The High Court of Justice issued an interim order today (Tuesday) prohibiting the expansion of broadcasts by the Haredi radio stations - 'Kol Hai' and 'Kol Berama', and the immediate cessation of broadcasts outside their franchise area.
According to a report by Yasmin Guetta in The Marker, the order was issued by a panel of three judges, after a hearing held yesterday in the Supreme Court.
The judges also noted in the order the Home Front Command's position, according to which expanding the broadcast area is not required. The decisions of the Second Authority Council to expand the broadcast areas of the Haredi stations were made under the auspices of the state of emergency in the home front - first in June with the outbreak of "Am Kalavi" and then with the outbreak of "Shaagat Hari".
At the center of the controversy is the permit given to the Haredi radio stations 'Kol Hai', owned by Yitzhak Mirilshvili, and 'Kol Berama', owned by Zvi Amar and Yitzhak Azoulay, to expand their franchise areas and broadcast on a national frequency.
Along with the ultra-Orthodox stations, the permit also included the regional radio stations that broadcast to the Arab sector - 'A-Shams' and 'Nas', and the radio station 'Parvia', which broadcasts in Russian.
The Second Authority Council told The Marker: "We regret the High Court's decision, which harms first and foremost the residents of the north who are still in a state of war, as well as many populations in the State of Israel for whom exposure to radio in Arabic and Russian is critical.".
