Jewish News One

Jewish News One, or JN1, was an international news network covering world news with a focus on Judaism-related events.[1][2][3] The channel was of Ukrainian - Belgian origin. Its primary mission was to report Jewish and Israeli current affairs without bias, and according to its co-founding producer, Alexander Zanzer, JN1 could accomplish this because it is an independent, non-profit organisation which does not depend on any nation, government, or political party.[1][4][5] Their slogan was Informing Opinion, Expanding horizons.[2][6] JN1 began broadcasting on 21 September 2011,[1][3][7] and organisers called it the first global 24/7 Jewish news channel.[2][8][9] However, JN1 was more commonly referred to as the "Jewish al Jazeera".[4][5][10] It was closed in April 2014, being replaced by Ukraine News One. As of April 2015 JN1.tv has become part of JewishNews.com

Jewish News One
JN1 Logo
Broadcast areaNorth America, Eurasia
SloganInforming Opinion,
Expanding Horizons
HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium and Kiev, Ukraine
Programming
Language(s)English, Russian
Ownership
OwnerIgor Kolomoisky
Vadim Rabinovich
Alexander Zanzer
History
Launched21 September 2011
Closed22 April 2014
Links
WebsiteJN1.TV
Availability
Satellite
Astra 4A
(Europe)		11766 H | 27500 | 3\4
Hot Bird 6
(Europe)		11034 V | 27500 | 3\4
Galaxy 19
(North America)		12053 V | 22000 | 3\4

History

Background

JN1 was not affiliated with and receives no funding from the government of Israel.[1] The network was owned by Ukrainian billionaires Igor Kolomoisky and Vadim Rabinovich,[11] president and vice-president respectively of the European Jewish Union (EJU), a Brussels-based umbrella body of Jewish communities and organisations in Europe. They have reportedly invested $50 million USD in the channel.[9] Both businessmen are prominent philanthropists in the international Jewish community, financing civil society events in Israel and Ukraine.[11] They decided to launch a TV news network because, according to executive producer Alexander Zanzer, "they now want to do something that resonates on an international level."[1]

Launch

Satellite broadcasting officially began in Europe on 21 September 2011.[9] However, the network had been operating for some time before this date, with their first YouTube channel uploading video as early as 7 September 2011.[12] Shortly after the 21st, satellite coverage was expanded to North America and Eurasia.[8]

A channel presentation event, or launch party, was held in Brussels, Belgium on 21 September 2011.[6] One of the owners, Vadim Rabinovitch, symbolically released dozens of balloons bearing the channel logo into the sky to mark what he called "an historic day".[5]

Alleged deprivement of ownership

Co-owner Vadim Rabinovich wrote to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine on 21 January 2012 ""A senior official from the current government visited Rabynovych on January 17 and, threatening harassment, including physical violence, demanded that the JN1 television channel be transferred to them within a week".[11] Rabinovich did not believe that the visit by this official was authorized, and "believes that what is happening is the individual racketeering of a single representative of the system of government".[11]

Closure and transformation into UN1, followed by becoming part of JewishNews.com

In April 2014, JN1 was shut down and replaced by a Ukrainian news network called Ukraine News One (styled UN1) broadcasting on the channel previously used by JN1.

According to Variety, this new network was “a Ukrainian network with a propaganda slant”.[13] UN1 closed in June 2014. Ten journalists of Jewish News 1 then moved over its successor, Ukraine Today.[14] As of April 2015, the website JN1.tv has become part of JewishNews.com

Objectives

Alexander Zanzer, the Brussels bureau chief, has said:

[JN1] will not necessarily be pro- or anti-Israel; we'll let the public hear the Israeli perspective, and it'll be up to the viewers to decide whether they're right.[1] And on another occasion, If [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu or [Foreign Minister] Avigdor Lieberman do something which is perceived negatively, we will report it because we're a news network. On the other hand, of course, we'll seek to broadcast positive things about Israel and the Diaspora Jewry.[3][4]

Peter Dickinson, the Kiev-based editor-in-chief, was quoted saying:

We don't look at our channel as just being "news for Jews," it's a much wider enterprise than that, and I'm confident we'll get a lot of non-Jewish viewers coming by for the variety of our voice.[15]

Jordana Miller, a former CNN reporter and former network’s Tel Aviv bureau chief, stated adamantly that JN1 will not become a "propaganda station." She added:

There's nothing about this network that will exclude, diminish, or cut off the Palestinian narrative when it comes to the conflict here.[1]

And the European Jewish Union, of which JN1’s owners are the president and vice president, stated in a press release:

JN1's main objective is to create a world-class media platform dealing with important and relevant topics, alongside other international providers such as CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC World Service, France 24, and Russia Today.[8]

