The current chapter combines two, with a minimum of 6,000 characters. The author has not reduced the update frequency.
"Everyone, our current work focus is on propaganda to combat the YQ outbreak. This is paramount and must not waver!"
"Secondly, we must also recognize the opportunity. Although this battle came very suddenly and has greatly impacted normal economic activities, it has brought our viewers back home, giving them ample time to stay indoors rather than running around outside."
"So what can they do at home? Of course, watch television. This is our opportunity. In the next six months or so, the number of television viewers nationwide will more than double. Young people who used to like to play outside will return to the television. This is our greatest opportunity!"
"Therefore, one of the most important tasks for Hunan TV at present is to produce a batch of excellent programs and television dramas to attract all these new viewers to Hunan TV. Only then can we achieve long-term development!" This is what Station Manager Ouyang Lin said to everyone at an internal meeting of Hunan TV.
Ouyang Lin became the station manager of Hunan TV last year. Hunan TV had been incredibly popular since 1997, but that was mainly due to the television drama "My Fair Princess."
After both seasons of "My Fair Princess" concluded, Hunan TV's primary popularity declined.
In fact, at this time, apart from "Happy Camp," Hunan TV had no other outstanding programs nationwide. Therefore, although it ranked second among all provincial satellite TV stations, Hunan TV was actually operating at a loss, losing 60 million RMB in 2001.
By the way, this national satellite TV ranking always excludes CCTV, which is too abnormal to be considered.
This meeting was an emergency session, not part of the original plan. This was because Ouyang Lin had keenly perceived that the sudden outbreak of YQ was both a difficulty and an opportunity.
As he said at the meeting, this was an opportunity to significantly increase Hunan TV's influence and viewership nationwide. Therefore, Ouyang Lin urgently convened this meeting. Its purpose was simple: to demand that the station produce an excellent program that could attract the attention of viewers across the country.
"Station Manager, I'm afraid there's no time for variety shows. The only variety show that can hold its own in our station is 'Happy Camp,' and its viewership is already number one in its time slot nationwide. It's very difficult to improve further. Moreover, if we make drastic changes at this time, it might lead to a collapse in viewership. There are too many examples of this. I think it's best to leave 'Happy Camp' as it is." The person in charge of variety shows said.
"What if we create a new variety show?" Ouyang Lin asked again.
"If we create a new variety show, not only is it extremely difficult to make it as popular as 'Happy Camp,' but the most crucial point is that we don't have time now. It takes at least three months to plan and produce a variety show from start to finish. By then, this YQ might have already ended. This kind of lockdown cannot possibly last for more than three months, given the impact on the national economy. We simply don't have enough time!" the subordinate replied.
This really stumped Ouyang Lin, but he couldn't do anything about it because he knew that what his subordinate said was accurate. Making drastic changes to "Happy Camp" or creating a new variety show quickly could both lead to major problems.
However, Ouyang Lin could not just let it go.
"I don't care what difficulties you have. I'll give you one month. Within one month, you must submit ten complete planning proposals for new variety shows. We cannot rely solely on 'Happy Camp' to dominate. We need more excellent variety programs!" Ouyang Lin said unceremoniously, causing the subordinate to wear a troubled expression.
Producing ten variety show proposals in a month was like asking for his life. Moreover, the success rate of such endeavors was extremely low. If his planned variety shows were not up to par and their viewership was poor, his future would be half ruined.
This was why he had desperately tried to pass the buck on variety shows earlier – he didn't want to get involved in this messy business, but he was hit by a stray bullet.
"Since there are so many issues with variety shows, it seems we can only rely on television dramas. I remember the one we are currently broadcasting, "Eighteen Arhats." How is its viewership?" Ouyang Lin asked.
"The current viewership is 0.7%. The highest viewership nationwide is 1.1%, and the average viewership is 0.8%!" the head of television dramas replied.
"Garbage!" Ouyang Lin cursed unceremoniously, and everyone present felt a sense of shame. Indeed, compared to the dramas broadcast by Hunan TV, this drama's viewership was rather disappointing, belonging to the bottom tier.
"How many episodes are left for this drama?" Ouyang Lin asked.
"There are special programs today, so it will be temporarily suspended. There are 8 episodes left, which can be broadcast for about another week!" the head replied.
"How about this, starting tomorrow, this drama will be broadcast in the late-night re-run theater at 12 AM, and the remaining episodes will be aired to completion!" Ouyang Lin said, effectively relegating this drama to the cold palace. However, since the viewership was already very poor, it was unlikely that anyone would be displeased by this decision.
