A pile of a million dollars is quite eye-catching. When a lucky guy smoothly walked away with a hundred thousand dollars, the public's fervor escalated again.
Honestly, you can't fault a high-class show like this. If you think money and knowledge shouldn't be connected, NBC won't even need to argue -- you'll just be seen as odd by others.
Once a show hits it big, wealth naturally cos with it. The advertisers are pros; they obviously knew the value of such a show.
Never mind that Millionaire's ratings just passed ten million; its unique audience is what advertisers need to target.
Moreover, the show had just started. If it could reach over fifteen million viewers, it would beco a must-have for advertising slots.
A single show can't change everything, but one thing was clear: NBC was breaking its old constraints. If things continued on this path, it might just lead to sothing great.
...
"Boss, people from other countries are interested in the show. How should we handle this?"
If it were other matters, he might not need to consult, just file a report to be approved quickly. But this was different; it was the boss's brainchild.
"Well, let's do a profit-sharing deal for ads; don't accept a buyout. You have a better idea of what percentage to go with."
"Got it, boss, I'm on it."
Common rights managent approaches seen later weren't common in that era. Barry Diller didn't care if the other party would agree.
NBC was back on track, and its profit prospects were rising. Given the situation, the choice was theirs.
...
Faced with NBC's conditions, the British were quite annoyed -- it was excessive and hard to figure out how they ca up with it.
While there, others already inked deals. What seed unreasonable terms were, in fact, to ensure the show remained high-quality.
The show setup wasn't allowed to change, or they'd breach the agreent.
Alright, while NBC was strongly positioned, they were also ticulous. It's not like success ca from just winging it.
In this world, nothing so laughable exists. Compare their program planning to others -- it's like different eras.
...
Rupert Murdoch was ignored again; they had no interest in negotiations. At that ti, Murdoch was ambitious, aggressively expanding his empire.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the luck he had previously; the value of newspapers had changed, and cheap acquisitions were no longer possible.
"Boss, not sure how that Aussie rogue angered them, but their European acquisitions hit roadblocks at every turn."
"Haha, didn't you notice? Their goals are pretty similar; both want to grow dia empires."
"Too bad Murdoch doesn't have as much money; otherwise, it'd be interesting."
"Yep, as long as that guy can prove his worth, don't worry, financial support will co."
"Boss, how should we proceed?"
"No need to get involved; it's their issue, not ours."
Morgan Stanley, as an established financial group, saw it clearly; you can't just barrel in, especially Jewish financial groups -- it's not wise to join this fight.
To put it bluntly, they were the real Aricans, while others were just hangers-on. If they didn't know when to stop, past nightmares might co back.
...
Murdoch was tied in knots; he never thought London's banks would fall through. Now, he got an olive branch from Arica.
"Boss, they raised the offer again. Should we follow suit? The price is past the real value now."
"Whoa, soone's nervous? Filson, check which banks are contacting them."
"Sure thing, boss, I'll get on it."
William White was quite curious who stirred things up first. While groups were watching him, he was watching them, too.
"Boss, most likely Citibank."
"Heh, Filson, we're backing off."
...
With White dia stepping back, Murdoch was obviously thrilled; it marked the official start of his expansion phase.
"Boss, White dia retreated; the old Aussie won this round."
"Huh? Why was it so easy? Did they hear sothing?"
"Ha! Old guy, you ruined my plans. Hope you rember this." Of course, William White knew. Financial groups weren't monolithic. Besides, there were ill-intentioned folks, so maybe not full-on leaks, but so info would slip.
Citibank's elders didn't expect William White's antics again. After Murdoch announced the success of the Daily Telegraph acquisition, William White cut all ties with Citibank.
He withdrew all funds and closed accounts; that widespread wrath was bewildering.
"Man, was that necessary? We're just doing business as usual. How could you do this? It's absurd."
A bunch of old-tirs laughed themselves silly. They anticipated so backlash but didn't expect a total falling-out.
...
On June 7th, soone bombed Iraq's nuclear facilities with an airplane. This again shifted the international scene, creating a bleak economic outlook.
Arican dia began their nonsense, completely sidestepping the invasion, while William White had little interest in Iraq, figuring it was a matter of ti before they fell, making it unnecessary to dwell on it.
NBC's reporting wasn't much better. Even though they were biased, it wasn't too far-fetched. At least they called for calm among all sides, unlike the other dia, who unanimously played up the Iraq threat.
"Haha, George, are you trying to make laugh to death? Do you think nuclear weapons are like grenades? Really think they could just throw them around?"
"They, they could buy from the Russians! Missiles aren't that expensive, and those guys have money to spare."
"Impossible, no country would sell such an important weapon. If those paraters got into the wrong hands, the Russians would be weeping their eyes out."
"Alright, alright, consider you've done a favor."
"Shoot, would have been way easier if you just said that earlier. I get it, and I didn't an to give them any lip."
William White didn't expect them to be so sensitive. The dude had rely been not too outrageous, yet they understood it this way?
...
"How's that?"
"He agreed, basically saying Saddam can't do much, like a simpleton."
"Hah, this guy, doesn't he get it? This is political correctness."
Whether it was politically correct, William White didn't know. He didn't plan on going head-to-head with the entire world, being too unique wasn't necessary.
The Jewish consortium discovered they underestimated William White's influence. After integrating NBC, the dude beca a dia giant, with at least 30% of Aricans watching NBC channels.
Including print dia, these folks were shocked to find that swaying public opinion had beco very difficult.
Support Murdoch strongly?
Oh, you'd really be stirring up a hornet's nest with that kid if you aren't careful.
The only consolation was that their opponent didn't seem to have a strong stance.
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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