The Israeli platforms HOT and Yes will required to provide their subscribers will low cost packages offering a limited number of channels, according to Moshe Kalon, the country’s communications minister.
Quoted in Haaretz, he added that if they refused, then they would be forced to do so by law.
A section in the new Economic Arrangements bill had included a requirement for operators to carry limited TV packages as well as the current multichannel ones, which cost around NIS200 (€40.37) a month, but was dropped by the Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz. He has since agreed to reinstate it shortly.
In a separate development, MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has announced that Comedy Central Israel will make its debut on January 1 next year. The 10th localised Comedy Central service worldwide, it will be launched in partnership with Ananey Communications and distributed by the cable operator HOT.
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