"Next, our task is to find an excellent television drama to premiere tomorrow and take advantage of this rare opportunity to attract a large number of viewers!" Ouyang Lin said, "Old Liu, you are in charge of importing television dramas. Tell me, what dramas are good!"
"My requirements are not high; I just need half of the average viewership of "My Fair Princess" back then!"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but collectively sigh. This requirement was indeed not too high.
The peak viewership of "My Fair Princess" was in its second season, with a nationwide highest viewership of 65% and an average viewership of 55%. It was precisely by relying on "My Fair Princess" that Hunan TV leaped from a second or third-tier provincial station to a first-tier national station.
Now, Ouyang Lin stated that he only needed half of "My Fair Princess"'s average viewership, which was around 22%. Although this number seemed not high, it was actually an unimaginable astronomical figure.
Let alone in 2003, even if we go back more than a decade, to 2021, no television drama in China could achieve the viewership of "My Fair Princess."
In fact, according to statistics, the highest-rated television drama in the 21st century was "In the Name of the People," with a peak viewership of 7% and a market share of 45% during its broadcast.
From this, one can imagine how outrageous Ouyang Lin's proposed 22% viewership was. It was an impossible task for the entire 21st century.
"Ahem, that was just my wishful thinking. In reality, I would be satisfied with just 1/10th of 'My Fair Princess'!" Ouyang Lin sighed.
1/10th of "My Fair Princess" was 5.5%, which did not seem to be an unattainable achievement.
"Uh, we originally planned to follow up "Eighteen Arhats" with a drama called "Thirteen Princesses." I think this drama..." Before the person in charge could finish speaking, Ouyang Lin interrupted, "No, I've seen the first few episodes of this drama. It's noisy and chaotic. This kind of drama is fine for regular broadcasts, but it cannot bear the responsibility of this crucial juncture. I think this drama should be postponed!" xxsYiEr
"Station Manager, I think this drama is actually quite good, and it's very similar to 'My Fair Princess.' Both in terms of plot, style, and story, it's quite similar, and it should achieve good results!" the person in charge said somewhat unwillingly. He had invested a lot of effort and energy in the broadcast of "Thirteen Princesses."
Now, with a single word from Ouyang Lin, it was postponed, and he was somewhat unconvinced.
"This is precisely the crux of the problem!" Ouyang Lin snorted. "This drama is just one of countless follow-up dramas after the popularity of 'My Fair Princess.' Everyone knows how many dramas with 'Princess' in their names have been released in recent years."
"Initially, these imitation dramas could still achieve good results. But now audiences are tired of watching these 'princess' dramas. 'Princess' has become a name that hinders their viewership. Many people switch channels as soon as they see the word 'princess.' So this one won't work. It must be postponed!" Ouyang Lin stated decisively.
"..." Director Liu stopped talking. Ouyang Lin did not ask him but looked at others and said, "Do you have any recommended dramas?"
"Well, actually, the best approach would be to air "My Fair Princess 3" in advance. I heard it's completely filmed, and we spent a whopping 80 million RMB to purchase the exclusive broadcasting rights. Can't we take advantage of this opportunity to air it?" someone suggested.
Spending 80 million RMB in 2003 to purchase the exclusive broadcasting rights for a TV drama was an unimaginably huge sum. Only "My Fair Princess 3" could command such a price, given the incredibly phenomenal viewership of the previous two seasons, which filled everyone with fantasies about the viewership of "My Fair Princess 3."
This forced Hunan TV to fork out a large amount of cash to push out other sister stations. This drama, with a production cost of less than 10 million RMB, had already recouped 8 times its sales value before it even aired, which was truly astonishing!
"No, I've already communicated with Taiwan about this. Their attitude is very firm. Taiwan's CTV has decided to broadcast it in July, and we can only delay it by a few days, not advance it. They will never agree to this!" Director Liu, who was responsible for importing dramas, said coldly.
If "My Fair Princess 3" could be aired now, he would have already arranged it. Why would he be going through so much trouble now?
"During the preview screenings, I remember watching a drama called "The Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," starring Huang Haibing. It seemed quite good. It started off very exciting and infuriating! The male and female leads were also very beautiful. I think it would attract viewers!" someone suggested.
"Oh!" Ouyang Changlin's interest was piqued, but unfortunately, he was immediately discouraged.
"Don't even think about "The Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties." Oriental TV has already acquired it."