Organisation

Bureaus

JN1 had offices or studios in Brussels, Kiev, and Tel Aviv,[2] with its headquarters located in Brussels.[6] The network had announced plans to open offices in other major world cities such as Washington D.C., London, Paris, Berlin, and Moscow; however, sources were not very consistent.[3][5][8]

Bureau Chiefs:

  • Alexander Zanzer (Brussels)
  • Peter Dickinson (Kiev)

Correspondents
  • Sivan Raviv
  • Ron Jacobsohn

JN1's Brussels-based spokesman said the network is in talks to hire additional correspondents, but did not elaborate.[16]

Personnel
  • Peter Dickinson (General Producer)
  • Peter Dutczyn (Senior Editor)
  • Valentyna Mala (General Director)

This information is sourced from the official website.[17]

Programming

Content

The JN1 broadcast was a 24-hour rolling news television network which was divided into Jewish-interest and world news loops. Content was continuously added and removed from these loops, and there is typically about one hour of footage at any given time. Each loop began with headlines, features news packages and interviews, and finished with a “global eye” video, which was news reported by images or video without narration. A yellow news ticker display at the bottom of the screen quickly reported major headlines for people who have just changed the channel or are not listening to the audio. There were no advertisements or commercial breaks in the broadcast.

Language

All programming was available in English and Russian.

Availability

Cable

JN1 had plans to be available on cable television,[8] and was viewable in the United States through cable outlets airing the JLTV cable channel.

Internet

The JN1 broadcast was available online via a live stream at JN1.TV. Some segments were also uploaded to their Jewish News One YouTube channel. There were also iPhone and Android apps available.

Satellite channels
Provider Access Available Language Package Channel
Yes (unconfirmed) Israel English

It has been widely reported that JN1 would be available on Yes Satellite TV, but JN1 doesn't appear in their online channel listing.[18]

Satellite coverage
Satellite Coverage Type Language Orbit Beam EIRP C/N Freq. Pol. TP System Encrypt Comp. Res. SRate FEC SID V_PID A_PID
Astra 4A Eurasia, Africa FTA English 4.8E Ku, Europe BSS 51 5.5 11766 Hor. B3 DVB-S None MPEG-2 SD 27500 3\4 6140 6141 6142
Galaxy 19 North America FTA English 97W Ku 0 12053 Ver. 19 DVB-S None 22000 3\4 1703 4022 4032
Hot Bird 6 Eurasia FTA English 13E Ka, Ku 46-52 5.5 11034 Ver. 126 DVB-S None MPEG-2 SD 27500 3\4 1703 320 330

Other coverage

As of Jan 1, 2013, a half an hour of JN1 would be broadcast on the MHz WorldView channel. MHZ Worldview is available in the United States via limited cable TV and over the air channels. It was also available via the web, Android/iPhone apps, as well as on Roku.

Competitors

JN1’s most frequently discussed competitor was Al Jazeera English.[9][10]

When contacted by The National, Al Jazeera's Ossama Saeed, head of international and media relations, had this to say about JN1:

We were the first on the scene 15 years ago and we have maintained our position as number one despite a lot of channels being launched since then. We'll continue what we're doing. We're not concerned about other [channels] popping up.[16]

See also

References
  1. Luke Browne (27 September 2011). "JN1 won't become a propaganda station". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  2. European Jewish Press (18 September 2011). "First Jewish global 24 hour news channel set to launch". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  3. Akiva Novick (19 September 2011). "'Jewish al-Jazeera' going on the air". YNet News. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  4. Akiva Novick (19 September 2011). "First Ever International Jewish News Network Ready for Broadcast". Shalom Life. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  5. European Jewish Press (23 September 2011). "Jewish News One, a 'Jewish Al Jazeera', goes on air". European Jewish Press. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  6. "Jewish News One: The world's first truly global Jewish news channel". European Jewish Union News. 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  7. "Jewish news network goes live". Advanced Television. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  8. "Jewish News One: the first global 24 hour Jewish channel widens its satellite coverage". European Jewish Press. 13 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  9. "Jewish News 1 launches today". Digital TV Europe. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  10. Michael Starr (20 September 2011). "'Jewish al-Jazeera' set to launch soon". The New York Post. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  11. Rabynovych: Ukrainian authorities trying to deprive him of his Jewish TV channel, Kyiv Post (21 January 2013)
  12. "JN1ISRAEL's Channel - YouTube". YouTube. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  13. https://variety.com/2014/tv/global/cable-net-jewish-news-one-shutters-to-become-ukraine-news-1-1201164174/
  14. August 27, 2014 Ukraine Today aims to clarify Russian media misinformation; Columbia Journalism Review
  15. "Jewish news channel seeks global kudos". Rapid TV News. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  16. "New 'Jewish Al Jazeera' satellite channel promises more than 'news for Jews'". TheNational. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  17. "About Channel - Team". Jewish News One. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  18. "Yes TV Channels". Yes. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
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