Reshet Gimel co-founder, Kol Yisrael veteran Gilad Ben-Shach passes away at 85

In his work, he helped shape the station's musical sound at a time when radio had an enormous influence on musical tastes in Israel and on how songs and artists became hits.

Gilad Ben-Shach, a composer, music editor, and veteran of Kol Yisrael, has died at the age of 85.

Ben-Shach, one of the founders of Reshet Gimel who later served as the station's manager, was for decades one of the most influential figures behind the scenes of Israeli radio and music.

Ben-Shach joined Kol Yisrael in the late 1960s and went on to hold a number of positions within the Israel Broadcasting Authority, including music editor, head of the entertainment department, and manager of Reshet Gimel. 

In his work, he helped shape the station's musical sound at a time when radio had an enormous influence on musical tastes in Israel and on how songs and artists became hits.

One of the decisions most closely associated with him was the creation of the program Mediterranean Basin. In the late 1970s, Ben-Shach tasked Shimon Parnas, then a young editor who specialized in rock and pop, with producing a program dedicated to Mediterranean music. 

Ben-Shach's world was Hebrew music

The program, which aired on Reshet Gimel for years, eventually became one of the genre's most important platforms, at a time when Mediterranean music was still struggling to find a place at the heart of the Israeli mainstream.

Alongside his work in radio, Ben-Shach was also a composer and songwriter. Among the songs associated with him are Every Person Has a Star, performed by Ilan and Ilanit, as well as Violets.

For years, he was also involved in producing performances and events dedicated to Hebrew song, including shows held as part of the Ein Gev Festival. He devoted a significant part of his work to preserving and nurturing Hebrew song.

His family said that "Ben-Shach's world was Hebrew music, its preservation and its cultivation."