"Then "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" is also very good, starring Jia Jingwen and Alec Su, with guest appearances from the trio of "The Bronze Teeth Bronze Teeth Ji Xiaolan." I'm very optimistic about this drama's viewership. And it seems no buyer has acquired it yet."
"I know this drama. It just finished filming, and post-production has just begun. It's estimated to be broadcast around December."
"What about "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" then?"
"Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" has already been acquired by CCTV. Although they haven't paid yet, can you snatch it away from CCTV?"
Several drama titles were nominated by everyone, but they were all rejected for various reasons, which made Ouyang Lin's expression increasingly grim.
"By the way, there's a drama called "Conquer." I attended their preview screening. Although the production cost of this drama is a bit meager, the plot is very good, and the acting is very impactful. It seems to be ignored by everyone right now. If we go to buy it now, we can definitely acquire it!" someone said timidly. He was Xiao Ning, currently the second-in-command of the program acquisition center, the deputy to Director Liu.
"That drama is no good at all. The main actors are all names no one has ever heard of, especially that guy named Sun Honglei. A guy who dances breakdancing actually came to act in a drama. It's hilarious!" Director Liu retorted unceremoniously.
"What type of drama is this?" Ouyang Lin asked.
"It's a police and crime drama."
"Forget police and crime dramas. This genre cannot attract all viewers!" Ouyang Lin pondered for a moment and shook his head, refusing. However, he then looked at Xiao Ning and asked, "Any other suggestions?"
"Yes, there's a drama called "The Legent of Concubine," which tells the story of Empress Wu Zetian. I've watched the first few episodes, and the effect is very good. Currently, no buyer has secured it. The only problem is that this drama is still undergoing post-production, with about 10 more episodes to be completed. So I wonder if we can broadcast the first few episodes first and then speed up the post-production for the rest. As long as it can be completed within a month, it won't delay the broadcast of the drama!" Xiao Ning suggested.
"The Legend of Concubine... Bring me the preview episodes later, and I'll watch a few episodes!" Ouyang Lin said. This was the first drama Ouyang Lin specifically requested to watch.
"Anything else? "The Legend of Concubine" definitely won't be ready for tomorrow's slot. It's best if we can find a drama that can be broadcast tomorrow!" Ouyang Lin said somewhat unwillingly.
"If it's a finished product that can be broadcast tomorrow, I actually have a suggestion, but this suggestion is a bit unreliable!!" Xiao Ning said.
"No matter if it's reliable or not, tell me first!" Ouyang Lin said.
"This, because this drama has already been broadcast on CCTV Channel 1." Xiao Ning said.
"Then you're talking nonsense!" Director Liu snorted. "CCTV Channel 1 has already broadcast it, and you still want to snatch the broadcasting rights from them?"
"No, this can really be broadcast. Because, as far as I know, this drama was broadcast on CCTV temporarily and did not even sign an exclusive broadcasting agreement, only a broadcasting agreement. So now, as long as we talk to the production company, we can immediately obtain the broadcasting rights and broadcast it right after CCTV!" Xiao Ning said.
"That's impossible. How could CCTV not sign exclusive broadcasting rights with a drama?" Ouyang Lin asked in surprise. CCTV, as the overlord, usually signed exclusive broadcasting rights of over a year for the dramas it broadcasted.
Only after a year would other television stations be eligible for a second broadcast. This clause was very domineering, but because the broadcasting platform was CCTV, countless production companies still flocked to it.
"It's true. In fact, the production company behind this drama is Tangren Pictures, and Tangren Pictures is part of the Jiangnan Group. Wasn't CCTV in some trouble with the Jiangnan Group because of the 315 incident? Later, to compensate Jiangnan, they agreed to let Jiangnan's dramas be slotted into CCTV's midnight theater."
"Because time was tight, and it was arranged for the midnight theater, not the prime-time theater, the Jiangnan Group was unwilling to sign an exclusive agreement, and CCTV, feeling guilty, did not force the Jiangnan Group to sign an exclusive agreement. So this situation occurred," Xiao Ning explained.
"How do you know all this so clearly?" Ouyang Lin asked curiously.
The matter between CCTV and the Jiangnan Group appeared to the audience as CCTV being deceived, but everyone in the industry knew that CCTV had acted improperly and had tricked the Jiangnan Group.
The Jiangnan Group also had powerful backing, which put CCTV in a very passive position. Fortunately, Huang He was a shrewd person and provided CCTV with a huge opportunity to step down. CCTV then used this as an excuse and maintained an excellent relationship with the Jiangnan Group.
It was very normal for them to temporarily open a slot for a drama from the Jiangnan Group.
