Israel Broadcasting Authority ( IBA ; ) was Israel 's state broadcasting organization from 1948 until May 2017 . The Israel Broadcasting Authority was an outgrowth of the radio station '' Kol Yisrael '' , which made its first broadcast as an independent station on 14 March 1948 . The name of the organization operating '' Kol Yisrael '' was changed to '' Israel Broadcasting Service '' in 1951 . The law creating the '' Israel Broadcasting Authority '' was passed by the Knesset on 6 June 1965 . Television broadcasts commenced on 2 May 1968 , with color television following on 23 February 1983 , although occasional color transmissions , of such events as the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 and the visit of the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1977 , had been made earlier
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Israel Broadcasting Authority