Galgalatz
Encyclopedia
Galgalatz is a popular Israel
i radio station
operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces
-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music
and traffic reports, and few content programs. The station was established with the aid of the Israeli Ministry of Transportation (the Israeli National Authority for Traffic Safety), and frequently broadcasts Traffic Safety messages. At the top of every hour the station broadcasts a news report.
The radio station receives extremely high ratings in Israel, especially amongst younger audiences. The percentage of 18 year old listeners during 2006 was approximately 25%. The station broadcasters, primarily Israeli soldiers in service, have been trained as radio broadcasters at Galatz.
for wheel and symbolizes the connection to traffic. "Galgalatz" is a portmanteau of "Galgal" and "Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz". This name was created by the Israeli presenter
and Feminist
activist Merav Michaeli.
's period as chief of Galatz, by Erez Tal
, a renowned Israeli media celebrity. The station broadcast for eight hours each day. The broadcasts included mostly popular and local music.
Erez Tal, who was the head of Tzahal 2, was looking at the time for additional sources of funding. Tal eventually made an agreement with The Israeli National Authority For Traffic Safety. The Authority financed a radio program on Tzahal 2 called Ototo , led by Meirav Michaeli, during which Michaeli conversed by cellphone with two celebrities in separate cars, along with traffic inspectors. The two celebrities raced to arrive first at a destination point, while still driving safely. This was the first use of cellphones in Israeli radio.
Despite the opposition, this was the first act of cooperation between the station and the authority, and the beginning of a relationship that would eventually lead to the establishment of Galgalatz - in cooperation with the National Authority for Traffic Safety. Amongst the celebrities to race in the show were Haim Yavin
and Ilana Dayan
, as well as the music band Portrait, which caused a traffic accident broadcast live via a cellphone of the Pelephone company. This prompted the Pelephone company to embark on a "Pelephone
helps fight Traffic Accidents" advertising campaign, which was to run for many years on Galgalatz.
, had expressed a desire to close the radio station. Barak told Shlonski that if he found a way to fund the station without costing the military money, he would agree not to close it. The funding sources which Galgalatz (then called Tzahal 2) had found were now critical to the entire Galatz foundation, so it was decided to strengthen the daughter station.
The establishing team, which included Moshe Shlonski himself, Erez Tal and Oded Nafchi, began working on the new radio station: "Galgalatz."
Between the establishing team and the department heads in Galatz emerged a major argument over the new station's main broadcasting concept. Erez Tal had envisioned a station which would play music as well as traffic-related magazines, and which would be traffic-inclined. In contrast to this, was the option of the station focusing almost entirely on music. The department heads strongly opposed this option and claimed this kind of radio station, a "programless" station, had no chance of succeeding. Many of them threatened to resign if such a station was to be opened. Many at Galei Tzahal feared the new channel would also take a bite out of the Galatz listeners, thereby causing a decline in the popularity of Galatz and eventually its closure. Nonetheless, Shlonski and the establishing team insisted the if the listeners wouldn't turn over to Galatz, they would turn over to other stations.
Within a short time, Galgalatz had made a name for itself amongst the Israeli media - its ratings had escalated from 4 percent to 13 percent, and Galgalatz's traffic reports were considered highly credible amongst the public, and were even recognized as legal evidence: A man sued for being late for a meeting used documentary of the station's traffic reports to prove he had indeed been stuck in a traffic jam, which were eventually accepted by the court as legal evidence.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and traffic reports, and few content programs. The station was established with the aid of the Israeli Ministry of Transportation (the Israeli National Authority for Traffic Safety), and frequently broadcasts Traffic Safety messages. At the top of every hour the station broadcasts a news report.
The meaning of the name
The first station of the Israel Defense Forces, established in 1950 is called Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz which is an Acronym of Galei Tzahal . This second station was supposed to have traffic safety content in its broadcast, so the name had to express this uniqueness of the station. The word "Galgal" is HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for wheel and symbolizes the connection to traffic. "Galgalatz" is a portmanteau of "Galgal" and "Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz". This name was created by the Israeli presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and Feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
activist Merav Michaeli.
