Keshet Media Group

Keshet

Type	Private
Industry	Media
Founded	1993
Headquarters	Tel Aviv, Israel
Key people	Avi Nir, CEO[1]
Products	Television broadcasting Cable television Satellite television Web portal
Number of employees	500[2]
Divisions	Keshet International Keshet Broadcasting Mako
Website	Official website

Keshet Media Group, also known as Keshet, (Hebrew: קשת, lit. "Rainbow") is a private Israeli mass media company headquartered in Tel Aviv.^[3]

The company has operated Keshet Broadcasting, a television broadcast operator and a franchisee of Israel’s Channel 2, since 1993. It shows original drama series, entertainment, current affairs, lifestyle shows, and foreign programs. Keshet’s global production and distribution arm is Keshet International,^[4] and the company's digital branch is Mako, one of the top three most-visited websites in Israel.^[5]

Keshet was established in 1993 and is one of Israel's largest media companies.^[3] Avi Nir has been serving as the chief executive officer of Keshet Media Group since 2002.^[2] As a leading network in Israel, Keshet is responsible for shows including Prisoners of War (Hatufim) and Rising Star (Hacokav haba).^[6]

History

Keshet was founded in 1993 when Israel’s Channel 2 was formed along with two other operators, Telad and Reshet.^[7] The company was started by Alex Gilady, the current president of Keshet^[8] and a former vice president at NBC International in London.^[9]

The first drama series Keshet produced was in 1996 called Bat Yam, New York. That same year, Channel 2 became the most watched channel in Israel.^[5] What a Wonderful Country (Eretz Nehederet), a TV series similar to Saturday Night Live, aired its first season in 2003 and has since become one of the most popular shows on Israeli TV.^[10][11]

In 2005, a committee formed by the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority selected two of the three operators to run the next phase of Channel 2, one of only two channels allowed to run commercials. Keshet came first and was awarded four broadcasting days per week. The other two days were awarded to Reshet.^[12] That same year, Keshet purchased the rights to Uvda, an investigative and current affairs program hosted by Ilana Dayan. The show was originally launched in 1993 and has been the only continuously running program since the launch of commercial television in Israel.^[13][14]

In 2007, Keshet launched the Israeli version of Big Brother called HaAh HaGadol. It became the most-watched television show of the year and remains one of the highest rated shows in Israel. In 2010, Keshet launched Hatufim, which was also sold to Showtime and developed into Homeland a year later with Keshet as an executive producer.^[5][15]

Keshet also runs the Israeli Music 24, Netex New Media, a Hebrew-language website directory, and the comedy outlet Bip, all integrated under news and entertainment portal, Mako.^[16]

In 2012, Keshet hosted the inaugural Innovation in Television (InTV) confab, a two-day conference in Jerusalem that included Ari Emanuel, CEO of William Morris Endeavor, and Josh Berger, Warner Bros. Entertainment U.K. President.^[17] The third annual Innovation in Television confab was hosted by Keshet in 2015. Speakers included guests such as Richard Plepler, CEO of HBO, and the co-creators of “The Affair,” Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi.^[18][19]

Divisions and subsidiaries

Keshet International

Keshet has been selling formats under Keshet Formats since 2000. In 2012, Keshet International was established as the global production and distribution branch of Keshet Media Group.^[20] It has operations in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States through a partnership with Dick Clark Productions.^[21][4]

Mako

Mako is an Israeli news and entertainment portal owned and operated by Keshet which offers video on demand content from Keshet shows, Channel 2 news programs, Bip (Comedy Channel) and Music 24 (Israeli Music Channel). In addition, it hosts user-created content in Haambatia, and provides written content covering news, entertainment, sports, music, TV, food, comedy, "Home & Family", "Digital", "Spirit" and "Women and Men".

Keshet Broadcasting

Keshet Broadcasting is one of two operators which runs the main Israeli commercial television channel, Channel 2, since 1993, providing two to four days of broadcast per week. It shows original drama series, news, entertainment and lifestyle shows, and foreign programs.

Notable productions

Television

• Big Brother – Keshet and Kuperman productions aired the Israeli version of Big Brother ten years after the show debuted on worldwide TV. The show became a phenomenon, topping the charts for 16 weeks in a row and averaging a 31% share of ratings. Keshet also aired a celebrity Big Brother VIP season.^[22]
• Polishuk – An Israeli version of The Thick Of It, first aired in 2009. Scripted and directed by the playwright Shmuel Hasfari, the show tells the story of a politically clueless man (Rubi Polishuck, played by Academy Award winner Sasson Gabai), who entered politics almost by accident, but becomes the minister of Social Services when a scandal in his party forces the resignation of the previous minister.
• Hatufim – A drama about two POW who are released from prison in Lebanon and have to find their way back into society and a normal life while accepting all the changes that have happened in the lives of their loved ones. Directed by Gidi Raff and sold to Fox, it has been adapted into Homeland for Showtime in the United States.^[23]
• Ramzor (Hebrew for "Stoplight") – A comedy drama starring, and written by, Adir Miller and Asaf Sarig dealing with relationship issues from the point of view of three men, each in a different phase of relationship from single (green), to a steady relationship (yellow), to married (red). Each gives a different comedic interpretation of the terms of relationships between men and women.
• The Ex – A drama about a young lady who is told by a fortune teller that she must find true love by the end of the year or she will never get married, and that it will be with one of her ex-boyfriends. Keshet sold the copyrights to CBS in 2008 and they created an American version, The Ex List (starring Amanda Peet and Zach Braff).
• Eretz Nehederet – The most successful Israeli satire show, shown by Keshet for ten seasons. The show has great effect on politicians and on public discussions of politics, with headlines regarding it often appearing in the news section rather than the entertainment section. It often makes reference to social conflicts between different Israeli political groups.
• Uvda – The Israeli equivalent of 60 Minutes, giving audiences a much deeper and more through look behind closed doors than they had before. The show has caused the resignation of the Israeli Chief of Police, revealed illegal transactions between the military industry and foreign countries and, on several occasions, caused establishment of special government committees to investigate subjects it brought to the attention of the public. Keshet broadcast the show's sixteenth season in December 2009.
• Pilpelim zehubim (Hebrew for "The A Word") – A drama series that follows a family whose youngest child gets diagnosed with autism. The show is produced by Fifty Fathoms Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Keshet U.K.^[24]
• Avoda Aravit (Hebrew for "Arab Labor") – A sitcom following the life of an Israeli Arab journalist. The series was the first mainstream Israeli skein to feature predominantly Arabic characters and dialogue^[25] (70% of the series’s dialogue is in Arabic shown with Hebrew subtitles).^[26]
• Sabri Maranan (Hebrew for "Your Family or Mine") – A family sitcom produced by Tedy Productions for Keshet Broadcasting which has been picked up by TBS in the United States and Alpha TV in Greece.^[27]
• Beit Sefer le Musica (Hebrew for "house book of music" or Music School.) – A talent show series adaptation based on the Masterclass show on HBO. The Israeli series features children participating in singing competitions that are mentored by teachers and given "homework," "grades" and "challenges" to complete throughout the season.^[28]

