I’m in Hollywood

The News Department is an independent and complete department under ABC. It is responsible for the production of all news programs of the ABC TV network. The profit margin of news programs has always been very low. In recent years, only CNN has broken this rule. However, the News Department has It is the most important media communication channel for a media group. This national public opinion control tool is definitely not a simple profit measure. Even if it is operating at a loss, several major TV networks will not easily abolish their news programs. ☆→Three☆→Jiang☆→Ge☆→Small☆→Said,

When Katzenberg talked about the late-night news program Nightline, Eric didn't just hear the huge profit gap between Nightline and the late-night shows on NBC and CBS. Asked: What is the conflict between Robert and the president of the press department, David Westin, and, if The Late Late Show with David Letterman is introduced, what will Nightline do?

Katzenberg replied: This is mainly because David is worried that once Nightline is abolished, it will become the fuse for the headquarters to compress the news department. In addition to Nightline, the news department has several other low-profile News programs with ratings, if all these programs are cancelled, the number of employees and budget of the news department will be reduced by at least 30%. The news department has always been a complete system, so it is difficult for the management of the department to accept the original stable state. It was suddenly broken. On Nightline, Robert's plan was to delay the news program by an hour, after the late night show.

The idea of ​​delaying an hour is too bad. It's better to cancel it directly. If I were David, I would probably fall out with Robert, Eric shook his head and smiled. Night Line was originally broadcast. The time was 11 o'clock in the middle of the night, and it was delayed by an hour. After the early morning, it completely entered the garbage time of the TV station. After thinking for a moment, Eric said: You call David Westin to talk about this in person. Don’t drag on and intensify the conflict. It’s my promise. The headquarters will not make any large-scale adjustments to the news department, and even if “Nightline” is cancelled, the news department will not have large-scale layoffs.”

What about the extra staff? Katzenberg asked.

Eric thought for a while and said, There are already two professional news stations, Fox News and CNN in the industry. Professional news stations need to be large-scale to achieve profitability. The rapid rise of Fox News is also dependent on the entire News Corp has media resources all over the world, which we have no advantage, so. We will not be ABC News Channel. However, there is no professional news website on the Internet now, I think we can start from this aspect, ABC's news department Although it cannot support a 24-hour news channel, it is more than enough to set up a professional news website.

Katzenberg wondered, Eric, isn't Yahoo a news site?

Eric shook his head and said: Yahoo's positioning is a comprehensive information platform website. The news section is only a small part of Yahoo's business. Yahoo will produce some content, but most of the information comes from the entire Internet media. It is equivalent to a distribution company. 'Internet supermarket' of other website content.

Katzenberg nodded in understanding,

I made up my mind to go back and study the relevant information.

Eric added: The Internet is likely to be the main media communication channel in the future, so let David Westin pay attention to this matter. If you encounter any problems in website construction, you can contact Yahoo for help. Help. When Ted Turner founded CNN, many people felt that CNN had no prospect of making a profit at all, and as a result handed over the cake that should have belonged to the major TV networks to this latecomer. The situation is very similar to that year. , almost no one noticed the potential of professional news websites on the Internet, ABC entered the market early. Maybe it can reach the height of CNN in reality.”

Eric is very clear about the later Internet environment. Compared with search engines, e-commerce and other fields, news websites do not have much profit prospects, and more importantly, they can be used as online media tools. This is also what Eric values ​​most, but he will not say it clearly at this time, otherwise, the news department will definitely not develop the business in this field.

The most important purpose of Eric's suggestion is to provide another development direction for the news department, and to resolve the internal conflicts within the group caused by the business adjustment of Nightline and so on. But Katzenberg was a little excited because of Eric's suggestion, and the Internet wave had begun to rise at this time. As the head of a media conglomerate, Katzenberg is also increasingly exposed to relevant information, creating a news channel to compete with CNN in reality. Katzenberg knows that ABC has absolutely no such strength, but If you can seize the opportunity to create a professional news website on the Internet that is no less than the status of CNN in reality, it is also a very fulfilling thing.

Eric, if this is the case, I will take the time to personally take charge of the ABC News website. With this business, David's side should not continue to make trouble, and the adjustment of Nightline can be carried out smoothly.

Feeling Katzenberg's smugness, Eric didn't want to hit him, so he thought about it and said, It's better, Firefly can set up another subsidiary company to be responsible for news website affairs, which is convenient for listing in the next few years. financing, etc.”

Katzenberg wondered: Eric, why do you want to go public? Haven't you always been against going public?

Listing, of course, is to make money.

Usually, news sites have uncertain profit prospects, and it is almost impossible to go public and raise money alone.

But it will be different in the next few years. With the rise of the Internet wave, any Internet concept company will be sought after by investors. Eric does not expect much operating income from the ABC News website. If you fish for a handful, you will be too sorry for the prophet advantage of your regenerator.

This kind of thinking can't be told directly to Katzenberg, and Eric didn't want to talk nonsense, just said: Jeffrey, I can't explain it to you now, you will understand in a few years.

It is not the first time that Eric Katzenberg has encountered this kind of rhetoric. Later, he often proved that Eric was right, so he no longer questioned, but continued to ask Eric about the establishment of the news website. Any specific ideas.

They chatted until the setting sun sank into the sea level outside the glass curtain wall before Katzenberg and Kelly said goodbye and left together.

Eric looked at the time, there was a Saving Private Ryan Oscar PR reception in the evening, so he went upstairs to change into a suit, and left Malibu in a hurry to Beverly Hills. (To be continued.) SJGSF0916 Baidu search to see the latest and most complete novels!