Page 217 - big friday
P. 217
Radio
T he Mandatory radio station gradually petered out. During the last days of the British
Mandate it was broadcast intermittently from the besieged Jerusalem. Its audience was
negligible, owing to its lack of credibility.
V oice of Jerusalem, the station's Hebrew department, broadcast for a few hours each
day.
On Friday, a few hours after the Declaration of Independence, the following programs
were broadcast: 19:15 – Roaming our world – Yeshayahu Kalinov; 19:55 – Liturgical music
20:30 –Friday evening concert.
On Saturday, May 15, the station closed its gates. Between 11am – 1pm some excerpts
from operas and ballets were played. At 1pm there was a review of the Hebrew press by
Yosef Garvitzky, followed immediately by "the Voice of Jerusalem concluding program".
K ol Yisrael – the radio station of the newly-born state – transmitted the ceremony of the
proclamation of the state and resumed broadcasting at the end of the Sabbath, in Hebrew
and English.
The Jewish population also had a few other broadcasting stations, operated by the
underground organizations that were now winding down their struggle, to choose from.
The Hagana had five regional stations: Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Galilee, Jerusalem, and the
Negev. Etzel had one station that broadcasted from Tel Aviv, and likewise Lehi.
T he Hagana stations in Tel Aviv and Haifa broadcast both military and civilian
programs. The Haifa station, for example, offered the following lineup on the night of the
proclamation of independence and on the next day: 7pm – Readings of literary excerpts;
7:20 –Music; 7:30 –News. Saturday (May 15): 12p m – Your favorite song; 7p m – Press
review; 7:10 – Hebrew songs; 7:30 – News; 7:55 – conversations with the home front.
T elevision
There was no TV at the time in the country. In 1948, TV was taking its first commercial
steps around the world – in the US, England, and elsewhere. TV came to Israel only in
1966, with educational broadcasts.
The General TV station (which later became Channel 1) began broadcasting only in
1968. The first broadcast was on Independence Day in 1968, exactly 20 years after the
ceremony in the Tel Aviv Museum in which the state was established.
Other Perspectives 215
T he Mandatory radio station gradually petered out. During the last days of the British
Mandate it was broadcast intermittently from the besieged Jerusalem. Its audience was
negligible, owing to its lack of credibility.
V oice of Jerusalem, the station's Hebrew department, broadcast for a few hours each
day.
On Friday, a few hours after the Declaration of Independence, the following programs
were broadcast: 19:15 – Roaming our world – Yeshayahu Kalinov; 19:55 – Liturgical music
20:30 –Friday evening concert.
On Saturday, May 15, the station closed its gates. Between 11am – 1pm some excerpts
from operas and ballets were played. At 1pm there was a review of the Hebrew press by
Yosef Garvitzky, followed immediately by "the Voice of Jerusalem concluding program".
K ol Yisrael – the radio station of the newly-born state – transmitted the ceremony of the
proclamation of the state and resumed broadcasting at the end of the Sabbath, in Hebrew
and English.
The Jewish population also had a few other broadcasting stations, operated by the
underground organizations that were now winding down their struggle, to choose from.
The Hagana had five regional stations: Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Galilee, Jerusalem, and the
Negev. Etzel had one station that broadcasted from Tel Aviv, and likewise Lehi.
T he Hagana stations in Tel Aviv and Haifa broadcast both military and civilian
programs. The Haifa station, for example, offered the following lineup on the night of the
proclamation of independence and on the next day: 7pm – Readings of literary excerpts;
7:20 –Music; 7:30 –News. Saturday (May 15): 12p m – Your favorite song; 7p m – Press
review; 7:10 – Hebrew songs; 7:30 – News; 7:55 – conversations with the home front.
T elevision
There was no TV at the time in the country. In 1948, TV was taking its first commercial
steps around the world – in the US, England, and elsewhere. TV came to Israel only in
1966, with educational broadcasts.
The General TV station (which later became Channel 1) began broadcasting only in
1968. The first broadcast was on Independence Day in 1968, exactly 20 years after the
ceremony in the Tel Aviv Museum in which the state was established.
Other Perspectives 215
