Communications Minister Ariel Atias of Shas has given approval for 2 new radio stations. One for Sephardim and one for Settlers. Both are groups that don't feel represented (and therefore don't listen) to the regular government run/controlled radio stations.

Whether Arutz-7 will win the tender for WestBank radio remains to be seen, and what the allowed range will be (will it include Jerusalem, the Golan, and how far West will it reach?) also needs to be seen. And of course Arutz-7 needs to decide if they want to go for a national license or a regional one (to start off with).

Of course this may be simply an issue of legalizing a certain pirate Sephardic station and Arutz-7 at the same time without a tender at all (or a “closed” tender).

Regardless, it does show the hypocrisy, dishonesty and bias of previous Communication Ministers who refused to allow these 2 groups to have radio frequencies, while approving more and more secular stations (Radio Kol Chai being the exception) who agreed with their political line.

And certainly as PA radio stations illegally grab and occupy every free and not-free radio frequency around the country it’s about time Israel started opening up the radio waves to more than one end of the political spectrum.

Good for you Atias – now who said you need a TV or internet in your house to make a right decision?