Left-wing Keshet 12 is apparently coping badly with the steady erosion in its ratings—and chose a different way to deal with the numbers: distorting ratings data in violation of protocols, in an attempt to inflate the main newscast’s figures and obscure the real picture.
3+The left-wing news division was apparently alarmed by the disappointing numbers for the main newscast, which once again posted a single-digit rating. But instead of presenting the figure to the public as it was, Channel 12 News chose to split it—creating a false impression that presents a more flattering picture than what the actual numbers show.
The Method: Split the Number—Hide the Full Picture
Sharp-eyed observers could spot the unusual maneuver in the ratings table. Instead of one line summarizing the main newscast’s rating with the low number it recorded, the left-wing channel split the data into two separate lines: “News,” followed by “News – Yonit Levy.” Next to the two lines appeared two different numbers—11% and 9%, respectively.
3+But behind the split lies a crucial detail: it’s the same program. When you calculate the rating for the entire broadcast, you get the result that Channel 12 News apparently preferred not to highlight—just 9.9%.
The attempt to present the newscast as two separate parts is contradicted by Channel 12 News itself. Yonit Levy anchored the newscast continuously from start to finish, for one hour and 17 minutes, without a change of anchor or transition to another newscast. On the Channel 12 website, the entire broadcast was uploaded as a single unit, under the title “The Main Newscast,” running 1:17:03. In other words, while the ratings table split the newscast into “News” and “News – Yonit Levy,” viewers themselves watched it—and it’s presented on the website—as one continuous main newscast.
3+This is one of the channel’s lowest ratings, part of a steady decline that comes in part after Channel 14 began broadcasting. But instead of dealing with the number as it is, Channel 12 News chose a different path: split it, redesign the table, and present the public with numbers that don’t reflect the newscast’s overall rating.
The Ratings Committee Said No—Channel 12 News Ignored It
But here the story gets even more serious. Channel 12 News obviously knew the action they took violated protocols—and the proof is that they themselves requested formal approval for it.
3+Sources on Israel’s ratings committee revealed to C14 that Channel 12 requested special permission to act contrary to protocols and split the data this way. The answer they received was negative and unequivocal. In other words, the channel not only knew what the protocols required, but explicitly asked to deviate from them—and was refused.
Despite this, Channel 12 News chose to ignore the decision and release false numbers. So when the numbers no longer flatter the main newscast, instead of presenting the public with the ratings picture as it is—they simply change the way it’s presented.
A response from Channel 12 News and Yonit Levy will be added when received.