TV Ratings: Reshet 13 Slumps Without Eyal Berkovich as Masked Singer Leads
Reshet 13's weekend talk show lost a quarter of its audience following Eyal Berkovich's suspension, while Keshet 12 dominated prime time with "The Masked Singer" and leading news ratings.
Saturday night television ratings revealed a notable shift across Israeli networks, highlighted by a sharp decline for Reshet 13's weekend current affairs program following the temporary suspension of co-host Eyal Berkovich.
Impact of Berkovich's Absence on Reshet 13
The talk show normally hosted by Berkovich and Moriah Asraf saw a significant slump when co-hosted instead by Asraf and Yuval Segev. The broadcast pulled in 3.9% and 113,000 viewers, down sharply from 5.2% and 141,000 viewers the previous week when Berkovich was still on the panel. This represented a 25% relative drop in ratings and a loss of 28,000 viewers. The earlier segment of the program experienced an even steeper decline, falling from 4.9% down to 3.3%.
The suspension stemmed from controversial remarks Berkovich made regarding the academic doctorates of Abdul El-Sayed and Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi, which also prompted a legal warning letter from Tibi. Despite the turbulence, network executives moved to lift the disciplinary measure, paving the way for Berkovich's anticipated return to the anchor desk.
Prime-Time Dominance and Competitor Performance
In the prime-time slot, Keshet 12 maintained a commanding lead with "The Masked Singer," drawing 17.5% and 482,000 viewers. Meanwhile, Reshet 13's reality competition "Survivor" broadcast an elimination episode featuring the departure of Emanuel Hori, an ally of the previously ousted Avi Shushan. The episode secured 11.3% and 338,000 viewers, trailing behind its prior performance during Shushan's exit week but maintaining second place in prime time.
Channel 14's evening lineup, featuring Yinon Magal returning to host "The Patriots," recorded 6.9% and 188,000 viewers, placing third in the prime-time hierarchy. Public broadcaster Kan 11 offered viewers "Meeting with Roni Koubi," which achieved a 4.1% rating with 96,000 viewers, marking a 1.2-point decline from the preceding week.
News Bulletins and Late-Night Viewership
Central evening news broadcasts continued to be led by Keshet 12, where "Weekend News" anchored by Dana Weiss captured 14.0% and 383,000 viewers. Channel 14's Saturday edition anchored by Lital Shemesh held steady in second place with 6.1% and 160,000 viewers, while Doria Lampel's news hour on Reshet 13 slipped to 4.6%.
In the late-night hours, Keshet 12's talk program hosted by Avri and Sharki led the slot with 6.6% and 171,000 viewers, though this represented a substantial 35% drop compared to the previous week's figures. Channel 14 followed closely behind with Oded Harush's interview program, which secured 6.0% and 163,000 viewers, keeping late-night competition tight across the channels.
