The European Broadcasting Union has warned Israel that proposed legislation affecting the Kan public broadcaster could undermine its independence, damage public trust and harm Israel’s democratic image internationally, Kan said Sunday.
According to the Israeli broadcaster, EBU Director General Noel Curran sent a letter to Knesset Finance Committee chairman Hanoch Milwidsky expressing concern over a bill that would place Kan’s budget under government control.
Kan quoted Curran as warning that allowing the government to determine the broadcaster’s budget would create built-in financial dependence on the government’s goodwill.
“A news system that depends on the government for its budget cannot independently report on the same government that determines that budget,” Curran wrote, according to Kan.
He added that protecting public broadcasting from political interference reflects binding international standards rooted in the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Those standards, he said, prohibit the use of funding to exert editorial influence or threaten the institutional autonomy of public media organizations.
Curran warned that weakening Kan’s budgetary autonomy could damage public trust in Israel and affect international perceptions of the broadcaster’s independence and credibility.
“Such developments could also have broader implications for Israel’s democratic image, its media landscape and international perceptions regarding Israel’s democratic media environment,” he wrote, according to Kan.
The EBU also noted that Kan has operated under exceptionally challenging circumstances in recent years while continuing to provide what it described as an essential public service.
Maintaining the conditions that allow independence and autonomy, Curran wrote, is important not only for Kan itself but also for preserving the values and partnerships that underpin participation in the international public media community.
The EBU, which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest among other events, did not explicitly threaten sanctions in the letter. However, its warning is considered unusual because membership in the organization requires safeguards for independent public broadcasting.
In the past, the EBU has taken action against public broadcasters in countries where political interference was alleged, including suspension from the organization. Such a step, if ever taken against Israel, could affect the country’s participation in Eurovision and other international EBU events.