Eurovision arrangements in Ukraine
Strong-arm selection scenario fits into the tidying-up domestic policy
Ukraine’s singer to vie in the Eurovision ‘10 competition was once again — and seemingly finally — determined last Saturday: Olena Kucher (stage name: Aliosha) with her song “To Be Free.” She replaced Vasyl Lazarovych who had been forced to step down, and was selected by both “competent people” and a nationwide vote. National song qualifiers for Eurovision, usually marked by showbiz, sometimes even political intrigue (remember GreenJolly?), proved even more so this year. All of a sudden (or maybe quite expectedly) showbiz big shots and the new political leadership discovered that their interests coincided. Whereas the former are interested in promoting their singing proteges, the latter are eager to demonstrate that the old practices (being far remote from democracy) have been done away with, that all corruption schemes have been exposed and guilty parties meted out punishment; that a new epoch has begun — albeit with old procedures, including government-run television. The Cabinet has placed the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTKU) under its control, under the pretext of tidying up and putting this country in order, in the name of democracy. The new NTKU Director General is Yevhen Benkendorf. He and the rest of the company’s leadership immediately resolved that Vasyl Lazarovych was nominated for Eurovision in an undemocratic manner and assigned another round of song qualifiers that would be truly democratic, and where the vox populi would be finally heard.
The fact remains, however, that Vasyl Lazarovych’s nomination for Eurovision was formally perfectly legitimate. He was named by the NTKU art council, which is lawful according to the rules of the European Broadcasting Union. Of course, whether this choice was the right is another story. This unscrupulous attitude of the previous NTKU leadership must have prompted the new one to stage coups and throw turmoil while concealing under democracy their own interests that appear anything but clean. Is it necessary to remind for the umpteenth time that democracy means procedure in the first place? Even if Aliosha wins Eurovision (which is unlikely, if one analyzes the sequel of recent victories), will this mean that we have scored our own inner Ukrainian victory? If this is the case, there will be the matter of precedent, unlawful as it is.
Unlike her predecessors, Aliosha appears to have nothing to do with the Eurovision selection intrigue, which is only natural. After all, Aliosha, like many new Ukrainian performers, is a showbiz market commodity, rather than operator.
Olena Kucher turned out perhaps the most enigmatic of the 20 finalists, compared to a large number of pop stars. The First National Channel’s Web site reads that Olena Kucher, 23, comes from Zaporizhia; that she studied at the Kyiv National University of Culture (variety vocal faculty); that in 2009 she signed a contract with Catapult Music; that she has a vocal range of four octaves; that she has a debut English language CD cut in America, and that she is working on another one.
Will the Europeans buy the format prepared for Olena Kucher, a format which is actually nothing out of the ordinary? Especially considering that there is no time left for promotion?
Although we have our Eurovision contestant, there remains the question of her song (“To Be Free” has been disqualified), along with countless worldview ones. For example, what does Hanna Herman, as chairperson of the national selection jury, have to do with creativity, showbiz in general, and Eurovision in particular? Or maybe the newly appointed deputy head of the new Presidential Administration will be present where and whenever she’ll think there is a lack of democracy?
What does the New Channel have to do with Eurovision, considering that NTKU is Ukraine’s only member of the European Broadcasting Union? Is it because the NC leadership was especially outraged by Vasyl Lazarovych’s nomination, because he produces and promotes singers for the Ukrainian talent show Factory of Stars? If so, then how come NC Director General Iryna Lysenko was a member of the jury? Under the circumstances she was a biased one, considering that among the 20 finalists were her proteges Oleksii Matias, Stereo Duet, and Maks Barskykh. Won’t the new NTKU leadership allow business to sneak in the national company? Won’t the First National Channel become like Inter which is financed by the central budget? Of course, government-run television needs reform, but in the direction of the BBC, not [Moscow’s] ORT.
Most importantly, won’t such practice of “democratic coercion” be extended to the entire Ukrainian humanitarian sphere? Won’t our notion of democracy, blemished by unscrupulous politicians as it is, be finally devalued? If so, are we prepared to offer resistance?
