Telenovelas and the Israeli Television Market

Abstract

Israel seems to import more telenovelas than any other country. VIVA, its telenovela cable channel, became instantly popular after its inauguration in early 2000. Its success surpassed the expectations of its owners, who launched the channel with ample evidence to support that they already counted on a solid demand for their product. VIVA competes, and often outranks, the top-rated national newscast in prime-time ratings. This channel established a weekly VIVA telenovela magazine. Its shows' musical themes rank high in the hit parade, driving the most popular singers and record labels to launch Hebrew versions of the songs. This article argues that telenovelas lead television entertainment in this country because of four primary factors: the centrality of cable to the television industry, the limited television programming before the 1990s, the cultural and political climate in which audiences watch telenovelas, and finally, the telenovela compatibility with Israel's narrative traditions, particularly its popular cinema.

Keywords

telenovelas Shlomo Ben Ami entertainment-education Channel One Channel Two Entertainment-Education Los ricos también lloran Ella Shohat Bourekas Ashken-Azi Sephardi VIVA

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