Channel 2, frequently known in Hebrew as Experimental Channel 2 (), was a seven-year Israeli experiment to study the feasibility of a commercial television channel. It started doing broadcasts funded through a television licence tax on 23 October 1986. Initially, the broadcasts were expected to run over a limited period, until the licenses for the regular second channel were set up. However, legislative hurdles extended the process by several years, and the channel, still experimental, increased its schedule.

The first transmissions were aired on UHF channel 21 from Mount Eitanim transmission tower situated on the hills west of Jerusalem. These transmissions, which initially included 2–3 hours of video clips every evening originating from a private TV studio in Jerusalem, expanded gradually to include a full program lineup. At that time the IBA was legally responsible for the channel, but it actually saw it as unexpected competition, tried to prevent its inauguration, and was reluctant to take responsibility for its broadcasts. Moreover, there was opposition, before and in the early stages of its run, from certain political parties, including those that were in ruling coalitions.

For a brief period, it provided a basic television service to Israel when Channel 1 could not provide its regular services due to a weeks-long strike in 1987. Later, it was given new impulse thanks to the Gulf War and the success of one of its programs, the satirical The World Tonight. It finally closed on 3 November 1993, giving way for a regular Channel 2 the following day, under the auspices of the Second Authority for Television and Radio.

Background Discussions regarding the operation of a second channel started nearly three years after the launch of Israeli Television, owned by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority. This happened due to the expansion of its daily airtime (in its first two years, the channel only broadcast four days a week, for a few hours) and due to the fact that the only channel timeshared with Israeli Educational Television during mornings and afternoons, and with Arabic broadcasts in the early evening.Tuvia Mendelsohn, There's something to air until 11, Davar, 19 August 1971 In March 1971, Minister of Education and Culture Yigal Allon (who was in charge of the IBA) ordered the acceleration of preparations for the second channel, with the goal of being a separate operation from "General Television" (as the IBA channel was frequently called back then),Yesterday, at the Knesset meeting: Minister of Education and Culture Yigal Allon: a second channel must launch alongside general television, LaMerhav, 23 March 1971 but prime minister Golda Meir rejected the proposal.Tuvia Mendelsohn, Golda Meir rejected Yigal's proposal for a second television channel, Davar, 24 May 1973 In December 1972, president of the IBA executive committee Walter Eitan proposed that the second channel should be financed by advertising. However, at the time, it was a long-term plan, since the programming back then lasted for five hours a day.Teddy Preuss, Chiam Isaac, Television: The Right to Speak in the Name of the Administration, Davar, 15 December 1972 The idea of airing commercials caused objections under the allegations that it would give an incentive to unnecessary consumption.Television without commercials, Davar, 18 December 1972 Newspaper owners in Israel also opposed to the measure under fear of damaging their income.Gad Im-Tal, Television: Road to Another Channel, Al HaMishmar, 26 September 1973

In June 1973, BBC Director-General Hugh Greene was invited to visit Israel to prepare a report on the structure and operations of the IBA,Rafi Mann, The first one to recognize that, The Seventh Eye, 30 March 2017, retrieved 8 September 2026 and recommended the opening of a second channel financed by advertising.Report from the British television specialist: some of the weaknesses of the IBA derived from the multiplicity of organs it is subordinate to, Al HaMishmar, 8 June 1973 In June 1974, IBA Director-General Yitzhak Livni declared that there was a need for a second channel, in colour (at the time, Israeli television was still in black and white) and that would include commercial advertising;Director-General of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Yitzhak Livni: There is a need for a second channel with commercial broadcasts, Davar, 16 June 1974 but the designated minister, Aharon Yadlin, rejected the idea.Yadlin: Color television transmissions - not in the coming years, Davar, 21 November 1975

The question for the creation of a second channel gained impulse after political turbulence in the elections for the Ninth Knesset and the rise of Likud to power in 1977. Several sectors started pressuring the government to approve the creation of a second channel from the private sector, despite opposition from the responsible minister, Zevulun Hammer. Ministry of Education against commercial television in Israel, 13 January 1978Hammer promises fighting against commercial television, Maariv, 13 January 1978 In July 1978, the government created a committee to examine the question, led by .Yosef Friel, A team will examine the creation of a second television channel, Davar, 10 July 1978 The IBA directive supported the creation of a second public channel,Yosef Waxman, President, CEO and Director supports another channel, Maariv, 26 September 1978 whereas the Israeli Advertisers' Association (now Israeli Marketing Association) supported the creation of a second commercial channel.Yair Feldman, Advertisers engaged in buying every hour on the commercial television channel, Davar, 30 October 1978 Cinema owners opposed its creation.Yossef Waxman, Cinema owners against Channel Two on television, Maariv, 10 October 1978 The committee recommended the creation of a second channel that would not be under the supervision of the IBA, under the supervision of a separate authority, and that would be financed by advertising.Yosef Waxman, The fight for the license to print money, Maariv, 11 April 1979 The recommendations were archived due to the opposition from the National Religious Party (NRP), which was part of the ruling coalition of the time, and known for its rejection for commercial television.

