The Movement for Quality Government in Israel on Sunday demanded that the Second Authority Council, which regulates Israel's commercial television and radio, clarify what steps it plans to take when an extension granted to Channel 14 to relocate its news operations to Jerusalem expires at the end of August.
The request was sent to the chairman of the Second Authority Council, the authority's acting director-general and its legal adviser, seeking clarification on the authority's planned response after the extension period ends.
At the center of the dispute is a provision in the Second Authority Law requiring that the headquarters of a news operation be located in Jerusalem. Under the law, a holder of a small-scale broadcasting license was granted a three-year exemption from this requirement. In Channel 14's case, the exemption period ended in February 2026.
Despite this, the Second Authority Council decided on July 7 to delay enforcement of the requirement until either the passage of the new Communications (Broadcasting) Law or the end of August 2026, whichever comes first.
The Movement for Quality Government argued that the decision effectively granted an additional extension after the statutory exemption had already expired, and said it was unclear what legal authority allowed such a move.
Dispute over enforcement of Jerusalem requirement
The Second Authority justified its decision, among other reasons, by citing progress in legislation of the new communications law, as well as the costs and complexity involved in relocating the news operation to Jerusalem. The movement, however, argued that provisions in the proposed law that could change the current situation have not yet taken effect, after their implementation was frozen as part of petitions currently being heard by the High Court of Justice.
According to the movement, as long as the existing provisions of the Second Authority Law remain in force, a future arrangement that has not yet taken effect cannot justify avoiding enforcement of the current requirements. The organization said Channel 14 continues to broadcast from Modi'in and, to the best of its knowledge, has not taken steps to move its news operation to Jerusalem.
The request follows a series of previous appeals by the Movement for Quality Government regarding the Second Authority's conduct toward Channel 14. Among other issues, the movement previously claimed that the channel had not yet submitted its 2025 revenue data, which it said was necessary to complete an examination of whether the channel remains eligible to be considered a "small-scale license holder" and continue receiving the benefits associated with that status.
The movement is now demanding that the Second Authority explain how it intends to act after the current extension ends at the end of the month. If the authority considers granting the channel another extension, the movement requested details of the legal basis for such a decision and the considerations behind it.
Movement threatens further legal action
The movement requested a unified response to all of its inquiries by August 31, 2026, and said that if no response is received by that date, it will consider further legal action, including an appeal to the relevant courts.
Attorney Yaniv Goldberg, head of the economic department at the Movement for Quality Government, said: "The law established a clear and time-limited exemption period, and it ended already in February. As long as the provisions of the existing law remain in force, the authority is obligated to enforce them."
"When this is combined with the failure to provide the revenue data required to examine Channel 14's status, there is a serious concern that the provisions of the law are not being enforced against the channel as required. The Second Authority is a regulatory body, and its role is to enforce the law equally, consistently, and in accordance with the powers granted to it by law," he added.