But the problem was, this kind of interaction between the Jiangnan Group and CCTV was even more confidential, and even Ouyang Lin was unaware of it. How could Xiao Ning know?
"Actually..." Xiao Ning hesitated for a moment. Seeing Ouyang Lin's gaze, he gritted his teeth and said directly, "Actually, this drama was initially offered to Hunan TV, and it was offered to me. They hoped to broadcast it in our Golden Eagle Theater. However, due to some reasons, it didn't work out. But I've maintained good relations with the people at Tangren Pictures, because they have another drama, 'Chinese Paladin,' which I think is also very good, and we can introduce it."
"It's a shame that 'Chinese Paladin' is still being filmed, otherwise I think it would be a drama not much inferior to 'Drawing Sword.'"
"Oh, and I also heard that Tangren plans to use a Hollywood team for special effects for a drama, which will only be available for broadcast next year."
"In short, Tangren Pictures is making big moves. They will release 10 dramas successively within three years, so I believe it is very necessary to maintain a good relationship with Tangren Pictures!"
"Nonsense! In this world, it's the production companies that need to maintain good relations with us television stations, not the other way around. You're putting the cart before the horse!" Director Liu snorted, mocking Xiao Ning unceremoniously. This made Xiao Ning look very awkward.
The relationship between Director Liu and Xiao Ning was like fire and water, and it was not a secret within the station. It was rumored that Xiao Ning was supposed to take over the position of director, but Director Liu suddenly appeared and took his place. It would be a miracle if these two could get along well.
"Alright, let's stick to the matter at hand. Director Xiao, are you sure this "Drawing Sword" is worth us acquiring?" Ouyang Lin asked.
"It's absolutely worth it. I don't think any drama in the entire year of 2003 will surpass the quality of 'Drawing Sword'!" Xiao Ning took a deep breath and then said with absolute certainty.
"No, Station Manager, absolutely not. Setting aside whether this drama is good or not, the fact that it has already been broadcast on CCTV and has not yet finished broadcasting, and we are directly airing it, isn't that slapping them in the face?"
"Moreover, this itself is a damage to our station's image. They haven't finished broadcasting, and we pick it up and broadcast it, like picking up trash. This is too shameful!" Director Liu strongly opposed, and other senior executives present nodded in agreement.
Thus, Ouyang Lin had to set aside "Drawing Sword" and ignore it. Xiao Ning sighed deeply. It seemed his offensive had failed this time, and his prestige had greatly diminished. Had he made a miscalculation?
Following this, the meeting continued. More than a dozen dramas were proposed for discussion, but they were all rejected one by one. In the end, the only viable option seemed to be "The Legend of Concubine," which was still in post-production.
However, if the post-production speed of this drama could not keep up with the broadcast speed, it would be a big problem.
So the meeting lasted until past 2 PM. Seeing the impatient expressions on the faces of the attending executives and hearing several stomach rumbles, Ouyang Lin, despite his reluctance, could only announce the end of the meeting. Just as everyone was about to disperse, the door was suddenly knocked upon, and the director of the secretariat walked in, saying, "Station Manager, the viewership data for Saur Friedman yesterday is out."
"Good, let me see!" Ouyang Lin took the data.
"What's there to see? The number one spot must still be CCTV's 'The Great Dyeing Workshop'!" Director Liu said subconsciously. This was a drama broadcast in CCTV's prime-time theater.
Of course, "prime-time theater" was a name given by the industry; CCTV itself had not named this theater. However, because it was the time slot for broadcasting dramas immediately after the weather forecast, it was perfectly fine to call it the national prime-time theater.
"No, the viewership champion has changed this time!" Ouyang Lin put down the investigation report he was holding, took a deep breath, and then said calmly.
"Huh? Which drama has surpassed 'The Great Dyeing Workshop'? It shouldn't be, is it "Dust Settled"? Or "The Reign of Emperor Qianlong"?" Director Liu asked in surprise, naming two dramas that were currently airing and had previously occupied the second and third viewership spots.
"Neither!" Ouyang Lin shook his head, a strange expression appearing on his face. "It's still a CCTV drama, but not in the prime-time theater. It's a drama from the midnight theater, broadcast after the prime-time theater, titled 'Drawing Sword.'"
"They aired episodes 3 and 4 at midnight today, and episode 3 achieved a viewership of 2%, and episode 4 achieved 2.6%. Their episodes 1 and 2 had a viewership of only 0.5%. This increase is too terrifying!"
"I think I've seen such an increase before!" Ouyang Lin murmured to himself.