AMADEUS AUSTRIAN MUSIC AWARDS 2001

Hubert von Goisern - Amadeus Awards 2001

Hubert's speech at the Amadeus Awards

"The first two speakers were already rather self-congratulatory of the ORF and the industry. The pink colour of the Amadeus statuette reminds me of the ORF's view in regard to Austrian music on the radio... perhaps the prize symbolises the pink noise* that sometimes comes through. ... typically director Weiss is not present ... Ö3 boss Bogdan Roscic said to me: We play what people want to hear, we are the bearers of bad news ... that is also very faint-hearted and spineless ... I had to say that for everyone who is not here and who has not received anything."

* a metaphor for the occasional local music played on ORF

"A bit too much self-congratulation from ORF and the music industry"

Hubert von Goisern's critical words at the Amadeus Award ceremony are edited

Vienna - In the general jubilation, his words had seemed rather harsh: in his acceptance speech for the award of Best National Solo Artist at the "Amadeus Austrian Music Award 2001" on Wednesday, Hubert von Goisern spoke about "a bit too much self-congratulation from ORF and the music industry" and reproached those responsible at the ORF for not looking after Austrian pop music, and only playing what the public wanted to hear. In the ORF broadcast a day later, these criticisms were not shown in their full wording.

The Austrian Music Council are now protesting against it "most strongly" in a programme. "In his acceptance speech at the Amadeus Awards 2001, Hubert von Goisern used very harsh and very brave words about the small presence of Austrian musicians in ORF's programme: the tumultuous and unanimous applause from those present showed the partly very prominent audience how current and explosive the subject is," said a statement signed by the Music Council president Harald Ossberger. "In the recording of the event broadcast the next day (10th May) the greatest and most fundamental part of the speech was missing and thereby turned by ORF into a relatively harmless criticism. The Austrian Music Council protested most strongly about it, saying that in this way ORF kept the truth from the public and therefore did not fulfil its duty to inform." "The Austrian Music Council stands emphatically behind Hubert von Goisern, who with exemplary courage has looked after the situation of his colleagues who are struggling for their existence," it said in conclusion.

ORF reaction to the Austrian Music Council

To "The statement of the Austrian Music Council about the recording of the Amadeus Awards 2001", the ORF emphasises:

The recording of the Amadeus Gala on Wednesday 9th May 2001 lasted exactly 125 minutes and had to be cut by 20 minutes 45 seconds to 104 minutes 15 seconds for the scheduled transmission. As with any editing, the primary objective is that the viewers experience the atmosphere and entertainment value of the gala. Therefore, show acts and moderation as well as sequences with speeches and winners were cut with great care - and also the speeches from president Dr Thomas Klestil, Dagmar Koller and Lou Bega. Using the same criteria the speech of Hubert von Goisern was also edited. The principle critical message of his words remains intact. Simply each passage of Hubert von Goisern's statement in which followed personal attacks on people who in the context of a light music entertainment programme could not answer or react, had to be cut. Furthermore an extensive discussion of the music format of Ö3 - to which naturally also contributions on the standpoint of Ö3 would have belonged - in these surroundings was neither scheduled or possible.

It cannot be said that as the "Austrian Music Council" claimed "ORF in this way kept the truth from the public and therefore did not fulfil its duty to inform."

Goisern: ORF

Handled correctly

At the Amadeus Award gala, Hubert von Goisern attracted attention with a brave acceptance speech, in which he criticised the lack of Austrian music on ORF, above all on Ö3. In the ORF broadcast of the gala, large passages of this speech were missing, against which more native music representatives protested. In an open letter, Goisern now explains that his speech was "correctly" edited by ORF, his criticisms reached their addressees anyway.

Hubert's reply to the announced attempt of the Music Council to take ORF to court for cutting his speech

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the Music Council,

At the Amadeus Awards, I expressed my disappointment about ORF, and I did not avoid naming two people, Messrs Weis and Roscic. It is not important to me to offend someone, but a generally formulated criticism would drip off those responsible; the talks I had with the two last year showed that.

Nobody can ask of the ORF to show my speech again uncut. It is also not necessary - judging by the reactions afterwards, my words reached where they should.

I thought my statement was edited correctly.

