Knesset to discuss ways to cut World Cup viewing costs
By Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Sports Staff
Television coverage of next month's World Cup in Germany will be on the agenda of the Knesset Economics Committee Tuesday, with the panel due to discuss, among other issues, lawmakers' demands to allow the cable and satellite companies to air commercials during their broadcasts of the games. The advertising revenue would cover the costs of the broadcast rights to the games and thus save the public at large from having to pay NIS 492 for the World Cup television package.
The debate will be attended by representatives of the Communications, Finance, Justice, Education, Science and Technology, and Culture and Sports Ministries, as well as officials from the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council, the Second Broadcasting Authority, the Antitrust Authority, the Israel Broadcasting Authority, the cable and satellite television companies, the Channel 2 franchisees, Channel 10, the Sports Channel, media company Charlton and the National Student Union, which is also conducting a campaign against the payment.
Prior to the debate in the Economics Committee, the Knesset House Committee will discuss a request by Likud MK Gilad Erdan to fast-track a bill that calls for allowing the airing of commercials during sporting events of public significance. Erdan said Monday that the discussion would reveal the government's true position to the public and the extent of its willingness to allow the public at large to watch the World Cup without having to pay large sums of money.
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According to Erdan, following two months of negotiations between Charlton, which owns the rights to the games, and the various broadcasting companies, the State of Israel now finds itself in a situation in which its citizens are being forced to pay a hefty sum to watch the tournament, while in many other countries, the games will be aired free of charge.
Pines-Paz vows to battle on Meanwhile, a petition against the NIS 492 World Cup payment is gaining momentum. The petition, initiated by Israeli sports portal ONE (www.one.co.il/msites/mondial/petition), has amassed more than 150,000 signatures thus far. The petition names Communications Minister Ariel Attias, Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the only ones who can find a practical solution to the problem.
Oded Shalev, editor-in-chief of ONE, will also attend Tuesday's Knesset
Economics Committee discussion.
In a special interview Monday with ONE, Sports Minister Ophir Pines-Paz vowed to continue to fight the payment. Pines-Paz also believes that permitting the airing of commercials during the games would either significantly lower the required payment or do away with it altogether. However, his suggestion to this end last Thursday met with fierce opposition from the treasury and Communications Ministry.
"I am not looking to lay the blame on anyone," Pines-Paz told ONE
Monday, "but on Friday, I got a call from the cabinet secretary, who informed me that my proposal would not be raised for discussion at the cabinet meeting [on Sunday]. This means that opposition to my bill is coming not only from the treasury and Communications Ministry, but from the Prime Minister's Office, too.
"The only solution lies in the hands of the government," the sports minister continued. "And you must understand, the law says that the communications minister, with the approval of the cabinet, can permit commercials to be aired on the cable and satellite stations. And this is the only solution for significantly reducing the cost of the broadcasts.
"According to calculations I have made, if commercials are permitted, the price of the World Cup broadcasts could come down to NIS 200, which is a significant difference from NIS 492."
Pines-Paz said that he had no intention of giving up the fight, despite
having had his proposal rejected. "My proposal is on the agenda, and I will submit it again, and I hope it will be raised [for discussion] next Sunday ... Time is against us, but the solution isn't in my hands ... and if the relevant ministers fail to cooperate with me, we will not be able to stop the outrageous price. I very much hope that the government will work with me on this."
Fighting the foreign blackout The Knesset Economics Committee will also discuss a proposal Tuesday to stop the cable and satellite broadcasters from blacking out foreign television channels that will be carrying the World Cup and can be picked up in Israel.
"I hope my proposal is passed in the coming week," said its sponsor, Kadima MK Yoel Hasson, Monday. "The government must find a solution and cannot ignore the public outcry against the airing of the World Cup for the exorbitant price of NIS 492.
"If the government supports my proposal, and the foreign channels aren't blacked out, my law will put pressure on Charlton, and it will be left with no alternative but to significantly lower the price," he continued. "I get the impression that the government really wants to come to the assistance of the public, and I believe that a solution will eventually be found."
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