American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 74 A Brand New Variety Show: The Voice

Although Roy Disney has already thrown a punch at Michael Eisner.

But this does not mean that Eisner will leave Disney immediately.

Decades of management have allowed Eisner to shape Disney into his own image. For example, he owns Disney shares, he has shareholder allies, and he has strong control over Disney's board of directors, such as independent director George Mitchell, who is his "good brother".

This person is no ordinary person; he is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party.

A graduate of the judicial system, he served under figures like Jimmy Carter and John Dunn. Having served as Senate Majority Leader and U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, he left politics after Gore's downfall to avoid the limelight. Like many politicians, he smoothly transitioned into a new career path, becoming a board member of international giants such as FedEx, Unilever, and Disney.

There are people like this...

To put it simply, the audit of Eisner initiated by Roy Disney at the beginning of the year has been forcibly stopped by Mitchell, who stated that an unfounded audit would affect Disney's stock price and would be irresponsible to the majority of shareholders.

Once Mitchell laid down such a huge accusation, unless Roy Disney is aligned with the Elephant, it will be extremely difficult to take down Eisner through legitimate means. Because neither the FBI, CIA, nor IRS will be able to arrest him.

So……

Unless Roy Disney delivers a fatal blow to Eisner, Disney's internal struggles will be very protracted.

Since Eisner won't die instantly, how could such a tyrant possibly sit idly by and wait to die? His injuries and the blood flowing from his body will only unleash his even stronger savagery, and he will do everything in his power to eliminate any threats around him.

In his eyes, Aiger, who dared to attack him, deserved to die.

When Egger caught the sinister smile on Eisner's face, he knew that Eisner was taking the opportunity to retaliate.

Furthermore, Eisner's current moves are all openly calculated.

Leading the company's production and controlling its daily operations are, in essence, the COO's job.

Eisner used his job to pressure him, and no one could find fault with that.

“Okay, Michael, I’ll keep an eye on this after the meeting.”

Iger smiled as he caught the iron fist that Eisner swung.

However, before he could finish speaking, an even brighter smile appeared on Eisner's face.

"Then let's break up the meeting."

"Move quickly."

"I hope to see it this year."

Light, airy words conjured a mountain-like figure.

Eisner grinned, stood up, and left the venue without looking back.

The smooth, effortless movements brought a hearty smile to Egger's face. He casually picked up his belongings and followed Eisner out of the conference room. But upon returning to his office, the tightly closed door instantly darkened his expression.

With a loud "bang," he slammed the notebook onto the desk.

He leaned back in his seat and let out a couple of long breaths.

It seemed as if he wanted to vent all his frustrations, but it was more like a silent curse against Eisner. After a long while, he picked up the landline and dialed a short number, "Notify the executives of ABC Entertainment to come to my office for a meeting at 5 p.m. this afternoon."

ABC has two headquarters.

One is in Manhattan, the other in Burbank.

The former is in charge of the broadcasting industry; after all, New York is the economic center of the United States and one of the world's three major financial centers.

It is most logical for news production and broadcasting to proceed from here.

The latter is in charge of the entertainment industry, and Hollywood can be considered the world's entertainment center.

The normal way of thinking is to do entertainment in an entertainment center.

At Iger's call, all the ABC Entertainment executives who had no external duties arrived at Disney at 5 p.m. that day. Looking at the packed conference room, Iger didn't mince words and went straight to the point about the problems they needed to solve.

After everyone learned that Disney's tyrant 'hoped' they could quickly launch a new variety show...

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Because this is a difficult matter.

“Bob, you came from ABC, so you know that creating variety shows takes time.”

Since everyone was a close confidant of Iger, the conversation was rather casual.

After listening to Iger's needs, the Vice President of Entertainment, who was in charge of program creation, said, "Normally, it takes at least ten months from project initiation to broadcast. It's already April, and in ten months... that's next year..."

"From a preparation standpoint alone, it's already too late."

"Yes, and there is also a problem here, which is business communication."

ABC's Vice President of Business Development continued, "Our current year's programming schedule is based on the previous year's agreements, so if we want to add new programs, we have to remove the existing ones."

"Otherwise, we won't be able to find a suitable time slot."

"The projects that have been finalized are those that have already completed the investment promotion process, and we have already received deposits."

"Removing it rashly...that would mean paying compensation..."

Operating a television station is very complex.

You can't just get on a TV show on a whim.

Especially variety shows.