Tzahal 2
Galgalatz was established on the basis of radio station Tzahal 2 , which had been operating as a daughter-station of Galatz. Tzahal 2 was established in April 1990, during Nahman ShaiNahman Shai
Nahman Shai is an Israeli journalist and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. He previously worked as the IDF spokesman.-Biography:...
's period as chief of Galatz, by Erez Tal
Erez Tal
Erez Tal is an Israeli broadcasting personality.-Biography:His first hit program was "Ma Yesh" , broadcast on Galatz, Israel's Army radio, where he started his partnership with Avri Gilad....
, a renowned Israeli media celebrity. The station broadcast for eight hours each day. The broadcasts included mostly popular and local music.
Erez Tal, who was the head of Tzahal 2, was looking at the time for additional sources of funding. Tal eventually made an agreement with The Israeli National Authority For Traffic Safety. The Authority financed a radio program on Tzahal 2 called Ototo , led by Meirav Michaeli, during which Michaeli conversed by cellphone with two celebrities in separate cars, along with traffic inspectors. The two celebrities raced to arrive first at a destination point, while still driving safely. This was the first use of cellphones in Israeli radio.
The Israeli National Authority for Traffic Safety and Pelephone
The funding the station received was only thirty thousand shekels. The station's chiefs expressed strong criticism of the program's staff and Tzahal 2 and claimed that the very idea of "selling" a show for funding was a disgrace to Galatz, especially for such a low sum.Despite the opposition, this was the first act of cooperation between the station and the authority, and the beginning of a relationship that would eventually lead to the establishment of Galgalatz - in cooperation with the National Authority for Traffic Safety. Amongst the celebrities to race in the show were Haim Yavin
Haim Yavin
Haim Yavin , is an Israeli television anchor and documentary filmmaker. He was one of Israel's leading news presenters, associated with the job for so many decades that he was known as "Mr. Television."-Biography:...
and Ilana Dayan
Ilana Dayan
Ilana Dayan-Orbach is an Israeli investigative journalist, anchorwoman, and attorney. She is best known as host of the investigative television program Uvda on the Israeli Channel 2.-Biography:...
, as well as the music band Portrait, which caused a traffic accident broadcast live via a cellphone of the Pelephone company. This prompted the Pelephone company to embark on a "Pelephone
Pelephone
Pelephone is an Israeli-based telecommunications company, founded in 1986 as a joint venture between Motorola and Tadiran, today owned by Bezeq. It was the first company to offer mobile phone services in Israel. Due to this, the brand-name "Pelephone" became the genericized trademark for mobile...
helps fight Traffic Accidents" advertising campaign, which was to run for many years on Galgalatz.
Threats of closing the station
In 1992 Moshe Shlonski took over Israel Army Radio. The Israeli chief-of-staff at the time, Ehud BarakEhud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
, had expressed a desire to close the radio station. Barak told Shlonski that if he found a way to fund the station without costing the military money, he would agree not to close it. The funding sources which Galgalatz (then called Tzahal 2) had found were now critical to the entire Galatz foundation, so it was decided to strengthen the daughter station.
Establishment
At the time, Galatz was inclined towards news programs, while Tzahal 2 was inclined towards playing music. At the same time, local commercial radio stations were starting up, most of which were planning on focusing on playing music and entertainment shows, and in effect stealing much of Galatz's audience. These were the main reasons Shlonski and the people of Tzahal 2 decided on establishing a new radio station, based on Tzahal 2, which would serve both as a financial 'safety net' for Galatz as well as an alternative for the existing listeners whose needs were not met by the programs on Galatz.The establishing team, which included Moshe Shlonski himself, Erez Tal and Oded Nafchi, began working on the new radio station: "Galgalatz."
