www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Ukraine expands ties with South America — page 2. • Leonid Kravchuk to visit U.S. - page 3. • Interview with director of Kyyiv Theater on Podol — page 9. *3 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXII1 No. 3 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 1995 75 cents Kravchuk launches civic organization Detroit resident seeks to block to promote consolidation in Ukraine CBS ownership of local station by Marta Kolomayets mer ideology chief of the Communist by Roman Woronowycz over-all quality of CBS programming, it Kyyiv Press Bureau Party of Ukraine. is based specifically on the "60 Minutes" He joins an initiative group of 54 peo­ JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A Ukrainian program. "You can't just make stuff up KYYIV - A new civic organization, ple from the Ukrainian Parliament, and American has petitioned the Federal out of whole cloth, broadcast it and then, Poroziiminnia (Mutual Understanding), civic and political leaders, including Communications Commission to disal­ when people point that out to you, say, was launched on Wednesday, January 11, Petro Sheyko, Pavlo Movchan, Mykola low CBS a broadcasting license in the well, we don't care; we're going to stand by former Ukrainian President Leonid Zhulynsky, Volodymyr Muliava, Mykola Detroit viewing area, the second action by our story; we're not going to take that Kravchuk with the aim of consolidating Horbal, Volodymyr Chervoniy, filed against the network by Ukrainians. back and, by the way, get ready for the forces in Ukraine that advocate a strong Mykhailo Horyn, Yuriy Badzio, who Alexander Serafyn, a resident of Troy, rerun season. When you do that, I think independent state, democratic transfor­ hope to create the All-Ukrainian Mich., a suburb of Detroit, is asking the you're playing fast and loose with your mations and economic reforms. Association Porozuminnia. Its' main FCC not to approve CBS ownership of a right to be a licensee." "Ukraine is in danger," declared Mr. goals are: television station in the Detroit area based Mr. Belendiuk also noted that a retrac­ Kravchuk during a 90-minute press con­ • to aid in the realization of well- on the airing of a piece titled "The Ugly tion by CBS at this point may not undo the ference at the Writers' Union building in thought out economic and political Face of Freedom," which was shown on its damage done, although such an effort Kyyiv, expressing concern that some seg­ reforms that will serve the interests of the longtime hit news program "60 Minutes" would be welcomed. "Mr. Serafyn was ments of society in Ukraine today are call­ individual and society as a whole; on October 23, 1994. The Ukrainian smeared by that report — he and every ing for the renewal of the Soviet Union, • to stand in opposition to political Congress Committee of America previous­ other Ukrainian. CBS, by taking that smear while others are pushing for a federative forces whose activities are aimed at the ly filed a personal attack complaint with back, I don't know that it's going to com­ state, with some regions clamoring for destruction of the Ukrainian state; the FCC for presenting the same piece. pletely compensate the Ukrainian commu­ closer ties with Russia. "Our domestic sit­ • to oppose any attempts to transform the That complaint is currently pending. nity," explained Mr. Belendiuk. "At least it uation is very complicated both economi­ CIS into a state structure and to ensure that The broadcast has stirred up a hornet's would be a step in the right direction, a cally and politically," he said. Ukraine does not stray off a course that nest of anger and protest within the recognition on the part of CBS that we "We have made no steps toward con­ guarantees sovereignty and independence; Ukrainian community and has resulted in can't go around picking on the Ukrainian solidation. Ї would even say that we've • to promote mutual understanding numerous public demonstrations and thou­ community because they are there, they are taken a step back in the process," contin­ between the various branches of power sands of angry letters to CBS and its adver­ an easy target and they won't do anything." ued the man who served as Ukraine's and insist on a clear division of powers; tisers. So far the network giant has refused The broadcasting company is awaiting president from December 1991 through • to help strengthen Ukraine's security to retract or apologize for its story. FCC approval to buy WGPR, a local July 1994 and who now serves as a system by strengthening its armed forces Mr. Serafyn, a retired Ford Motor Co. television station recently acquired by deputy in the Supreme Council repre­ and to effectively utilize its military- executive, states