Governmental budget approval proves positive for IET which is to receive allocation of $29 million a year, in attempt to keep its head above water

The guillotine was removed from above the head of the Israeli Educational Television network.

During the vote on the governmental budget which was approved on Sunday night, a clause was added to the Financial Arrangements Act regarding the network.

The addition demands the implementation of the Stern Committee Report from 2003 which states that the TV network will continue producing programs for the broadcaster.

According to the Stern Committee, whose recommendations were adopted by the Israeli government at the end of 2003, the Educational Television will become a non-profit governmental company.

The state will allocate NIS 100 million ($29 million) a year. The organizational structure will be changed and become more productive by unifying the branches and decreasing the amount of manpower to 140 workers.

The committee was headed by Yair Stern who was the general-director of Israel Television and educators and media people were members including Michal Arbel, the former director of IET.

In the last few years, the Educational Television has mostly suffered from domestic issues. The freelancers wanted unacceptable employment benefits and the employees' committee feared being dismissed in light of a statement made by the Finance Ministry, the governorship and the management saying that the network will make do with 140 employees, or there won't be an Educational Television.

The significance of the governmental budget approval is that the network's management can present a "retirement" deal to many of its employees.

Yafa Vigodski, the networks' current general-manager, said in response, "I have said the entire time that closing the educational network will critically harm the education system, Israeli students and the rest of the sectors who enjoy the enriching content and put an end to Israel's public broadcasting.

Moreover, closing the network could have been interpreted as a negative message for every public institution which conducted a successful organizational reform or that is in the midst of such a reform.

"I am asking to thank the education minister and the rest of the ministers that supported our struggle and Histadrut labor federation Chairman Ofer Eini who fought until the last minute for the right of the station to exist and for the employees," said Vigodski.

Source: ynetnews.com