Organized in nine sections, this paper traces the development of Israeli television since 1968, the year when television was first presented to a night-time viewing public, and examines the programs preferred by the Israeli public. The paper focuses on the growth of interest in TV; television viewing and the ongoing surveys; an internal analysis of TV programming, 1968-1973; audience preferences and interest; television programming and the lowest common denominator; foreign entertainment programming; and program preference by default. The paper concludes that the combination of the Israeli audience's hunger for any kind of programming and the limitations of a single channel would have artificially boosted the ratings of whatever program appeared; that for some of the acquired programs which drew lower ratings, the results could be attributed to the plot, characters, content, or a poor time slot placement; and that with no absolute consistency of audience reactions, it was a difficult matter for those in TV to select, present, and maintain a program schedule which would satisfy a majority of the television audience. (DF)