Although American television stations operate on a subscription model, meaning users can't watch Disney channels without paying for subscriptions, subscription revenue is only the basic income for each station; advertising revenue is the real lifeblood.

Since we need to advertise, we need to attract advertisers, and this step alone will take a lot of time.

Because you have to convince advertisers that your show will be a hit before they will invest money.

This is also a key point that a new variety show needs at least ten months of preparation.

If the business negotiations aren't resolved, the project can't proceed.

If the project hasn't even started, how can it be broadcast?

Then, if new variety shows need sponsorship, do old variety shows not need sponsorship either?
how can that be possible!
TV stations produce variety shows to make money, so older variety shows not only need sponsors, but also already have sponsors. So, inserting new projects into an already scheduled program schedule is really just a waste of time.

but--

“I know everyone has their difficulties, but since the chairman has already spoken, we have no choice but to comply.”

Aiger smiled at his trusted confidants present and said, "Everyone, please rest assured. The reason I called you all here today is to find out if there are any safe variety shows that we can develop within our company?"

"Ideally, it should be a variety show that is consistently popular."

"You just need to help me find projects, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Because I personally feel that it would be inappropriate for you to handle such unexpected tasks entirely."

The people present exchanged glances.

I immediately felt much better.

Since the leaders only need them to do the work, and the responsibility for whether they do it well or poorly is borne by the other party, they have no scruples.

He simply opened the folder he carried with him, and ABC's project archive appeared before him—

“Bob, we have a project in our inspiration library called ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’…”

"Who's Your Daddy?" is actually the same as "Who is your father?"

Just by looking at the name, you can tell that this is a large-scale family reunion show.

The inspiration for the idea came from "The Morrie Show," which premiered in 1991. It is the official name of the North American melodramatic series that Chinese netizens will later know and joke about as "Where is the Father of My Child?" or "The Cuckold's Identification Center."

Because sensational gossip is captivating in any country, ABC's creative department thought this might be exactly what Eisner needed. However, after hearing the introduction, Iger shook his head—

"The Maurice Show has been running for 12 years and has a very stable audience."

"The current market may be able to accommodate a second 'The Mauritius Show,' but ABC doesn't need it."

The person who was speaking shut up.

Next, the person who came up with a good idea raised their hand to report it.

"Bob, a globally renowned real estate developer in New York, wanted to create a reality show about starting a business called 'The Apprentice'."

“NBC was very interested in this project, but they didn’t reach a formal agreement, so…”

"Shall we take it?"

New York has many real estate developers, but there is only one New York real estate developer who is world-renowned.

That's why, as soon as his subordinates mentioned the other party, Iger had already glimpsed the whole picture of the project. "I've heard of the 'Apprentice' project. The idea is pretty good, but it's not easy for us to develop. Because that real estate developer is not an easy person to talk to."

“As soon as he discovers that we are interested in them, he will definitely sit down and play the art of the deal with us so that he can reap the greatest benefits. What we lack most right now is time.”

The person who proposed the "Apprentice" project has fallen silent.

He stepped down voluntarily.

A third person enters—

“Bob, I have an idea here called ‘Extreme Makeover’…”

The Chinese translation of "Extreme Makeover" could be "Dream Home Makeover".

This is a home renovation program; its main purpose is to help people in need renovate their homes.

Of course, "need" here refers to having a story.

As I said before, foreigners are very susceptible to emotional appeals.

Iger thought the idea was great, but—

“Extreme Makeover can be done, and it can even be launched now.”

"However, I personally think that its ratings will not reach the level of 'Million'."

"What we need now is a show that can rival 'Million Dollar'."

"..."

Everyone present made a slip of the tongue.

After exchanging a few glances, the entertainment vice president, who had arrived first, smiled wryly and said, "Bob, 'Millions' is a legendary variety show. You want us to make a replacement? Okay, we can try, but if your requirements are the same..."

He shrugged and shook his head, saying, "Personally, I think it's quite difficult."

The vice president's words were already quite tactful.

Because "Million" was a project that single-handedly swept through all the TV stations!
What does it mean to broadcast three times a week and still maintain a stable viewership of 3000 million per episode?
Not to mention that no program had ever done this before!
Even if it were put into a novel, as long as an author dared to write it, the readers would blast it to smithereens!
too exaggerated!

To put it bluntly, the success of "Million" is already a miracle in the television industry!

Its achievements are no less than those of Star Wars back in the day!
The success of Star Wars cannot be replicated!

