Lauder may keep backing Channel 10

Channel 10 shareholders Arnon Milchan and Ron Lauder remain involved in the channel's operations. If no other way can be found for the channel to remain on air, they can be expected to continue to invest in it, claim sources in the know of the beleaguered network's affairs.

Lauder owns a 25% interest in Channel 10. He was present in a meeting held last week at the home of the controlling shareholder Joseph Maiman, who also owns the Merhav investment group, to discuss investing NIS 15 million more in the channel. Maiman has already clearly stated that he refuses to shoulder the financial burden of Channel 10 by himself. However, the sources believe that the NIS 15 million could be provided by Maiman together with Milchan and Lauder.

If the report is accurate, Lauder is reversing his position on Channel 10. Six months ago TheMarker reported that Lauder, heir of cosmetics queen Estee Lauder, was reluctant to fund the network any more. But his participation in the meeting on the channel's future may indicate otherwise.

Sources in the know estimate that if an arrangement is reached, and with a new method of licensing on the horizon, all of the channel's shareholders are likely to continue to support the channel.

Meanwhile, Channel 2 franchise owner Reshet is demanding equal dealing in any easements granted to Channel 10.

In a letter from Reshet chairman Yossi Rosen to the finance and communications ministers as well as the chief executive and chairman of the council, he noted that he had followed the efforts to save Channel 10 closely, and was "pleased that a solution now appears to be on the horizon."

But Rosen made no bones about what he believes is only fair: "We would like to emphasize in no uncertain terms that we demand our right to receive any easements granted to Channel 10 under any arrangement, retroactively, as required by any legal or moral yardstick."

Top management at Channel 2 Keshet and Reshet have repeated this message in the past, during the ongoing Knesset debates on the issue. Director general of the Communiations Ministry Idan Bar-Tal, made similar comments on Keshet and Reshet's right to equal treatment in the most recent discussion on the matter in the Economic Affairs Committee. No comment was available from Reshet.