Reshet (Hebrew: רשת, lit. "Network") is an Israeli TV broadcasting company. It was one of the two concessionaires running the Israeli commercial television channel, Channel 2 from 1993 to 2017, and is running Reshet 13 at the present. Reshet is considered one of the most successful television channels in Israel.
On November 4, 1993, it began broadcasting on the commercial Channel 13 under the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority. At that time three concessionaires were chosen: Keshet, Telad and Reshet. The three concessionaires received a broadcasting contract for one decade. They decided they would exchange among themselves the broadcasting days in a week so that one broadcast three days a week while the other two broadcast two days.
In April 2005, a decision was made by a committee of the communication ministry that by the end of the decade only two concessionaires would receive broadcasting contracts for the following decade. Of the four competitors (the fourth was Kan), Keshet and Reshet were chosen. Each of the companies broadcast 3 or 4 days a week and changed every 2 years.
In 2017 it was announced then on November 1, Channel 2 would be shut down and Keshet and Reshet - two of the companies who broadcast on the channel - were to be separated into 2 TV channels. Reshet announced and launched a rebranding campaign for its new channel, Reshet 13.
In June 2018, due to financial issues regarding the 2017 switch from franchise operation to broadcasting licenses causing the decision to separate Channel 2, RGE filed a merger with Reshet's Channel 13. After the merger, 10 News (RGE's news company) will be part of Channel 13, and some programs from Channel Ten will join Reshet 13. Channel 14, the standalone version of Ten, will stop broadcasting, and more the 100 employees will be terminated if the merger goes through.
In October 2018, Reshet announced that the merger had canceled. Reshet's owners have since reconsidered the merger, and after a long battle with the Second Authority, the merger was approved and is now scheduled for January 1st, 2019.
