Mabat

Mabat LaHadashot, generally known simply as Mabat, was the flagship news program of Israel's Channel 1 and one of the most recognizable institutions of the country's public-broadcasting era. For almost five decades, it brought viewers a daily summary of national and international events through reports, studio narration, interviews and current-affairs coverage. For generations of Israelis, its opening broadcast was part of the rhythm of everyday life.

The news program of a changing country

The first edition of Mabat was broadcast on August 1, 1968, soon after the establishment of Israeli television. Haim Yavin presented the inaugural program, whose first reported subject was the hijacking of an El Al aircraft to Algeria. During its first weeks, the new broadcast prompted discussion about its length, editorial content and the technical problems that accompanied the launch of television news in Israel.

In its early years, the program contained relatively few items and moved at a slower pace. As the years passed, the number of reports increased and individual items became shorter. Its basic format, however, remained familiar: an anchor or announcer presented the news from the studio and sometimes interviewed experts about the issues of the day. During some periods, the program was presented by a male-and-female anchor team, particularly in the 1980s, when Daniel Pe'er hosted it frequently.

During the 1970s and 1980s, before commercial television began broadcasting in Israel, Mabat was an exceptionally popular program. It did more than report current events. It shaped the way millions of viewers encountered the country's institutions, public debates and national reality each evening.

Related programs and radio broadcasts

In 1976, the channel began broadcasting the investigative program Mabat Sheni (“Second Look”). Its name explicitly echoed the main news edition, and it was often broadcast after Mabat, offering more in-depth examination of current-affairs topics.

In August 1978, Galatz, the Israel Defense Forces radio station, began carrying Mabat simultaneously with its television broadcast. In the mid-1990s, after an interruption dating from 1989, Reshet Bet resumed broadcasting the program on radio, while Galatz moved to editions associated with other television channels. Mabat therefore extended beyond the television screen and became part of Israel's broader public news system.

On February 16, 1983, Mabat was broadcast in color for the first time, following the abolition of the anti-erase system. The transition marked another stage in the technological and visual development of Israeli television.

The anchors who made Mabat an institution

Haim Yavin was the program's longest-serving and most strongly identified anchor. He presented the first edition, produced the inaugural broadcast and continued to host Mabat for approximately 40 years. His enduring presence earned him the nickname “Mr. Television,” particularly during the 1980s. Apart from periods when the program was presented by Daniel Pe'er, Yaron London and others, Yavin accompanied Mabat through most of its history.

Other presenters associated with Mabat included Daniel Pe'er, Dalia Mazor, Yaakov Ahimeir, Shimon Tasler, Ram Evron, Geula Even, Yinon Magal, Merav Miller, Oded Shahar, Amir Bar-Shalom, Michal Rabinovich, Amir Ivgi and Tamar Almog. Each participated in a different stage of the program's development from a pioneering television experiment into a daily tradition of Israeli society.

In 1997, the program's format changed after Yavin left for Channel 2 News. Geula Even was selected to replace him. On May 10, 2007, Yavin announced that he intended to retire from presenting Mabat after approximately 40 years. Following a period of speculation about his successor, Yinon Magal and Merav Miller were chosen to anchor the program.

Before Yavin's departure, the Israel Broadcasting Authority decided to replace the news studio and introduce a more modern set and graphic design. After a farewell program accompanying his final broadcast, a new edition of Mabat was presented by the incoming anchors on February 10, 2008. The program's presenters changed again over the following years: Yinon Magal presented his final edition on June 12, 2012, and several anchors subsequently appeared in rotation. After Merav Miller returned from maternity leave, she presented the program together with Amir Ivgi.

High-definition broadcasting and a new visual language

On June 10, 2010, Mabat became the first Israeli news edition to be broadcast in HD. The program, called “Mabat for the World Cup,” was filmed in a new studio and presented by Yinon Magal. From that broadcast onward, two editions were shown: one from the studio designed for HD and another from the regular studio.

On January 20, 2013, the News Division moved to full HD broadcast resolution on cable and satellite channel 511. Beginning on March 15, 2015, Mabat was broadcast from a new HD news studio launched during election week. The studio combined advanced graphics, display and integration technologies. Its launch also brought new opening sequences and musical signatures to most of the News Division's broadcasts.

The program's broadcast time also changed. On May 6, 2012, it moved to 7:52 p.m. as part of the Israel Broadcasting Authority's new programming strategy and its effort to compete with the commercial channels' evening news editions. From August 21, 2014, Mabat was broadcast at 7:58 p.m. and ran for approximately an hour, rather than the roughly half-hour format used previously.

Beginning in August 2014, Alon Mazar served as Mabat's exclusive editor. Yaakov Eilon presented the program from January 5, 2015, until November 15, 2016. After his departure, Michal Rabinovich was selected as the principal presenter, with Amir Bar-Shalom replacing her once a week.

The final edition and the program's afterlife

The final edition of Mabat was broadcast on May 9, 2017, shortly before the closure of the Israel Broadcasting Authority the following week. Michal Rabinovich presented the program. Unlike an ordinary edition, the broadcast included farewell remarks from many journalists who had taken part in the program over the years, and ended with station employees singing “Hatikvah.”

Mabat has remained part of Israel's television and public memory after its final broadcast. The program Mabat Le'Aḥor (“Looking Back”), broadcast on Kan 11 since December 2017, uses historical archive footage from Mabat editions and other Channel 1 current-affairs programs. Its title itself recalls the news edition that served for decades as a central meeting point between Israeli society and the news.

Why Mabat belongs in Moreshet

Mabat merits inclusion in Moreshet because it was far more than a daily news program. For nearly half a century, it documented, interpreted and made accessible the events that shaped the State of Israel, while also serving as a central institution in the development of Israeli television journalism. The anchors, reporters, editors and production professionals who worked on it helped establish the language of televised news and influenced the way the public encountered current affairs.

The program's historical importance is also visible in its continuity: from the first broadcast in 1968, through the transition to color, changes in presenters and format, the move to HD and competition from commercial television, to its final edition in 2017. Its archive offers a cumulative record of Israel's public life, culture and institutions. For that reason, Mabat has a natural place on Moreshet.com, where the stories, works and institutions that shaped Jewish and Israeli memory are preserved and made accessible.