What happened to the Doc channel? Israel’s health channel shuts down
A dedicated floor at Assuta Hospital in Ramat HaHayal was home to RGE’s health channel initiative. After two years of operation, the channel has ceased broadcasting and the facilities have been vacated. What lies behind the closure?
At the beginning of 2024, Israel launched a new initiative: Doc, a health channel co-produced by Assuta Medical Centers and the RGE media group. For nearly two years, the channel provided content focused on health, nutrition, and wellness.
The partnership was established following agreements between RGE CEO Yaron Shegev and Assuta CEO Gidi Latz. The channel was managed by Uri Dickstein, with a team featuring presenters such as Orna Datz, Merav Miller, Yael Goldman, Shifra Kornfeld, and Hadar Aviel.
The channel went on air on February 6, 2024, with the goal of bringing the world of health and medicine to the general public through original productions and expert-led programming. It was broadcast on yes (channel 75), Cellcom TV, Partner TV, Free TV, and STING TV.
Doc channel team. Photo: Oded Karni.
However, broadcasts were halted several months ago, and the channel was removed from the RGE website. Two weeks ago, the entire floor allocated by Assuta in Ramat HaHayal was cleared out as RGE removed its studio equipment, leaving the offices empty.
It should be noted that the channel began as a pilot project between RGE and Assuta Medical Centers and was intended to run for a limited time. Assuta provided the infrastructure, while RGE handled production and equipment. With the conclusion of the pilot and the decision not to continue the partnership, the broadcasts of the health channel have officially ended.
