Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels

Television channel

A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...

 in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 (with only the Israeli Educational Television

Israeli Educational Television

The Israeli Educational Television is a state-owned public television network which used to concentrate on producing and broadcasting programs for schoolchildren. The first Israeli children's show, featuring Kishkashta, aired on Channel 1 in the 1970s and '80s...

 being older) and one of five terrestrial channels

Terrestrial television

Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...

 in the country (along with Channel 2

Channel 2 (Israel)

Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel.- History :In 1990, after 13 years of deliberations, the Knesset passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of commercial television in Israel. The goal was to enhance pluralism and create competition. Channel 2 began broadcasting on...

 , Channel 10, Channel 33

Channel 33 (Israel)

Channel 33 is an Israeli public terrestrial channel, operated by the Israel Broadcasting Authority , which is primarily designated for Arabic-speaking viewers.-Establishment – 1994:...

 and the Knesset Channel). Run by the Israel Broadcasting Authority

Israel Broadcasting Authority

Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...

, it started broadcasting on 2 May 1968, and is largely funded through a television licence

Television licence

A television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...

, though there are some adverts.

History

The law creating the Israel Broadcasting Authority was passed by the Knesset

Knesset

The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...

 on 6 June 1965, with the television channel starting broadcasts in 2 May 1968. Initially in black and white, colour television was used from 13 January 1982, although occasional colour transmissions had been made earlier, most notably the Egyptian president's visit to Israel in 1977 and the Eurovision Song Contest 1979

Eurovision Song Contest 1979

The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...

.

In 1985, the "Israel Television in Arabic" department was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize

Israel Prize

The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...

, for its special contribution to society and the State.

Until 1994 the channel was called HaTelevizia HaKlalit or HaTelevizia HaYisraelit , but became known as Channel 1 once Channel 2 started broadcasting on 4 November 1993.

Technology

Since Broadcasting began in 1968 the channel was broadcasted in PAL

PAL

PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...

 format. Since Digital broadcasting in israel began it also can be viewed for free using small box. In May 2010, Channel 1 became the first public broadcasting house in Israel to offer an HD channel. The first broadcast was the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

Eurovision Song Contest 2010

The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...

, and later the FIFA World Cup 2010. The channel currently broadcasts Mabat, Channel 1's news program, in HD. Currently the channel offers a mixed selection of SD and HD programes produced both locally and abroad. The HD feed will be available on the digital terrestrial platform in late 2011, following the final ASO analogue Switch-off occurred on March 31st, 2011. (currently only the SD feed is available)

Advertisements

Although the channel does not carry standard adverts

Television advertisement

A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...

, during breaks in high profile programmes (such as coverage of Maccabi Tel Aviv

Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv B.C. is a professional Israeli basketball club based in Tel Aviv. The team plays in three leagues: the Euroleague, the Israeli Basketball Super League, and the Adriatic League....

's Euroleague

Euroleague

Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...

 matches) it displays text advertising companies on the screen which is read out word for word by an announcer.

In addition to the text advertising, Channel 1 also shows public information film

Public information film

Public Information Films are a series of government commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the UK. The US equivalent is the Public Service Announcement .-Subjects:...

s commissioned by the government. During the election time

Elections in Israel

Elections in Israel are based on nationwide proportional representation. The electoral threshold is currently set at 2%, with the number of seats a party receives in the Knesset being proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Knesset is elected for a four-year term, although most...

 it shows the party political broadcast

Party political broadcast

A party political broadcast is a short television or radio broadcast made by a political party....

s (as do the other terrestrial channels).

External links

• Official website (in Hebrew)