Chapter 573: Lobbying
Because of Eric's intention, in just one week, there was good news from Los Angeles, and the Firefly TV drama department successfully won the "Emergency Room Story."
In memory, Eric’s impression of the “Emergency Room Story” revealed in a series of mundane and trivial medical work shots made Eric very impressed. He also clearly remembered the first time he saw it. In the experience of this American drama, Eric did not have any interest in this medical drama, but after the episode, Eric was attracted to the story by the story, and then read the big one out of control. In some episodes, Eric also found the same popular "Grey", but the first episode of "Gray" released the kind of palace-like flavor and some details about the story of the emergency room. The poor imitation of "Eric can only sigh what this is."
Of course, it may be because of the age of Eric at that time that this difference will occur. The series of protagonists in The Story of the Emergency Room are adults in their 30s and 40s. It is relatively easy to let that time pass. The year of Eric resonated, and the protagonist of "Gray" is a group of interns who have just left the medical school, and the object-oriented is also a group of young people.
Because of the differences in living habits and time zones, although the coverage of the four major public television networks in North America is very comprehensive, during the daytime, different TV programs are usually arranged according to different regions, especially in sub-TV stations in major cities in North America.
The main ratings competition period of the four major TV stations is the three-hour prime time in the evening between 7 and 10 in each time zone. In these three hours, the 22-minute comedy show and the 43-minute drama drama Programs and other types of reality shows are mixed and broadcast.
Usually, a public television station only attracts viewers with one or two high-profile programs. Because of the inertia of viewing, the basic audience of the TV station can be guaranteed. This is also the first time in the 1990s that nbc TV station leads continuously with a "Friends". The reasons for the other major TV stations for a full decade, and after the "Friends", because the high ratings program is not answered, nbc also quickly fell behind other TV networks. In the end, the major shareholders of nbc had to adapt to the general trend of media group integration and merge nbc with Universal Pictures.
Although a business that covers the whole of North America and has more than two sub-TV networks is not that easy, but next year, I will get back the "Friends" broadcast rights and have the "Emergency Room Story." Re-develop a few good reality show programs, and with the rich video content resources of Firefly Pictures, as long as the operators of the TV network are not idiots, although they will not be far away from other major TV stations, they will take the lead. no problem. It will not happen that the original abc TV station has become a drag on the Disney Group.
At the end of September, the Jurassic Park box office broke the record and stimulated the media stocks to rise sharply. After Viacom completed the annexation of the Baishida chain stores, the two bidders of Paramount Communications invariably accelerated the acquisition. The pace, in the early part of October, can be seen in newspapers and TV news programs almost every day.
However, the subsequent occurrence of a thing completely broke the balance between the two sides.
One of the bidders of Paramount Communications, QVC's major shareholder, in addition to Barry Diller, has the support of two communication equipment operators, Comcast and Telecommunication, but on October 11th, at&t (US phone) The telegraph company suddenly announced the acquisition of a telecommunications company. John Malone, the major shareholder and chairman of telecommunications, was originally the biggest supporter of Barry Diller. Comcast has not been too enthusiastic about the acquisition of Paramount Communications. This sudden merger has meant that the biggest support behind Barry Diller has disappeared.
Without the financial support of telecom, Barry Diller quickly lost in the competition with Lei Shidong.
On October 23, after a week-long final bid, Viacom’s chairman, Lei Shidong, and Paramount’s chief executive, Martin Davis, at the Paramount headquarters in Hollywood, Los Angeles, officially It announced that Viacom acquired Paramount Communications Group for a price of US$11 billion.
In the eyes of Eric, although Paramount Communications has several TV stations, music companies and a publishing house in addition to Paramount Pictures, the value is not much higher than Disney. Lei Shidong won the company with a head-on gesture. In addition to proving that he is seventy years old and still not old, he can't get much benefit.
Of course, this is not what Eric cares about, after all. Although Eric is not very clear about the details, Eric has already known the outcome of this bid, so he has always been concerned about another person, Barry Diller.
In the bedroom of East Hampton House, Eric holds a little guy in one hand and looks at Joanna, who is quietly packing his bags. Road: "New York is getting colder, will you go back to Los Angeles with me?"
Joanna put Eric's trousers carefully in a box and whispered: "Vivi is not back yet, and I don't want to go to Los Angeles."
Eric is not as strong as Joanna insists, "I came over with you when I was Thanksgiving."
"Okay," Joanna hung a gentle smile on her face and immediately said, "You came over last year, over there... will they be dissatisfied?"
"No, they are not married, most of them have to go home and have Thanksgiving with their families," Eric shook his head and thought of Xiao Nizi. "That, I mean, you mind." Did Drew come together, and her relationship with her parents is not so good?"
"It doesn't matter, bring her together."
Although I don't really like Xiao Nizi's embarrassing personality, Joanna will not show up in front of Eric, or since I met, Eric has rarely felt negative emotions from Joanna. Perhaps this is why Eric is more likely to stay with this woman.
Personally packed Eric’s luggage and handed it to the maid next to him. Joanna took over Hawaii from Eric’s arms: “You should leave now, don’t delay too late.”
"It doesn't matter," Eric yelled at his arms, his chubby face: "It's the company's plane, and my boss still has the power to wait for a while."
......
When I arrived in Los Angeles, it was already at 12 noon on October 24th, Western time. Eric got off the plane and didn't contact other people. He took the bus to the hotel, and Barry Diller was already in the hotel. Be yourself.