Cinema

Keshet has also invested in the production of various films in the Israeli cinema industry over the past two decades. Keshet financed films including The Band's Visit, Lebanon,^[29] Dancing in Jaffa,^[30] and Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem by Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz, which was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2015.^[31] Other films Keshet has financed include:^[32]

• Yossi & Jagger
• This Is Sodom (Zohi Sdom)
• Adam Resurrected^[29]
• Eyes Wide Open
• The Assassin Next Door
• Jaffa
• Sweet Mud
• Late Marriage

See also

• Television in Israel
• Culture of Israel
• Keshet International

References

1. Ebra Kamin (3 April 2014). "All eyes on Israel at top TV content confab". Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
2. Scott Roxborough (12 June 2014). "Israel's Keshet CEO on His 8 U.S. Shows, 'Rising Star' and Sgt. Bergdahl as a TV Series (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
3. Christopher Palmeri (2 October 2013). "Dick Clark Productions Forms Venture With Israel's Keshet". Bloomberg. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
4. Phil Gallo (2 October 2013). "Company Behind Israeli T.V. Hit 'Rising Star' Teams with Dick Clark Productions for U.S. Launch". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
5. Debra Kamin (October 2, 2013). "Keshet: Two Decades of Evolution". Variey. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
6. David Caspi (20 June 2014). "'Rising Star': Stakes Are High For Creator Keshet International". Billboard. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
7. "Israel announces first commercial TV station". Variety. 26 May 1993. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
8. "Music 24". Keshet Media Group. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
9. "Second Channel exec ankles". Variety. 8 May 1995. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
10. Thomas L. Friedman (1 February 2014). "A Wonderful Country". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
11. "Eretz Nehederet". IMDB. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
12. Andrew Dickens (6 February 2014). "Israel mulls early Channel 2 split". C21 Media. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
13. "About Uvda". Mako. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
14. David Caspi (21 November 2013). "Arnon Milchan Admits to Arms Dealing in the '70s". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
15. Tim Kenneally (1 October 2013). "Homeland' Producers Adapting Another Spy Drama for the U.S.". The Wrap. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
16. "About Keshet Media Group". Keshet. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
17. Stuart Kemp (19 October 2012). "Israel's Keshet Media Group to Host TV Confab in Jerusalem". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
18. Debra Kamin (22 January 2015). "Keshet's Cachet Draws Top TV Executives to Innovation Confab in Jerusalem". Variety. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
19. Scott Roxborough (25 February 2015). "'The Affair' Creators Attending Israel's InTV Conference". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
20. "About Keshet International". Keshet International. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
21. Nellie Andreeva (2 October 2013). "Keshet & Dick Clark Prods. Launch Reality TV Production Company, Will Adapt Hot 'Rising Star' Format For U.S.". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
22. Ayala Tzoref; Amitai Ziv (December 18, 2008). הכנסות קשת מ"האח הגדול": כ-76 מיליון שקל [Keshet makes 76 Million NIS out of first Big Brother Season]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved September 29, 2012.
23. Yuni Perth (December 9, 2009). "חטופים" נמכרה לארה"ב ["Hatufim" sold to U.S.] (in Hebrew). mako.co.il. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
24. Leo Barraclough (20 November 2014). "'Viva Blackpool' Writer Adapts Keshet's Autism Drama 'The A Word' for BBC". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
25. Ali Jaafar (1 February 2008). "Israeli sitcom about Arabs". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
26. "Straddling Cultures, Irreverently, in Life and Art". The New York Times. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
27. "Keshet International's Your Family or Mine, Adapted for Greece". Multichannel News. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
28. "Show of the Week: Master Class". TBI Vision. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
29. Peter Debruge (10 September 2009). "Israeli films appeal to foreign markets". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
30. Gordon Cox (18 June 2013). "Sundance Selects Goes 'Dancing in Jaffa'". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
31. Jay Weissberg (17 May 2014). "Cannes Film Review: 'Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem'". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
32. "Keshet Broadcasting". IMDB. Retrieved 8 February 2015.

External links

• Keshet Media Group
• (Hebrew) Official Keshet website
• Businessman Yitzhak Teshuva buying Leumi's 20% stocks in Keshet from The Marker, Israel business daily
• Keshet and the Music channel merge, official Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority news release