[Chapter 573: Lobbying]
Thanks to Eric's specific instructions, just one week later, good news came from Los Angeles -- the Firefly television department successfully secured the rights to ER.
Eric vividly remembered the impact of ER, which conveyed a touching sense of realism through a series of mundane yet poignant medical scenes. He distinctly recalled the first time he watched the show; despite having no interest in medical dramas, he found himself completely captivated by the story after just one episode. He became hooked and ended up watching most of the series. He later sought out the equally popular Grey's Anatomy, but found the melodrama and some clumsy imitation of ER in its first episode left him exclaiming, "What on Earth is this?"
Of course, it was likely a difference in Eric's age at the time that affected his perception. The main characters in ER were adults in their thirties and forties, making it easier for Eric, who had already passed the thirty-year mark, to resonate with their experiences. On the other hand, Grey's Anatomy featured a group of interns fresh out of medical school, targeting a younger audience.
Due to lifestyle habits and time zone differences, while the four major North American public television networks had extensive coverage, their daytime programming often differed by region. Local affiliates scattered across major North American cities adhered to this model.
The main competitive timeslot for the major networks was the prime time slot from seven to ten PM across various time zones. During these three hours, they broadcast a mix of comedy programs, drama series, and reality shows, with lengths of 22 minutes, 43 minutes, and varying durations, respectively.
Generally, a public television station only needed one or two high-rating programs to attract viewers. This viewership inertia helped ensure a stable audience. This was the reason NBC dominated the ratings for nearly a decade due to Friends. However, after Friends, NBC quickly lagged behind other networks as high-rated programming became scarce, leading NBC's major shareholders to conform to the trend of media consolidation by merging NBC with Universal Pictures.
Although managing a network covering all of North America with over two hundred affiliates was no easy feat, Eric believed that by acquiring the rights to Friends, securing ER, and developing a few decent reality programs, combined with the rich content resources available from Firefly Pictures, it wouldn't be too difficult for a competent network operator to secure a leading position. This scenario would also prevent ABC from suffering as it had in the timeline where it became a burden for Disney.
...
After the record-breaking box office of Jurassic Park sparked a significant rise in media stocks at the end of September, Viacom completed its acquisition of Blockbuster stores, leading two bidders for Paramount Communications to accelerate their purchase efforts significantly. Throughout the early days of October, related news appeared almost daily in newspapers and television news programs.
However, the balance of power was abruptly disrupted by a sudden development.
One of the bidders for Paramount Communications, QVC, had major shareholders including Barry Diller, Comcast, and Tele-Communications. But on October 11, AT&T suddenly announced its intention to acquire Tele-Communications. The chairman and major shareholder of Tele-Communications, John Malone, once Diller's biggest supporter, left Diller vulnerable, and the acquisition coincided with Comcast's lukewarm interest in Paramount.
Without the cash backing from Tele-Communications, Barry Diller found himself swiftly defeated in the competition against Summer Redstone.
On October 23, following a week of bidding, Summer Redstone, chairman of Viacom, and Martin Davis, chairman of Paramount Communications, officially announced in Hollywood at Paramount headquarters that Viacom had acquired Paramount Communications Group for an astounding $11 billion.
In Eric's eyes, while Paramount Communications had a bunch of assets including Paramount Pictures, several television stations, a music company, and a publishing house, their overall value wasn't much higher than Disney's. Summer Redstone's audacious acquisition didn't offer him many advantages, aside from proving he was still sharp at seventy.
Of course, this wasn't something Eric cared too much about. He might not have known all the details, but he already anticipated this bidding outcome. His main focus remained on Barry Diller.
...
In the bedroom of his East Hampton villa, Eric held a little one while watching Joanna quietly pack her bags. "It's getting colder in New York. Why don't you join me back in Los Angeles?"
Joanna carefully folded one of Eric's long pants and placed it in the suitcase, softly replying, "Vicky hasn't come back yet, and I don't want to go to Los Angeles."
Eric didn't press Joanna on her minor reluctance. "Then I'll come over for Thanksgiving."
"Sure," Joanna smiled gently, then added, "You came over last year. Do you think they'll mind?"
"They won't; they aren't married, and most of them will go home to spend Thanksgiving with their families," Eric shook his head, then remembered the young lady. "By the way, would you mind if Drew came along? She doesn't have a great relationship with her parents."
"Not at all, bring her along."
Though Joanna didn't quite appreciate the young lady's prickly demeanor, she didn't show it around Eric. Since they met, Eric was rarely aware of any negative emotions from Joanna. Perhaps that's why he was subconsciously drawn to being around her.
After personally packing Eric's luggage and handing it to a nearby maid, Joanna took Hawaii from Eric's arms. "You should head off now; don't delay too long."
"It's fine," Eric said, rubbing his son's chubby cheek. "It's the company plane, and as the boss, I have the right to ask them to wait a bit."
...