Between the establishing team and the department heads in Galatz emerged a major argument over the new station's main broadcasting concept. Erez Tal had envisioned a station which would play music as well as traffic-related magazines, and which would be traffic-inclined. In contrast to this, was the option of the station focusing almost entirely on music. The department heads strongly opposed this option and claimed this kind of radio station, a "programless" station, had no chance of succeeding. Many of them threatened to resign if such a station was to be opened. Many at Galei Tzahal feared the new channel would also take a bite out of the Galatz listeners, thereby causing a decline in the popularity of Galatz and eventually its closure. Nonetheless, Shlonski and the establishing team insisted the if the listeners wouldn't turn over to Galatz, they would turn over to other stations.
Broadcasting and rising to fame
Galgalatz broadcasting began on October 31, 1993, at 7:00 a.m., in a show called Medina BaDerech with Amir Asher. The station broadcast for 17 hours a day, beginning at 7 in the morning and until midnight. From day one the programs included mostly music and traffic reports. The musical guidelines were to prefer popular songs, known and favored by the majority of listeners, in an attempt to target the largest possible audience.Within a short time, Galgalatz had made a name for itself amongst the Israeli media - its ratings had escalated from 4 percent to 13 percent, and Galgalatz's traffic reports were considered highly credible amongst the public, and were even recognized as legal evidence: A man sued for being late for a meeting used documentary of the station's traffic reports to prove he had indeed been stuck in a traffic jam, which were eventually accepted by the court as legal evidence.
Policy changes
The broadcasting concept of Galgalatz was changed to target a specific audience, around the clock, with the intention and thought that such a theme of broadcasting would result in a larger, more loyal audience. At first Galgalatz turned to the 18 to 40 year old audience. In practice, Galgalatz would eventually create an audience consisting mostly of 15 to 35-year-olds, amongst which the station was immensely popular.Criticism
Despite the high ratings, there was harsh criticism of Galgalatz in the public towards the end of 1997 and the beginning of 1998. The critics claimed the station's chief was only intent on raising ratings, and had lost interest of programming quality. It was claimed that the station limits itself to a very specific type of music, and in essence was broadcasting a very limited number of songs dictated from above, intending to "play it safe". As an answer to the criticism, the station worked harder and harder to receive exclusive rights for new songs and albums, both local and foreign. Record companies gave new singles' copies only to Galgalatz, thereby receiving heightened exposure on the station, for the period of exclusivity. In return, the new singles were included in Galgalatz's playlist at primary spots. Thus began Galgalatz's campaign of "Galgalatz - Before the Rest."Charts
Galgaltz broadcasting every Thursday the "One by one" (in hebrew:אחד אחד ), the official Israel top 15 chart. The chart is based on the audience's choice on the station's website. The last Friday of the year, Galgaltz also broadcasts the Israeli annual International song chart.Station executives
- Chief of Galgalatz - Dalit Ofer
- Assistant Manager of Galgalatz - Omer Ben Rubi
- Music Manager - Or Celkovnik
- Editorial Coordinator of Galgalatz - Noam Levinger
Broadcasting frequencies (FM) and sites
- Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
area: 91.8 (broadcast out of Bnei Brak) - HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
and the bay area: 107 (broadcast out of HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
) - Jerusalem: 93.9 (broadcast out of Jerusalem)
- Be'er Sheva: 99.8 (broadcast out of Mishmar HaNegevMishmar HaNegevMishmar HaNegev is a kibbutz in the northern fringe of the Negev desert in Israel. It is located on Road 264, about 2 kilometres south of the Bedouin city of Rahat and around 10 km from Beersheba and is part of the Bnei Shimon Regional Council...
) - Northern Israel: 104.1 (broadcast out of Kiryat ShmonaKiryat ShmonaKiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
) - Eilat and Mitzpe RamonMitzpe RamonMitzpe Ramon is a town in the Negev desert of southern Israel. It is situated on the northern ridge at an elevation of 860 meters overlooking a sizable erosion cirque known as the Ramon Crater.-History:...
: 106.4 (broadcast out of Eilat)