The simultaneous game ended with the significant advantage of the “TV Fans” team

The history of our democratic development shall not consider the case of the appointment and dismissal of Leila Beketova, President of the TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation. When will we have a chance to see such an inspired and strange union of persons failing to accept each other and even mutually exclusive agents?

For example, what can be common between deputy Sivryukova and supporters of the national rebirth idea or between a high-positioned state official and independent printed press? .. This could be continued further, but the point is probably not in the playing members, and not even in Leila Beketova herself, but rather in the fact that the idea of reforms is collapsing (according to the leaving members of the TV channel team, the probability of the reversibility of the events is still very high); as always and everywhere with us the instantaneous interests and small ambitions win. I suppose if these were them that were hiding behind a noisy, unprecedented in its lack of delicacy and style newspaper campaign, behind the attempts of officials to draft and to publish a document which once and for all make the TV channel head subordinate to the ministry official, as well as behind “cottonwooling” each of the agenda items proposed by the President of the TV and Radio Broadcasting Corporation…

In this case, the actors did not forget to speak about a poor taxpayer, a suffering viewer and desecrated culture.

The team, which during all the time came out as a united anti-Beketova’s front, was certainly a motley crew. Each player rearranged the noblemen according to his/her own understanding of the nature of the game. While some had in mind only the next three to four moves (3-4 years?), others saw this game to the checkmate and the third group sometimes did not know what it was doing. It could not be otherwise, if the TV in the era of reform can only be compared with the oil. Both are full of big-time politics and big money. Those, who clearly understood this fact, preferred to keep quiet, but I dare to suggest, watched the events with persistent interest. The others wrung their hands, shouting about the ruined perspectives of the Republican TV and radio broadcasting.

The perspectives were, no doubt, stunning, considering the fact that on the eve of Beketova’s appointment the roof in a new, nice-looking building collapsed under the weight of snow and ice, which resulted in the breakdown of 66 per cent of production premises and equipment. The perspectives, of course, were seen bright, taking into account that the ever poor television and radio had to continue to make do with “sour executive authorities’ ruble”, while independent channels got the opportunity not only to earn money, but also to receive financial aid from abroad for their being independent. The situation description can be added by resignation of the qualified engineers, professional journalists, narrowing of the viewing audience, low level of programs and shows when every evening each news program showed our TV colleagues at different press conferences and receptions.

Thus, the suspicions that the priceless state property will be transferred to Beketova and Co did not stand up to criticism. Generally speaking, this property still had to be developed. It was necessary to carry out such a work for television to stop being just a political platform and become socially useful, educating, shaping the modern mentality in society. Moreover, the TV could not but take into account the needs of our multi-ethnic, multi-religious and differently stratificated viewer. The value of the concept was in the fact that the problems of television and radio were suggested to get solved not with familiar and ineffective political actions, but rather with reasonable technical and economic methods such as finding new sources of financing, provision of financial and creative independence to structural units, entering the global information space, creation of new programs each of which would satisfy the interests of the corresponding TV audience.

The reformers were missing ardent supporters among the colleagues. They have failed to fully understand the severity and importance of journalistic work and did not call for equal and equitable cooperation of faithful talented reporters, editors and directors.

Although there were significant breakthroughs in this sphere – persons who previously had demonstrated deep, qualitative work after being provided with creative freedom increased the level of their programs – the names of those television journalists are well-known.

Though analyzing the past events one comes to the conclusion that the events had to develop like this and not otherwise. Members of the left (or leaving) team were sure of their quick dismissal; they just felt sorry for the concept, which, of course, will be ruined: after all, the original version was totally changed after the approvals with the ministries. And Leila Kalibekovna Beketova for the authorities is rather a stranger than an insider. She was not nurtured from the young Communist years for the big position. Therefore her role in this entire situation was short but nervous – she had to solve, for example, the old-time problems and problems accumulated for years. But she surrounded herself with fairly clever, dedicated and, most importantly, educated people at some point exceeded the expectations. Here some deputies possessed with justice appeared.

But do not think that the stage was prepared for an equally strange to the authorities’ successor, who is likely to manage the Corporation during the period of relative stability and love between the creative persons and officials, as well as of a slight increase in the budget funding.

And when we, finally, will have respect for ourselves? The possibility of getting temporary benefits is seen more real than the opportunity to come to pieces and die in this painful and humiliating for a normal person change of expectations and vertical racings. Having this general value orientation is difficult to expect that professionalism will win and one will get a more significant role than a pawn in somebody else’s game.