Establishment In late 1984, Minister of Communications Amnon Rubinstein, shortly after taking office, decided to promote the idea of a second television channel. He founded an administration for its creation, led by Avraham Porez and Oren Toktali, who dedicated himself to elaborate a law project to establish a channel based on the British ITV network, using a franchise system partitioned on days of the week.Yael Paz-Melamed, Channel 2 is getting prednant, Maariv, 23 November 1984 In late 1985, the law draft was ready and the legislative process began.Ilan Kfir, Channel 2 on third gear, Hadashot, 23 July 1985 In the summer of 1986, seven teams began organizing to compete for the licenses.Didi Yizreali, Noam Berkowitz, Who will join Channel 2, Hadashot, 14 August 1986 In September, the government approved the law draft and submitted to the Knesset for approval,Didi Yizreali, Far-Li Shahar, Channel 2: It's over for the government, now it's up to the Knesset, Hadashot, 29 September 1986 despite opposition from IBA Director-General Uri Porat.Didi Yizreali, The Second Channel Law: Political and Memorable, Hadashot, 4 September 1986 The law was approved in a first reading at the Knesset on 1 December.Amnon Levy, Second Channel Law approved upon first reading, Hadashot, 2 December 1986

On 7 October 1986, Channel 2's directive started experimental transmissions, which included presentations of slides designated for the UHF channel reserved, channel 22. At the same time, a strike erupted on Channel 1, which interrupted its programming for two days.Ran Levy, Channel 1 back on air, test transmissions on Channel 2, Hadashot, 9 October 1986Channel 2: an anticipated commemoration, Maariv, 21 October 1986 The official explanation from the Ministry of Communications for its broadcasts was because it was a reception test and that depended on viewer reactions from across the country; moreover, unless these transmissions had started, the frequencies would have been used by TV networks in neighbouring countries.Israeli Television and the National Agenda The test was held by Bezeq for the Ministry of Communications, using the existing television transmitter at Mount Eitanim, in the hills of Jerusalem. Experimental Channel 2 broadcasts began in earnest on 18 December 1986.Didi Yizreali, Channel 2's broadcasts begin tonight, Hadashot, 18 December 1986 In its early months, broadcasts lasted for two hours an evening, from 7pm to 9pm, and included music videos and informative material on how to receive its broadcasts. In February 1987, broadcasts were extended by an hour to 10pm.Amnon Levy, Yigal Kotzer, Zeev Ofri, Tzachi Noga, Expansion of Channel 2's broadcasts, Hadashot, 12 February 1987

In March 1987, the Demjanjuk trials were shown on Channel 2. After IETV recorded the entirety of the trials, but had no airtime to carry it live, minister Rubinstein gave the greenlight for airing it on the new channel.Ilana Baum, Ilan Bachar and Rafael Mann, From today: Live broadcast of the Demjanjuk trial on Channel 2!, Maariv, 3 March 1987 After the collaboration, Channel 2 increased its airtime to carry its programs throughout the day, starting with mornings, during the test period. On Independence Day 1987, the channel held its first ten-hour transmission, which also included a live studio broadcast, another first.Yael Admoni, TV is not just all about music videos, Hadashot, 6 May 1987 This production infuriated the IBA, which appealed to the Attorney General and demanded the suspension of the experimental broadcasts, which were deemed illegal. The Attorney General approved its continuation, but put it under condictions under IBA subervision, since the Knesset did not approve the Law for the Second Authority for Television and Radio, and, according to legislation of the time, the IBA was the only authorized organ to supervise transmissions. After a decision from the Attorney General, Channel 2 was obliged to air only repeats of programs already seen on Channel 1. It was forbidden from producing original programs, including talk shows, magazines and newscasts.Yael Paz-Melamed, The lost honor of Channel 2, Maariv, 28 October 1988 Uri Shinar, who at the time was the channel's content manager, was forced to look at the IBA archives for abandoned series that still had rerun rights and assemble a schedule based on them. The excerpts inserted in the schedule incentived recording companies to produce further clips.Dov Alfon, Black Box: who lost with the strike, along with those who went on strike, Koteret Rashon, 28 October 1987

For Rosh Hashanah 1987, it planned a special original broadcast named Flower in the Darkness, combining filmed greetings from soldiers in the northern front, the presence of artists in a studio and the airing of music videos, but the IBA rejected its broadcast.The Ministry of Communications demands that the cancelled Channel 2 programs must be shown, Hadashot, 21 September 1987 The program was only broadcast later thanks to the request of the family of one of the soldiers to watch footage of said family's son, who died during filming.[https://www.sivanpro.com/blank-16 פרח בד"ש התכנית הראשונה במינהלת ההקמה של ערוץ 2 שנת 1987], Sivan Productions, retrieved 8 September 2026

Increase in programming