Fox vs. NBC Fight Heads to Holy Land
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Anne Cohen May 12, 2014
Breaking news: Fox is mad at NBC. Again.
This time, the network has taken the fight to the Holy Land, calling Israel a “third-world country without clear regulations,” because the country’s willingness to fund NBC projects over Fox ones.
According to Haaretz, NBC will receive up to 22 million shekels ($6.4 million) in funding from various government agencies,while the Fox’s funding request was turned down. So obviously, rule of law must have broken down completely.
NBC is scheduled to start shooting “Dig,” a six-part series about an FBI agent investigating the murder of an archeologist (the idea came from Keshet CEO Avi Nir), in Jerusalem in the coming months.
Fox is currently filming “Tyrant,” a series about the life of an Arab dictator written in cooperation with Homeland creator Gideon Raff. Though the pilot was filmed in Morocco, the set was moved to agricultural land near Kfar Sava. According to Haaretz, production costs on “Tyrant” are estimated at $30 million, with about 1,300 people providing services on and off-set.
Which one is better for Israel’s image, archeological thriller or Arab despot? Apparently, Fox thinks the latter.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news. All donations are still being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000 until April 24.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
