Noga Communications

Noga Communications (Hebrew: נגה תקשורת, Noga Tikshoret) is an Israeli television production company created in September 1996^[1] after a law was passed in Knesset to disband ICP's control over Arutz HaYeladim and Channel 8 (as the "ICP Agreement") established that the cable companies would only control 40% of the in-house channels.^[2] In August 1997, it started distributing content from The History Channel.^[3] In July 2000, thanks to a supply agreement with ZDTV, its subsidiary Ananey Communications (currently owned by Paramount Global) launched The Internet and Hi-Tech Channel.^[4]

Matav, Tevel and Golden Channels announced that they would cut their production agreements with Arutz HaYeladim and Channel 8 on May 14, 2000, following the expiration of the ICP agreement in September 1999. If Noga shut down the two channels on cable companies, it would cause a substantial adverse effect on its activities.^[5] On November 26, 2000, filmmaker Aviv Giladi bought Noga Communications for US$3,8 million. Before then, Taya owned 50% and Ananey owned the other half. The company spent NIS 30 million in 2000 buying content from international suppliers for channels 6 and 8. Giladi also bought the rights to Arutz HaYeladim's website, which at the time was one of the most popular Israeli websites by viewcount.^[6] The company was obliged to produce original content in January 2002, for the sum of US$2,5 million. This came after Channel 8 did not invest the whole value allocated for original productions. As part of the agreement, the company would use US$1 million for potential production partners until June.^[7]

Notorious productions from the company include The Island, The Eight, HaPijamot, Adomot, HaBigbagim, HaChevre HaTovim and Children of the Red Sea, for Arutz HaYeladim.

In 2004, Noga attempted to compete for part of the joint ownership of Channel 2 using a subsidiary named Noga 2.^[8][9] The company during bidding planned to use Channel 2's logo attached to the name, but had to change it due to violations of the usage of the trademark of the Second Authority for Radio and Television and supposedly inducing the public that Noga was directly involved with Channel 2.^[10][11] In April 2005, Keshet and Reshet won the bid.

Since the late 2000s, the company is a subsidiary of the RGE Group; executives have been trading their positions between the subsidiary and the parent on a regular basis in the late 2000s and early 2010s.^[12][13][14] In year-end 2009, Noga announced that it would plan the creation of a third children's channel catering viewers between the ages of 10 and 14, a target largely covered by Disney Channel. Corporate parent RGE was planning the move of its playout and studio facilities to a single building in Herzliya.^[15] Facing the deterioration of children's programming in Israel, the company hired returnee Healy Horev-Kasuto in March 2021, who had previously administered the Logi channel.^[16] Ou Ram was named its CEO on November 23, 2010.^[17]

In September 2020, Noga launched BIGI, an OTT streaming platform, created in the wake of the removal of Arutz HaYeladim and Logi from Yes and HOT.^[18] RGE and HOT brought back the Noga brands to the platform on February 20, 2023, after the two companies signed a new agreement.^[19]