision to step down after such a brief period at the paper. Sources close to Ginat believe his plan from the onset was to serve for only a short while in the position, though other sources believe Mozes was not satisfied with Ginat's performance and did not hinder his decision to resign.
Upon taking up his role at Yedioth Ahronoth, Ginat left his previous position as basketball stadium announcer for Maccabi Tel Aviv, but continued to host the consumer affairs program Kolbotek, with which he had been affiliated for over 20 years.
Over the last two months, Ginat has been cited as a prime candidate for the position of CEO of Channel 2 News Company, recently vacated by Shalom Keitel. Despite the support of major Channel 2 stakeholders, Muzi Wertheim (of Keshet) and Udi Angel (of Reshet), Ginat's candidacy has been strongly opposed by public representatives on the committee set to appoint the new CEO, by Chairman of Channel 2 News Company Yitzhak Livni, and by attorney Rahel Ben-Ari.
It is not yet clear who will replace Ginat as editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth. However, Managing Editor Yoel Esteron and Ynet site editor-in-chief John Feder are considered likely contenders for the position.