Jewish Broadcasting Service Explained

Jewish Broadcasting Service
Former Names:	Shalom TV
Parent:	Jewish Education in Media, Inc. (a non-profit corporation)
Type:	Religious cultural and educational channel
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Area:	Worldwide
Founder:	Mark S. Golub
Key People:	CEO Rabbi Justin Pines
Launch Date:	August 31, 2006

Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS) is an American Jewish television network. JBS programming includes daily news reports from Israel, live event coverage and analysis, and cultural programming of interest to the North American Jewish community. The network is a full-time HD and SD channel. It is an English-language network produced by the non-profit organization Jewish Education in Media (JEM).^[1] The goal of this organization is to reach out to less-affiliated Jews and bring them closer to a Jewish religion and Identity.

History

Shalom TV was developed by Rabbi Mark S. Golub in 2003, and began broadcasting on August 31, 2006.^[2] In 2008, Comcast launched Shalom TV On Demand nationally.^[3] The On Demand version of Shalom TV expanded to more than 20 video distributors available to more than 40 million homes throughout North America.^[4]

In May 2012, Shalom TV became available as a Roku channel.^[5] On December 7, 2012, Optimum Cable (Cablevision) launched the Shalom TV Channel.^[6] Shalom TV was renamed JBS on September 24, 2014.^[7]

In September 2016, JBS became available nationally as a channel on DIRECTV channel 388.^[8] JBS launched in August 2017 on Verizon Fios in HD on channel 798. JBS HD launched on August 7, 2018 on Charter Spectrum in New York, California, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. In August 2023, Charter Spectrum added JBS in all their service areas.^[9] JBS HD launched on December 8, 2020 on all Comcast Xfinity service areas.

On February 12, 2024, JBS announced Justin Pines as the new CEO coming a year after the passing of Golub.

Programming

Programs on JBS are intended to reflect the diversity and pluralism of the worldwide Jewish population. Programs include:

• Daily news from the JBS News desk and daily news from Israel in English ILTV.TV.^[10]
• News breaks and programs with viewer call-ins.
• Live Friday and Saturday Shabbat services and holiday services.
• Public affairs events
• American, Israeli, and Yiddish films
• Roundtable discussions of issues in the world Jewish community.
• Jewish Studies programs, including the teaching of Hebrew and commentary on basic tenets of Judaism.
• Children's programs.^[2]
• 92NY presentations^[11]
• Israeli and American Jewish cultural shows
• Interviews with important Jews.
• Israel travel documentaries.
• Cuisine
• Jewish authors
• Jewish film reviews on Jewish Cinematheque

Availability

Television Provider	Channel	Locations^[12]
Amazon Fire TV
Apple TV
AT&T Uverse
Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband		Miami Beach, FL, Maine & New Hampshire
Blue Ridge Communications		All service areas
Blue Stream Fiber		All service areas
Buckeye Broadband		All service areas
Charter Spectrum		All service areas
Comcast Xfinity X1		All Service Areas
Cox Communications
DIRECTV		All 50 states and Puerto Rico
DISH Network
Fios TV (Verizon)		All Service Areas
Frontier Communications
GCI
Hotwire Communications		Florida, Georgia, North Carolina & South Carolina
Cablevision/Optimum TV		All service areas
Astound Broadband/RCN		All service areas channel 334 in Lehigh Valley, PA
ROKU		North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Mexico
Service Electric Cable TV		Eastern PA and Western NJ service areas
Service Electric Cablevision
Xstream Cable		Ocala, FL
TuneIn Radio		North America
WOW! (Wide Open West)

Notes and References

1. Book: Dashefsky . Arnold . American Jewish Year Book 2018: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities Since 1899 . Sheskin . Ira M. . 2019-03-14 . Springer . 978-3-030-03907-3 . en.
2. Kristin E. Holmes, "New cable channel says 'Shalom': Shalom TV hopes a focus on Jewish culture as well as religion will draw a wide audience.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 23, 2006.
3. Web site: 19 April 2008. SAY SHALOM TO SHALOM TV . March 16, 2023 . Hartford Courant . en-US.
4. Web site: Reynolds . Mike . 2014-09-24 . JBS Eyeing Domestic, International Expansion: Golub . 2023-06-02 . Multichannel News . en.
5. Web site: First "PBS style" Jewish Television Channel Now Available Throughout America. https://web.archive.org/web/20130729120832/http://www.shalomtv.com/pdfs/ShalomTV_Roku_PR.pdf . 2013-07-29 .
6. http://www.thehour.com/stamford/article/Stamford-rabbi-launches-Jewish-American-TV-network-8251749.php "Stamford rabbi launches Jewish-American TV network"
7. Web site: Shalom TV to Ring in JBS Name Change. Mike Reynolds. September 17, 2014. Multichannel News.
8. Nora Naughton, "Stamford rabbi’s TV network goes national", Stamford Advocate, September 26, 2016.
9. Web site: 2018-09-05 . Charter Spectrum Adds JBS For Some Customers . 2023-06-02 . JBS - Jewish Broadcasting Service . en-US.
10. http://jewishmiami.org/communitypost/happening/45593/shalom_tv_channel_aug_10_16_on_atlantic_broadband_ch_168_hotwire_ch_269_the_roku_streaming_player_and_online_at_www_shalomtv_com Shalom TV Channel
11. http://www.92y.org/Uptown/On-Air-And-On-Demand/Content-Distribution/Shalom-TV.aspx View memorable moments from 92NY's Jewish programs on Shalom TV, the first Jewish TV cable channel in America.
12. Web site: FIND US.