Although I can see Barry Diller on TV every day during this time, I see myself when I see it. Eric can still feel the unspeakable disappointment that Barry Diller has shed.
The two stood across the door of the hotel room and greeted Barry Diller. Eric looked at the middle-aged man who was bald and white when he was just 50 years old. He said, "Barry. You certainly haven't eaten." Lunch, or do we go to the restaurant?"
"Well, I'm going to put on my coat," Barry Diller turned and walked into the room, and soon walked out in a black coat.
The two walked together to the elevator door. Eric pressed the button and blinked. Barry Diller, who seemed to be a little embarrassed, comforted: "I don't think you need to be disappointed at all. Believe me, if you take Paramount for $110, that's it. A disaster."
"If you lose, you lose. Eric, I am not the kind of person who dare not face failure. Just... well, I have been busy for a year. Suddenly I found that all my work has been done, you should be able to Realizing this feeling," Barry Diller suddenly realized that Eric, a strange young man whose success path has not experienced this kind of failure, laughed at himself and said: "Disappointment is always inevitable. It will be better after a while."
The two walked together to the hotel's restaurant, this is the meal time, and the people who can stay at this luxury hotel on Sunset Boulevard are not in a hurry, see Eric and Barry Diller appear together. . Involuntarily whispering, some people took the initiative to say hello.
After dealing with a few people who were familiar but could not name, Eric and Barry Diller picked up a window seat and sat down.
"Barry, what are you going to eat?" Eric took the menu from the waiter: "I treat you. You know, I rarely invite people to eat."
Barry Diller smiled and ordered a spaghetti and returned the menu to the waiter.
Eric did not reluctantly, he also ordered a spaghetti, and asked for a bottle of red wine.
Waiting for the waiter immediately. Eric said: "Barry, I just didn't comfort you. Paramount seems to me to be the price of Firefly's acquisition of Disney Pictures. I can make a bet with you. It won't take five years. East will definitely regret it."
Eric remembered the character of Lei Shidong and smiled: "Of course, Lei Shidong will definitely not hang this emotion on his face."
"It's not the same, Eric," Barry Diller shook his head and said: "Like your fireflies, I think the fireflies are in your heart, and the value must be higher than anyone thinks. I am the same, Although Paramount Ceo is not my first job, I feel that it is the place where my career really started. It was only a kind of experience in William Morris and ABC TV. If I have $11 billion now. If I do, I will definitely not hesitate to grab Paramount from Lei Shidong, but unfortunately, I have not."
The two chatted at random, and the lunch was quickly picked up. After flying for a few hours in the sky, Eric only drank a bottle of water. At this time, he was hungry, so he picked up the tableware and ate it unceremoniously.
Barry Diller seems to have found a sense of youthfulness from Eric's movements, feeling relaxed and picking up the cutlery. Neither of them was the kind of person who had a slow meal. The wind broke through the lunch in front of him. Barry Diller took a sip of wine and said: "Eric, although it is very enjoyable to eat, I still recommend that you eat as much as possible in the future. One thing, you know, I was almost like you when I was young, and I was tossed by stomach problems for many years."
Eric nodded with a smile and picked up the red wine next to Barry Diller. The two men drank some red wine. Eric finally took the initiative to say: "Barry, what are you going to do next?"
Barry Diller looked at the crowds of bustling traffic on the street outside the window, remembering the media’s comments on his departure from Hollywood at the beginning of the year, and suddenly lost some confusion.
Although she briefly left the Hollywood circle because of the shopping TV station of QVC, Barry Diller has never given up thinking about returning to Hollywood. However, the original ambitions of the acquisition plan were defeated by a series of changes, and Barry Diller finally realized that he wants to return to Hollywood, it seems that it is still not so easy.
However, this once-in-a-time Hollywood tycoon, Barry Diller also has his own pride, he can easily see Eric's intentions from the layout of Firefly Films during this time, but since it has been decided No longer an employee, Barry Diller, a determined person, certainly won’t be so easy.
"Eric, I found that Jeffrey seems to be playing a leading role in the news of Firefox's withdrawal from Fox TV. If I guess it is correct, maybe next year or later, you will let him come. Take over the position of Michael Lynn?"
There is nothing to hide in this point, Eric nodded and admitted.
Barry Diller shrugged slightly, and there was some helplessness and self-deprecation in his expression: "Then you have to know that Jeffrey has always been my deputy, both in the abc period and in the Paramount period. You think In this case, can I still go back?"
"Barry, I am going to buy a TV network, you know what I mean, I want you to take charge of this TV network."
"But you won't let the TV network maintain its absolute independence. This TV network still has to belong to the Firefly headquarters, right?"
Eric nodded. If the two sides still maintain their own business independence after the acquisition of the TV network, then there is no difference with no acquisition. The main purpose of Eric's acquisition of the TV network is to maximize the benefits of using the TV network to maximize the benefits of Firefly video resources.
"Barry, although the TV network can not maintain absolute independence, but I can assure you that Jeffery will not overly intervene in the management of the TV network, even I personally will not interfere excessively, you know, this aspect of my personal Reputation has always been very good."
Barry Diller still shook his head and said: "Eric, it doesn't work, you should know Jeffrey's character. If I join the fireflies, this kind of position will make me and Jeffery feel very uncomfortable. "(To be continued.)