Therefore, the success of "Million" is something that can't be forced... Wait a minute?
It seems like the success of Star Wars can be replicated.
Three years ago, a project emerged in the film industry that was widely regarded as having the potential to rival or even surpass Star Wars. That project was called Harry Potter.

And Harry Potter? ??
As soon as the magical world appeared, ABC's entertainment vice president felt a little beaver suddenly appear in front of him.

A door suddenly appeared in the air, and then a head popped out, waving at him with a "hi-hi" sound.

The ghostly scene left the vice president stunned for a moment. After a while, he slammed his fist on the table, wanting to tell his boss to be more realistic.

He decisively turned his head and looked around.

How's the American Idol show going?

The sudden "thump" startled everyone.

But the next second, someone realized, "2000 million!"

The man shouted—

"Their second season averaged 2000 million viewers per episode!"

"Okay! Thank you!"

ABC's vice president of entertainment thanked the person who spoke.

Then he turned his head and looked back at Iger, saying, "Bob, can you accept a viewership of 2000 million per episode?"

"If you're okay with that, how about we develop a talent show?"

"A talent show similar to 'American Idol'."

"We also conduct singer selection."

"Furthermore, our actions do not constitute plagiarism, because there is a successful process in this world that is different from 'American Idol' that we can follow, and that process is as follows—"

"Our first step is to set up venues in major cities across all fifty states."

"To attract people with musical dreams and who love to sing to participate."

"The second step is that those who pass the preliminary rounds will get the opportunity to compete in the state competition."

"The top three finishers in the state competition will qualify for the national competition."

"The third step is to let the 150 best singers in the country compete in the final round."

"The one who laughs last laughs best."

"Furthermore, during the competition, we can also have the contestants tell stories and incorporate emotional elements. For example, we could ask them to talk about their grandparents' love story or their parents' dating history."

"Or tell the story of your uncle and sister's journey of pursuing their dreams?"

"Bob, what do you think of calling this show 'The Voice'?"

wow——

Countless gasps of amazement echoed through the vast conference room—

"Oh—Sxxt! This idea seems promising!"

"Damn—how did you come up with this idea—this show seems to have its own sponsors!"

"Oh, oh, oh—I can't guarantee this show will be more popular than 'Million Dollar Man,' but surpassing 'American Idol' shouldn't be a big problem, as long as we allow minors to apply and then invite Isabella over. The former is easy for us because Disney has experience running Mickey Mouse clubs, and the latter is even easier because..."

The speaker looked at Egger and said, "Bob, it's up to you."

That's right!

Since miracles can be replicated, why not just let the people who replicated the miracles replicate them?
Uh……

This might sound a bit convoluted, but the meaning is quite simple:
Currently, the most popular new variety show in the United States is called "American Idol".

The first season was started last summer, and the average viewership per episode was around 1100 million.

The second season premiered at the beginning of this year and is still ongoing, averaging around 2000 million viewers.

Judging from this growth momentum, talent shows are the future of television variety shows.

If 'talent shows = the future', then why don't ABC (American-born Chinese) just follow suit and do the same?

Even the IP addresses are readily available—

Their ally, Isabella Heywood, just filmed "The Voice of the World" last year!

Furthermore, the brand influence of "The Voice of China" is significantly greater than that of "American Idol"—

Box office figures are all out!
Who in the world does not know you?
There are over ten million people who are actually paying for Isabella's services!
The highest viewership of "American Idol" was just over 2000 million!
When the highest viewership of "American Idol" might not even be as many as Isabella's paid fans, if "The Voice" were made into a variety show, it would definitely surpass "American Idol" with its eyes closed!
And "The Voice of China" could be made with your eyes closed?

that--

Wouldn't all the current problems then cease to exist?

Eisner wants to give Iger a big slug?
Huh~
With "The Voice of China" around, it's hard to say who will win!

When this idea came to him, Robert Iger's eyes lit up instantly.

The next second, without saying a word, he waved his hand to adjourn the meeting.

Just as he returned to his office and was about to call Isabella, he suddenly stopped.

This was not only because he remembered the time difference issue—it was already the early hours of the morning in the UK when it was night on the west coast, and Miss Beaver would definitely be asleep at that time—but also because he suddenly felt that the whole plan could be improved.

After much deliberation, he looked at his assistant—

"Are AOL, Time, and Turner Broadcasting looking to sell Warner Music?"

"Uh... yes!"