Eric arrived in Los Angeles on October 24 at noon, and upon disembarking, he made his way directly to the agreed-upon Sunset Boulevard hotel without contacting anyone. Barry Diller was already waiting for him there.
Even though Eric had seen Barry on television daily during this time, seeing him in person still revealed an undeniable aura of disappointment.
The two stood in front of the hotel room door. After exchanging greetings, Eric looked at the balding, graying man, only fifty years old, and said, "Barry, I'm sure you didn't have lunch yet. How about we go to the restaurant?"
"Sure, I'll grab my coat," Barry replied, turning to go back into the room. He quickly emerged wearing a black coat.
As they walked to the elevator, Eric pressed the button and glanced at Barry, who seemed lost in thought. He comforted him, "You really don't need to feel disappointed. Trust me, if you had acquired Paramount for $11 billion, that would have been a disaster."
"A loss is a loss, Eric. I'm not one to shy away from failure. It's just... well, after a year of hard work, suddenly realizing it's all for nothing... you should be able to relate to that feeling," Barry self-deprecatingly smiled, realizing that Eric had yet to experience such a setback in his unusually successful journey. "Disappointment is inevitable; it will pass in time."
They soon arrived at the hotel's restaurant, which was bustling at lunchtime. The patrons of the lavish Sunset Boulevard hotel were not ordinary people; upon noticing Eric and Barry together, whispers erupted around them, and some approached to greet.
After acknowledging a few familiar faces whose names Eric couldn't recall, he and Barry chose a window seat.
"Barry, what are you going to have?" Eric asked while taking the menu from the waiter. "It's on me; you should know I rarely treat anyone to a meal."
Barry chuckled and casually ordered a plate of pasta before handing the menu back to the waiter.
Eric didn't insist, ordering the same dish along with a bottle of red wine.
Once the waiter had left, Eric said, "Barry, I didn't mean to comfort you earlier. To me, Paramount is worth no more than what Firefly paid for Disney. I bet within five years, Redstone is going to regret it."
Recalling Redstone's character, he added with a smile, "Of course, he won't ever show his regret on his face."
"That's not the same, Eric," Barry shook his head. "Just like with your Firefly, I suspect Firefly is worth much more to you than anyone could perceive. The same goes for me; while being Paramount's CEO wasn't my first job, I felt it was where my career truly started. Working at William Morris and ABC was just preparation. If I had $11 billion now, I'd snatch Paramount out from under Redstone without a second thought, but alas, I don't."
As they chatted casually, their lunch arrived quickly. After a few hours of flying, Eric was starving, so he wasted no time digging into his meal.
Barry seemed to find a bit of his youthful spirit in Eric's lively disposition, relaxing somewhat as he picked up his own utensils. Both were not the type to have a leisurely meal, and they swiftly devoured their pasta. After taking a sip of red wine, Barry noted, "Eric, while it's satisfying to eat like this, I'd still suggest you try to slow down a bit at meals. I used to be just like you, and it led to years of trouble with stomach issues."
Eric nodded with a smile, raised his glass of wine toward Barry, and they shared a toast. Finally, Eric asked, "So, Barry, what's your plan moving forward?"
Barry glanced out at the bustling street below, reminded of how the media criticized him for stepping away from Hollywood earlier this year. He felt a sense of confusion.
Though he had briefly exited the Hollywood scene to run QVC, Barry had never really let go of his desire to return. His ambitious acquisition plans had failed due to a series of events, leading him to understand that returning to Hollywood was still far from straightforward.
However, as a former Hollywood mogul, Barry retained his pride. He could easily decipher Eric's intentions through Firefly's recent strategies. Since he had decided not to be an employee anymore, a man of such resolve was not about to change his mind easily.
"Eric, I noticed in the news that Jeffrey seems to be playing a leading role in your pullout from the Fox network. If I'm right, you might have him completely take over for Michael Lynn next year or later, correct?"
There was no need to conceal this. Eric nodded, acknowledging the assertion.
Barry shrugged slightly, a look of resignation and humorous self-awareness crossing his face. "You should know that Jeffrey was always my right-hand man, whether at ABC or Paramount. Do you really think I can return under those circumstances?"
"Barry, I plan to acquire a television network. You know what I mean; I want you to run it."
"But you won't let the network operate with total independence. It will still belong under the control of Firefly HQ, right?"
Eric nodded. If they didn't maintain independent operations after the acquisition, it would be the same as not acquiring it at all. The main purpose of Eric acquiring the network was to maximize the benefits of Firefly's film resources by utilizing its channels.
"Barry, while the network won't have complete independence, I can assure you that Jeffrey won't excessively interfere with the management of the network. Even I won't overstep; you know I have a pretty good reputation in that regard."
Barry still shook his head. "Eric, that won't work. You should know Jeffrey's personality; if I join Firefly, it'll leave both of us feeling out of place in that kind of switch."
*****
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