Keshet Seeks Injunction to Block Ex-VP Itai Dankner as Channel 13 CEO

Keshet has filed an urgent motion with the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court seeking an injunction to block the appointment of its outgoing VP of Programming, Itai Dankner, as the new CEO of Channel 13 News. Keshet is demanding a closed-door emergency hearing before Dankner is scheduled to assume the role on November 4.

At the center of the legal dispute is a non-compete clause in Dankner's employment contract, which stipulates a four-month cooling-off period following his departure from Keshet. While Dankner plans to take the helm at Channel 13 News this coming week, circumventing the contractual restriction, Keshet is seeking to enforce the agreement and bar him and Reshet 13 from establishing an employment relationship until March 4, 2027.

Commercial Secrets and Enforcement

To incentivize compliance and counter arguments regarding livelihood infringement, Keshet offered to pay Dankner full compensation equivalent to four monthly salaries in exchange for honoring the restriction period, with funds to be deposited with the court if necessary. The legal proceedings will heavily reference the landmark Check Point precedent, which dictates that non-compete clauses are enforceable primarily in cases involving specialized, costly training or distinct commercial secrets.

Keshet bases its injunction request on the assertion that Dankner, in his capacity as VP of Programming and a member of the Channel 12 management team, possesses critical trade secrets concerning the network's core operations. These include programming schedules planned up to 18 months in advance, content and casting strategies, procurement agreements, and expensive in-depth research. Keshet argues that a news company CEO makes scheduling and programming decisions that directly compete with Keshet's broadcast strips, making it impossible for Dankner to fulfill his new role without utilizing internal proprietary knowledge. Furthermore, Keshet accuses Reshet and Channel 13 of tortious interference with a contract, alleging they knowingly recruited a senior executive from a direct competitor in breach of contractual obligations.

Dankner, who has served as VP of Programming at Keshet 12 since 2019 and previously edited "Ulpan Shishi" and managed business development at Channel 12 News, crossed lines when he was appointed CEO of Channel 13 News succeeding Tali Ben Ovadia earlier this month. The appointment follows the transfer of control at Reshet 13 to Asaf Rappaport and Merit Fund, tasked with leading the company's development and digital initiatives, stabilizing the organization following management turmoil and labor disputes, and tackling ratings challenges against the dominant competitor he just left.

Structural Separation Debate

One of the complex legal questions raised by the motion concerns the structural separation mandate, which Keshet historically fought to maintain, while Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi seeks to dismantle it under his broadcasting reform. While Dankner worked at Keshet 12, his appointment is at the competing news subsidiary, Channel 13 News. Israeli law mandates a clear structural separation between broadcast licensees and news companies. Ironically, Keshet's legal filing argues that the operational reality blurs this separation, asserting that a programming VP at Keshet possesses insights into news operations and that a news CEO wields significant influence over parent company decisions.