Channel 10

World Screen Weekly, March 13, 2008

COUNTRY: Israel

LAUNCH DATE: January 28, 2002

DESCRIPTION: The 24/7 channel is one of only two commercial broadcasting stations licensed in Israel, and offers up a mix of news, reality, drama, documentary, comedy and sports events.

CEO: Modi Frydman

CFO: Yoav Heldman

VP, PROGRAMMING: Eldad Koblentz

SENIOR VP, MARKETING, PROMOTION & STRATEGY: Nati Dinnar

VP COMMERCE & MEDIA SALES: Dan Ron

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: As the second commercial television network in Israel, Channel 10 sets itself apart from its competitor with programming that is a bit more daring and radical. “We like to call it ‘mainstream with a twist,’” says Eldad Koblentz, the channel’s VP of programming. “We’re more cutting edge. Also, with the news, we supply much more controversial content and our reality shows are more extreme.”

The daily programming kicks off with morning shows, which include light news items, culture, lifestyle and leisure offerings. The afternoon rolls on with current-affairs programs, news-magazine series and several local productions. The evening begins with the Nightly News Bulletin with Miki Haimovich and Jacob Eilon, and finishes off in prime time with programs including dramas and reality fare, all broadcast in Hebrew.

Channel 10’s news is considered a breakthrough entity, coming in first in terms of content and concepts. But also breaking through in a big way for the channel are reality offerings. Survivor just aired in its first season in Israel, and is already the country’s number-one show, which Koblentz calls “a turning point for the whole channel.” Other reality offerings on the network are The Biggest Loser, which will roll out its third season in May; and an Israeli version of The Block that will air in fall 2008. The channel is also stretching itself with a new program, called They Deserve it Too, a satirical news show about Israeli culture and Israel’s government. “It’s a gamble for us,” says Koblentz. “We don’t know how it will work because it’s not a typical show for a major broadcaster.”

The channel’s website features an area where you can watch some of the shows live, as well as an archive library for other shows, which are available free, on demand. Unique to the site is a special comic take on Survivor, available only for the web, which is about 5-minutes in length and is updated weekly. As for new media, the channel has enabled its potential viewers to provide their cell phone number and receive a reminder when Survivor will be aired.

WHAT’S NEW: Soon to roll out on the channel is the first season of Beauty and the Geek, as well as an original format, titled Revenge of the Geeks. Revenge of the Geeks is a competition series that searches for the next generation of child genius, and will ultimately crown who is Israel’s smartest kid.

In sports fare, the channel has secured the rights for the EURO 2008 championship, which it will air for three weeks this summer.

WEBSITE: www.10.tv

—By Kristin Brzoznowski