No matter how you explained it, the Oscars had become far too common. In the eyes of the onlookers, the so-called publicity fee was just money under the table.
No one explained to them that this was actually allowed, just like lobbying firms in Washington, it's all legal.
At this point, a group of stubborn old folks finally began to worry.
However, it was too late; they had thoroughly offended this Hollywood mogul.
What left people speechless was that this mogul was shameless and didn't care about bullying the weak; he was determined to shame them.
What was most terrifying was that no media came forward to speak for them. Honestly, many couldn't stand William White, but who in their right mind would want to offend this petty guy?
One wrong move and he just might play at hostile takeovers. In fact, he was bold enough to do this even without his current power.
It was just bad luck for this group of old guys to run into someone so unreasonable.
They say comparisons can be damaging, and this saying holds true. The selection for American Idol was much more open and fair.
Imagine this: 60% of the votes were in the hands of the audience and media representatives, making it almost impossible for tricks to be played.
Such a concept was so novel to those who had never seen it played out this way that they couldn't complain about the judges. When it got down to the final four, the judges weren't harsh anymore -- they were more regretful and helpless.
Tearing up all the way was the biggest trump card, and with such a gimmick, it was no wonder the ratings skyrocketed.
Now, with the second season about to kick off, no one cared about the Oscars anymore; it was just too outdated, and not quite authentic.
...
"What did you say? 250 million?"
"Yes, sir, NBC bid 250 million."
"Alright, we'll pass."
Since the boss said the Olympics would do well in ratings, there was no need to hesitate. NBC was leading the pack, so there was no fear of competition.
Nielsen's report showed that nearly 40% of Americans regularly watched NBC's programs.
With this report out, NBC was officially on the road to going public. As for valuation, the previous figure of $4 billion may not hold.
Now Oscar understood what it meant to be a media giant. For instance, next year's award ceremony surprisingly had no TV stations willing to take it.
Everyone saw it clearly; this guy was dead set against the Oscars. Without a doubt, there'd be a show specifically targeting the award ceremony. Under such circumstances, who would foot the bill unnecessarily?
The scariest part was that advertisers wouldn't comply. They didn't care about your disputes -- if the ratings were poor, they'd pull their sponsorship, no hard feelings needed.
...
"Lucas, isn't this guy going a bit too far?"
"Too far? I don't think so. Weren't they excessive when they targeted William White?"
"Tsk."
"Heh, Spielberg, there are some favors you shouldn't sell. In fact, I wouldn't want you to use your connections; William White would certainly respect you, but is it really worth it?"
Yeah, really worth it? Perhaps you might for your own sake. For others? Forget it, whatever.
Spielberg actually knew that William White's outrage wasn't over Evita. He admitted himself that he couldn't handle this kind of film, and wouldn't attempt anything similar for quite some time.
What really bothered William White was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Speed. To him, both films deserved their spot in Hollywood.
Lucas was upset for the same reason; to him, the Oscars were trash. A bunch of clueless old folks should have stepped aside long ago. Did they really think it was still the silent film era?
Hollywood moguls had stopped opposing William White; everyone preferred to coexist peacefully, as for those Oscars, let them be damned.
...
"We can't continue like this; we need to improve our relationship with him."
"Director, how should we handle it?"
"Doesn't he like beautiful women? Has Tel Aviv ever lacked beautiful women? Even if he can't support us, he shouldn't be against us."
"Understood."
...
William White wasn't planning to go against anyone. He didn't intend to put himself in danger. Frankly, this outburst was just youthful exuberance.
Now, William White was very satisfied with Hollywood. He didn't intend to crush all other giants. Everyone was there to make money, so naturally, they should all get along. As for those who were inadvertently hurt -- well, tough luck.
To observant people, William White was hilarious.
Shouldn't you be sweeping through Hollywood right now?
Once you handle the remaining major players, wouldn't it be up to you to decide who wins the awards?
Alright, this guy had a bit of an artistic streak.
He knew his situation; William White now dared not expand. Should his NBC exceed 50% ratings, dismantling could become inevitable.
The same went for movies. If he captured half the box office, he'd instantly become a target.
The current setup was just right. There weren't political figures confronting him head-on, and he wouldn't join their quarrels. In this mutual avoidance, neither side would offend him, which was precisely his goal.
In truth, the current situation made Citibank insanely jealous. If possible, they'd love to swallow this media group whole.
"Did they agree?"
"Yes, sir, now we can seek opinions and start the roadshow by the year end."
"Good, I believe many institutions will be interested. Man, the kid might just be making so much money he's sick of it." Morgan Stanley made this remark with reason -- they were fighting tooth and nail elsewhere, yet the profits weren't even close to this kid's.
This crowd, standing at the top of the pyramid, naturally saw through the so-called Star Wars plans -- they were definitely not a good strategy.
Some things are like that; the grander your goals, the more absurd they usually are. This defense plan wasn't even worth a few F117s; at least someone could reimburse those development costs.
*****
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