Few foreigners who bet early on independent Ukraine can match the colorful career of Walid Arfush, deputy head of First National Channel, also known as UT-1. But to some, the PR skills that the cosmopolitan Arfush, 39, developed along with his brother as a radio station owner and beauty pageant organizer represent yet another threat to freedom of speech in Ukraine. An ethnic Lebanese who first came to Ukraine in Soviet days to study but stayed to do business, Arfush became a Ukrainian citizen in 2005. He denies using the state channel as a propaganda airwave for President Viktor Yanukovych, whom he backs, and insists the Ukrainian leader just needs time to show what he can do for the country.
Kyiv Post: You were recently quoted in a media interview as saying that you believe that First National should be supportive of the current authorities. You are familiar with Western media standards. Don’t you think that media should be objective and critical of officialdom when such criticism is due?
Walid Arfush: I have been in this country for 20 years and I know Russian quite well. But sometimes I notice that I want to say one thing but end up saying quite another. So I’m glad you asked me this question. When I said this, I meant that in the charter of our channel we are obliged to cover the different activities of the government. There are lots of private channels in the country that can criticize what the government is doing. But what I meant is that we are obliged to just show what they do, and let the people decide if it is good or bad.
KP: So what you are saying is that First National should have no controversy but just be matter of fact?
WA: Well, if you have time to watch the news at 9 p.m., you will see that our news is very balanced. For example, we recently did one thing in the news to show how well the police are prepared for the Euro 2012 [football tournament]. We asked one American guy with a hidden camera to go and speak English to a police officer right on Maidan. He asked where the Philharmonic was. But the only answer the policeman gave was: Show me your documents? So we do show also the other reality that things aren’t good enough in Ukraine.
KP: In another recent interview, a human rights spokesperson called First National a Potemkin village. What’s your response to someone who says you are a PR guy working for the authorities?
WA: I do understand that there is this stereotype about the channel: It’s not interesting to watch, always saying good things about the government and far from reality. But if you watch what we are doing, you would see that we are bringing in lots of changes, for example, like every day more than five hours of live shows from the studio. The best thing for freedom of speech is live programs without any control. And we have lots of this. Things are changing. Some people criticize it but when I ask them when the last time was that they watched the channel, nobody can give me a concrete answer.
KP: OK, but if opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko were to show up and say: I want to do an interview on First National, would you give her the opportunity?
WA: We don’t just give her the opportunity, we ask her almost twice a week or something to come and be our guest. But Tymoshenko is the kind of guest who has to know all the questions in advance. Tymoshenko, for a TV station, is always a good thing. But she is not giving us a positive answer.
KP: Do you think that First National criticizes the current administration at all? Does it ever say: ‘You are doing this right or this wrong’?
WA: We are doing lots of this, especially in the social area. We have done lots of experiments, like the police one. We have done other ones on, for example: how long it takes to get all the official stamps for your flat.
KP: How about more serious things like natural gas dealings with Russia? Or would you, for example, do something about the SBU being controlled by someone like [media owner Valery] Khoroshkovsky?
WA: Well maybe we’ll do things like that, but I do not deal with the political content of the news. It’s not my job. I do mainly international entertainment and music on the channel.
KP: Are you telling me: ‘It’s not my fault’?
WA: No, there’s no fault. We have to improve our work and there are lots of things that we are doing. For example, we are getting training from French journalists. There is a lot to do. You have seen for yourself the state of this building we’re in – it’s like a museum. And also you know that we are going to do Euronews in Ukrainian. This is something for the critics. The [Viktor] Yushchenko-Tymoshenko regime promised this for ages but never even paid the yearly license fee. So there is a big difference between what Yushchenko and Tymoshenko said and what the new authorities are doing.
KP: You know, when I look at you, I see a pretty colorful career. You have done all kinds of things: Radio stations, beauty pageants, PR, a paparazzi magazine. Why were you brought in here?
WA: You know, I turn 40 years old next year. I have had time to analyze what I can really do well. There are three things that I know I am good at. The first is PR. For example, I had my Super Nova radio station, which was known all over the country but was not number one as a radio station. And I have worked in PR with President Yanukovych and other political personalities.
KP: So you don’t hide this? You did PR for Yanukovych?
WA: Of course. I was responsible during the election campaign for all his foreign press. The second thing that I am very good at doing is new projects, you know, taking a big thing and bringing it to life. And my latest big thing is the Euronews contract.
KP: So what do you say to someone who says: ‘This guy is now PRing Yanukovych and he’s doing it with state money’?
WA: Well, I don’t agree with you, because Yanukovych doesn’t need the First National channel to PR himself. This is the last channel that he would use for his own PR.
KP: What does he need the channel for, then?
WH: I have done a small analysis and I came to the conclusion that Yushchenko & Co speak very good Ukrainian – beautiful. They can tell you fairytales in a great language, Ukrainian. But they did a terrible job. They just destroyed things. The Yanukovych guys speak bad Ukrainian and are not very smooth in telling things, but they are doing a great job.
KP: So this is why they need a smooth guy like you, yeah?
WA: Oh, I don’t know. But there are always people who aren’t happy. And regarding this lady who called First National channel a Potemkin village, I would like to work with her on a TV project, to help improve things. To criticize is easy, but to do the job is difficult.
KP: OK, two more questions: Are you a Ukrainian citizen?
WA: Yes, since 2005.
KP: Are you a French citizen, too [dual citizenship is prohibited by Ukrainian law]?
WA: No.
KP: Do you mean to tell me that every time that you go to France, and I know you go to France, you get a visa?
WA: Yes, I can show it to you if you want. [Shows Ukrainian passport with visa and several entry stamps.]
KP: One last question. In the early days, when you were doing these beauty contests, sending Ukrainian girls abroad, some said there was something scandalous involved. What do you say to this?
WA: It’s very simple, really. No. I have done great beauty contests, but the sponsors – big sponsors like Coca Cola or Procter and Gamble – were paying for them. There were always good sponsors. So when you have enough money to make a good contest and to make money, you don’t need these other things.
Kyiv Post staff writer John Marone can be reached at [email protected].