in his petition that the CBS. The purchase of a local television senting the Ternopil region. defense complex and its nuclear energy. news program "distorted facts, quoted station by a network is of itself unusual; "Today we have to unite the democ­ Consolidating the Ukrainian people speakers out of context and unfairly trans­ most networks use local affiliates to rats and the patriots in order to build a lated words from Ukrainian into English, broadcast their programming. CBS's old strong state," said Mr. Kravchuk, 61, for­ (Continued on page 5) all in an effort to support the program's affiliate,WJBK, was purchased last year false conclusion." The conclusion, which by the aggressive Fox Broadcasting has most inflamed Ukrainian American Network, one of many such moves by Chechen council seeks mediation sentiment, suggests that Ukrainians are owner Rupert Murdoch that shook the "genetically anti-Semitic." His petition broadcasting world in 1994. states that the granting of a license to CBS The move left the network in the awk­ by Kravchuk, Carter, Kazakh leader for these reasons would not be in " 'the ward position of not having a local broad­ public interest, convenience and necessi­ cast outlet in a top-10 market. The pro­ by Marta Kolomayets sionist aspirations." ty' and should be denied." posed purchase of WGPR, an ultra-high Kyyiv Press Bureau He called the conflict in Chechnya a "I've always been active in my com­ frequency (UHF) station owned by defeat for the Russian leadership and its munity and felt it was my responsibility KYYIV - Former President Leonid policies. African Americans, did not relieve its to defend my good name and the good problems. A group of African Americans Kravchuk told journalists on Wednesday, Parliamentary deputy Mykhailo January 11, that he has been invited by the name of the Ukrainian people against the has also petitioned the FCC not to allow Ratushny, a member of the Congress of inaccurate and biased CBS report, "The Chechen national coordinating council, Ukrainian Nationalists, who last week the CBS license until the network can Maslaat, to help settle the armed conflict in Ugly Face of Freedom," Mr. Serafyn told ensure the African American community returned from Shali, on the outskirts of The Weekly through his attorney. that region of the Russian Federation. Grozny, told journalists at a press confer­ that it will have access for black-oriented Mr. Kravchuk was invited to intervene Mr. Serafyn's petition states that CBS programming. The petition by Mr. Serafyn ence on Monday, January 9, that "the failed to meet its public interest obliga­ along with former U.S. President Jimmy Russians are eliminating the Chechens as just throws another log into the fire. Carter and prominent Kazakh author tion by standing behind a story that so The broadcasting company, which a nation." He also told the press that his obviously distorted the truth about current Olzhas Suleimenov; both Messrs. delegation visited the regions of refused to comment on the petition or the Kravchuk and Suleimenov have given Jewish-Ukrainian relations in Ukraine. "60 Minutes" story, has asked the FCC for Petropavliovsk, where ethnic Ukrainians "When they said, no, we think it (the their consent to serve as mediators. It is have lived for two centuries. "It is the an extension until January 17 to respond to piece) is fine. I think from that point on our not known if Mr. Carter has accepted, but civilian population that suffers first at the Mr. Serafyn's petition. CBS's attorney, complaint springs," said Mr. Serafyn's Mr. Kravchuk said that he hoped to talk hands of the Russians," he added. Howard Jaekel, said the petition is without attorney, Arthur Belendiuk. "We are saying to the U.S. leader, who has been effective He and his delegation, which brought merit, but would not expound further. in mediating talks in North Korea, Haiti it is not fine, and we told you it is not fine, Mr. Belendiuk said Mr. Serafyn would humanitarian aid to civilians in the and we showed you why it is not fine. And and Bosnia over the past several months, breakaway region that declared its inde­ consider a settlement, where CBS agrees you're saying, hey, we don't care, we're during his visit to the U.S. this month. pendence from Russia in 1991, saw "the not to rebroadcast "The Ugly Face of going to stand by that programming." "We must do everything possible for bodies of hundreds of Russian soldiers Freedom" and withdraw the original air­ the world to know the real tragedy of the on the streets." Mr. Ratushny said the One of the implications of CBS broad­ ing, the manner of which could be nego­ Chechen people. Innocent people, civil­ Russians refused even to call a truce for casting "The Ugly Face of Freedom" tiated.