EBU Warns Israeli Bill on KAN Funding Could Affect Eurovision Participation

The European Broadcasting Union has sent a letter to the chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee regarding a bill that would alter the funding mechanism for Israel's public broadcaster KAN. The letter, dated one week after Israel's second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest, states that replacing KAN's fixed statutory budget with government oversight could reduce the broadcaster's financial autonomy.

Noel Curran, CEO of the EBU, wrote that such a change may affect domestic public trust and international perceptions of Israeli broadcasting. The letter notes that participation in events including the Eurovision Song Contest, the Olympic Games, and the World Cup depends on maintaining independent public broadcasting.

Curran stated that KAN has continued to provide public service under challenging circumstances and that preserving conditions for independence supports both the broadcaster and its international partnerships.

Earlier this month the EBU accused KAN of violating Eurovision voting rules after an advertisement encouraged viewers to cast ten votes for Israeli contestant Noam Bettan. KAN removed the advertisement following the EBU warning. Israeli Eurovision fans responded in a public letter that the EBU's own regulations permit up to ten votes per user and described the action as targeted harassment.