The sudden question startled the assistant for a moment, but he nodded the next second and said, "Those three companies are eager to weaken the Ross family's power in the entire group by selling Warner assets."

"The latest news is that Edgar Bronfman Jr., vice chairman of Vivendi Universal, may become the buyer of Warner Music. He will acquire Warner Music for approximately $30 billion in cash."

"Of course, Barry Meyer is unwilling to sell."

"That's why they released Isabella's personal mini-disc after the Oscars."

"They want to boost performance to make shareholders see the value of music and thus get them on their side."

How could Egger not know what Barry Mayer was thinking?
So what he's curious about now is how the world's biggest spendthrift will acquire Warner Music?

"Where did Bronfman get so much money?"

"Can he sell his shares in Vivendi Universal?"

“No,” the assistant said. “Bronfman Jr. is still Vivendi Universal’s largest single shareholder, and his shares cannot be sold off all at once. Furthermore, Vivendi Universal cannot acquire Warner Music because Vivendi Universal is heavily indebted, and if Universal Music were to merge with Warner Music, it would trigger an antitrust investigation.”

"So, currently, outside sources say that Bronfman Jr. wants to acquire Warner Music through a separate consortium, with the main funding coming from Boston. By doing so, he can control Warner Music without triggering an antitrust investigation."

"This is a good idea, but... it will take time."

"Judging from the current situation, he will not be able to raise the funds until next year at the earliest."

Boston is a place name, but it also represents a conglomerate.

As one of the top ten financial groups in the United States, the Boston Group is very powerful. Even though they have declined in recent years, that is still relative to other financial groups. They are still active in the industry.

Furthermore, ten years ago, when Time Inc. sold the operating rights of DC theme parks to Six Flags and then dumped the assets that Warner Bros. couldn't handle, the Boston Consortium was involved. They made a total of $1.75 million in that deal.

So……

Edgar Bronfman Jr. got the money to acquire Warner Music from the Boston consortium.
Isn't this just Time, Turner, and AOL trying to replicate the massacre of that year?
The sudden information made Robert Iger's eyes flicker.

After grinding his teeth, he laughed.

"So what do you think about us working with Barry Mayer?"

"We at Disney don't have a pop music copyright library, so we outsource the music service to Warner?"

"Make Warner the music provider for the games?"

"This way, Barry Mayer can also boost sales."

“If Warner Music’s performance improves, the price of the deal will change. As long as that price can change, Barry Mayer will have a chance to preserve the business that the previous patriarch of the Ross family worked so hard to build.”

"At the same time, wouldn't it make attracting investment much easier for us?"

“Isabella has an agreement with Warner Bros., which prevents her from accepting endorsements from outside the company at will, but…”

"How about having Coca-Cola sponsor 'The Voice of China'?"

"Coca-Cola already owns the Harry Potter franchise."

"Coca-Cola will give us 100 million today, and we can start the project tomorrow!"

"With them here, we don't even need to hold an investment promotion conference!"

Disney's only weakness in the entertainment industry is that they don't make pop music.

Because Walt Disney's operating principle is that creativity is king.

They need to hold the copyright to all creative ideas.

The pop music industry is one where talent triumphs over capital. Top songwriters are like independent publicly traded companies; they would never allow Disney to hold the copyrights to their songs. So, when Disney realized that it couldn't monopolize musical creativity, they no longer wanted to painstakingly manage projects that required distributing large sums of money to external parties.

Therefore, when Disney didn't have a music company, it had to find a music company to collaborate with if it wanted to launch "The Voice".

Theoretically speaking, there are not many restrictions on this kind of 'search'.

Since they don't need music copyrights, isn't it still a collaboration with whoever they collaborate with?
Since you're going to ask anyone anyway, why not ask someone from your own circle?
Because only those who are in the same boat will strive to make the show the best it can be.

and……

Robert Iger's boss is actually Warren Buffett.

He is not afraid of the Boston Consortium.

The assistant nodded repeatedly at Egger's words.

He thought it was feasible.

After receiving approval, Robert Iger felt refreshed.

He picked up the landline receiver on the table and called Barry Mayer.

As the "Hello" rang out, Robert Iger laughed and said, "Barry Mayer? Call me Dad!"

"..."

Barry Mayer on the other end of the phone was stunned—

"Are you crazy, Robert Iger?!"

Barry Mayer, still working at Warner Bros., slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "You called just to make me call you 'Dad'? If so, I can only say you're out of your mind!"

(End of this chapter)