Regards,
Hubert von Goisern

Backbone and courage were missing

In front of the cameras at the Amadeus Awards last Wednesday, Hubert von Goisern appeared "rebellious" and attacked Ö3. In the broadcast the next evening, some text was missing. That is the reason for an interview with the entertainer, who is giving a seminar in Bad Ischl today.

Do you feel censored?

No, I am not angry about it, the whole broadcast must be properly edited.

In the unbroadcast text, you described the visit to director Gerhard Weis and Ö3 boss Bogdan Roscic...

I told Mr Weis that I didn't think the situation was good for Austrian artists on Ö3 and he thought he would be the happiest person if I could get Ö3 to play more Austrian music. I wanted to go to Mr Roscic.

And what happened?

Bogdan Roscic thought that he would simply play what the people wanted. In this sense, he is the bearer of the worst news. This "what the people want" in my opinion makes a nonsense of the fact that the Amadeus is awarded according to sales success and that Ö3 will not play anything without Marque. What was missing with Roscic, who was a clever conversation partner, was backbone and courage, more than just being a henchman. Ö3 is not a private broadcaster, but a public service, and that is why there is also a job to do.

What about your seminar today in Bad Ischl?

I am a lecturer at Salzburg University and I am doing the seminar "Tradition and Breaks", about the identity of homeland/ folk music with a philosophy professor. In order not to stay in an academic ivory tower, we are now going out of the lecture hall and into Ischl itself, I think, the traditional is perceptible and audible.

Your next plans?

Touring, touring, touring. I will use the winter break for the production of a new CD. I can already hear the general idea, it is just difficult to describe it. What can you call something that is really so beautiful? Describing music is like dancing architecture.

PS. Meanwhile, the Austrian music council is protesting against the editing of the full wording of Hubert's Amadeus commentary. ORF, it is said, keeps its audience in this way "the truth first and their duty to inform is not fulfilled."

"Finally someone has said it!"

"I don't think they will cut out what Hubert said, because if they do that, civil war comes on the scene," said Rainhard Fendrich speaking on OÖN before the broadcast of the Amadeus Awards on ORF, and he was wrong. Fendrich, who was at the awards as eulogist and music star with his single Entsetzlich hetero, said of the moment when Hubert von Goisern spoke his critical words about the ORF and the music industry, "Kolonovits and I looked at each other and said: Yes, finally someone has said it. I sent Hubert a solidarity mail so that he knows that he is not alone.

Amadeus: Hubert von Goisern tells the truth

Around 1000 guests gathered together on Wednesday for the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards on various halls of the ORF centre at Künilberg and chatted at the Do & Co. buffet until late into the night. For example, about the "rebellious" Hubert von Goisern, who had attacked the national broadcasters Ö3 in front of the cameras, because of their anti-Austrian attitude. Hubert afterwards: "What bothers me the most is that everyone up to the Ö3 boss Bogdan Roscic refer to it only to be an accomplice for moneymaking. They should not just be washing their hands of it, but should have the courage to carry through their own ideas."

Hubert von Goisern best national solo artist

Hubert von Goisern (best national solo artist) made known his ill humour about the insufficient support from native media and the industry for native acts in front of rolling cameras: The artist even spoke of "self-congratulation". The Amadeus "perhaps symbolises the pink noise that sometimes gets through".

"We are often treated like lepers, as if we have a rash and must be put in quarantine," summarised Hubert von Goisern. Indeed, as a successful artist it could be all the same to him, whether he is played on the radio or not, but recently he has been "dreadfully annoyed" - especially after discussions with those responsible for the programme.

Thank you, Hubert!

It's calmer again. The noise in the media forest has abated. Mr and Mrs Austrian now know from a number of newspaper articles, that music from our own country is having a hard time, that the ORF is hindering talent and possible success is nipped in the bud. It may be a poor consolation for singers, composers and lyricists from Austria, that the statistics in Switzerland are still behind us. In Switzerland, the music made in that country is championed even less than "our" songs are by the ORF. What must be said can't be said often enough. On this note: Thank you very much, Hubert von Goisern! Thank you for your courageous words on a subject that neither the Austrian audience, nor artists are indifferent to.