Yitzhak Livni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yitzhak Livni
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Yitzhak Livni
17 October 1934 |
| Died | 12 February 2017 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Spouse(s) | Eti Livni (3 children) |
Yitzhak Livni (Hebrew: יצחק לבני; born October 17, 1934 – died February 12, 2017) was a well-known Israeli media expert and writer. He held many important jobs in Israeli media. He was an editor for magazines like Bamahane Nahal and Bamahane. He also led the IDF radio station Galatz. Later, he became the CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. He also helped set up and lead Channel 2, a major TV channel.
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Biography
Leading the Galatz Radio Station
Yitzhak Livni made the army radio station Galatz (short for "Galei Tzahal" or "IDF Waves") very popular. Before him, it was a small station with limited broadcast hours. It was even at risk of closing down.
Livni changed Galatz into a lively and important station. It started broadcasting 24 hours a day. He created a new style for the station. Many people who became famous in Israeli media started their careers at Galatz. This station had a big impact on other media in Israel. It also influenced Israeli society and culture.
The ideas and style Livni started are still used at Galatz today. This shows how strong his system was. He believed that a military radio station could have many different programs. These programs could be for civilians and cover various topics. They could also be culturally important.
During his time, Galatz added many new shows. These included programs about news, social issues, and culture. There were also documentaries, dramas, discussions, and game shows. Even pop music programs were added. Livni believed that high-quality shows could still be popular. They could attract many listeners.
Livni created a special news desk for civilian news. He also made the news shows longer. These shows were broadcast several times a day. Before, there was only a military news show. He made sure the station stayed independent, even though it was a military one.
He also started the tradition of "poet songs evening" programs. In these shows, poems by famous writers like Hayim Nahman Bialik were set to music. This helped bring written poetry closer to sung poetry. After these evenings, setting poetry to music became very common in Israeli culture. Galatz became a unique radio station in Israel and worldwide.
Working with IBA and Channel 2
Livni worked as the CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) for five years. The IBA is Israel's public radio and television network. During his time, he focused on showing more TV programs made in Israel. About 70% of the shows were produced locally. He wanted these shows to be both high quality and popular.
He did not believe that shows had to be low quality to get high ratings. The programs included news magazines, dramas, interviews, and entertainment. He made sure that public broadcasting principles were followed. He also kept the station free from political pressures. This allowed for freedom of expression.
For radio, Livni started "Reshet Gimel" for popular music. At the same time, he made many changes to "Reshet Bet". He increased the number of news and talk programs there.
Starting in 1987, Livni worked for the experimental Channel 2. He was a special advisor and later led the steering committee. This work helped set up the commercial Channel 2. In the 1990s, he led the "Livni Committee." This committee looked at how public broadcasting worked. Its ideas helped create new plans to improve the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
In 2004, Livni became the head of the board of directors for Channel 2's news company. In 2007, he was removed from this position. This happened after he fought to protect the public's interest. He disagreed with the private owners of the channel. For example, he objected to the appointment of Rafi Ginat as the News Company's CEO. He eventually stopped this appointment after a long struggle. The Attorney General of Israel later said that Livni's removal was wrong.
Other Important Roles
From the late 1970s, Livni hosted a radio show called "Between Friday and Saturday - A conversation for Two." It was on Kol Yisrael's Reshet Bet channel. On this show, he talked with people from culture, literature, politics, and science. The program focused on deep, human, and timeless topics. The questions could be challenging, but the talks were always pleasant and warm. In the 1990s, he also hosted "Askola" on Israeli Educational Television. This series was about the Hebrew language.
Livni held several public positions. He was the president of The Council for a Beautiful Israel. He also chaired the judges' panel for the Sapir Prize for Literature. This is a major literary award. He led The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature. He also chaired "Words and figures." This project involved long interviews with famous Jewish writers and thinkers. These included Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, and Amos Oz.
In 2015, he received an Honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This is a special award given by a university.
Literary Career
When he was young, Livni was part of a literary group called "Likrat" ("Towards"). This was one of the first groups of poets and writers after Israel was founded. They published a literary journal also called "Likrat." Famous writers like Nathan Zach and Yehuda Amichai published their first works there. Livni also wrote stories that appeared in "Likrat" and other places.
In his later years, he worked on a novel called The Substance of Life. Parts of this book were published in a literary magazine and a newspaper. In 2015, he published the book Fragments from The Substance of Life in Hebrew. It received very good reviews. People called it a "literary miracle" and a "ravishing book." The book includes a special afterword by the writer Eleonora Lev.
Personal Life
In the 1960s, Livni was married to the poet Dahlia Ravikovitch for three years. They remained close friends even after they separated. Later, he married Eti Livni, who was a lawyer and a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament). They had three children together. Yitzhak Livni passed away on February 12, 2017, at the age of 82.
