The Tyrant Billionaire

Chapter 231: Chapter 231 A Night of Success

The 15 year old girl was as beautiful as an angel, with purple eyes. Her sweet smile could easily captivate many people.

"Let's talk about your movie, 'Leon: The Professional.' It's been two weeks since its release, and the box office has reached $6 million. It's likely to become this year's box office champion. Mr. Grant and Miss Taylor, are you happy about this?"

"Of course, we're happy," Gary Grant nodded with a smile.

"I was so excited when I heard the news that I couldn't sleep half the night," Taylor said, smiling.

"Only half the night?"

"Oh~~ I was so excited that I fell asleep in the latter half," Taylor stuck out her tongue, full of girlish charm.

The audience laughed along with her.

"Mr. Grant, how do you think Taylor performed in the movie?" Irian asked.

"She was fantastic. I've worked with many actresses, and Taylor is definitely one of the best. Her acting is very vivid."

The interview was relaxed, with the host and guests chatting like friends. The live audience could ask questions, and viewers at home could call in to interact. This format was incredibly fresh.

The entire show lasted an hour and a half, with two commercial breaks. The audience didn't change the channel during the ads, showing the show's high retention rate.

NBC executives were watching the show in the broadcast room. They had been there all day, and some were showing signs of fatigue.

One executive said, "We also have interview shows, so this isn't new. In surveys, our interview shows are also highly rated by viewers."

Currently, collecting viewership data wasn't as easy as in the future, when it could be seen by simply turning on a computer. Now, data could only be collected through surveys, so feedback was slow, often taking one or two months to know if a show was liked by the audience.

"But this live interaction and phone in format is indeed worth learning. It gives the audience a sense of participation. If the host asks their question, it's like talking to a big star, which must feel great."

The president thought for a moment and asked, "Can we borrow this idea?"

"It's possible, but ABC might claim some kind of copyright," someone said.

The NBC president nodded. Meanwhile, several film company owners had their own observations. They realized that appearing on TV interview shows during a movie's release could be a great promotional tool.

MGM's boss, Mayer, pondered whether this interview would boost tomorrow's box office for 'Leon: The Professional.' An increase in box office revenue would benefit him too.

The interview ended with enthusiastic applause from the live audience. Irina completed her debut perfectly, and many people instantly remembered this smart and beautiful ABC host.

After the interview, there was a long commercial break.

"The Las Vegas Hardy Hotel is about to open, and we welcome your visit!"

In the promotional video, the casino was as luxurious as a palace, with rows of slot machines, dozens of gaming tables, and a group of people excitedly playing. The bar, gym, tennis room, swimming pool, and hotels were also featured. Fine wine, beautiful women, excitement, and joy were all showcased.

At the end, a group of young women in bikinis appeared on screen, loudly inviting people to Las Vegas, and then they jumped into the water with cheers.

With just half a month to go before the casino's opening, Hardy began advertising the business, aiming for a grand opening success.

After the commercial, the movie "The Wild Bunch" was broadcast. This was one of the highlights of the evening. Released just last year, it was a new movie that won last year's box office championship and achieved notable success at the Golden Globe and Oscar Awards this year.

Showing such a good movie on TV surprised many people. It was clear that ABC's boss was spending a lot. Once a movie is broadcast on TV, it almost never returns to theaters. Many felt they were getting a great deal by watching it for free, ensuring that other TV channels would have few viewers tonight.

As the movie played, NBC and CBS executives returned to their meeting rooms. They knew that ABC's programming for the night was over. Now, they had to discuss how to respond to ABC's rapid rise.

Even though it was just ABC's first day of broadcasting, both TV networks felt a strong sense of crisis. After watching ABC's programes, their own shows seemed inferior in comparison. If viewers noticed this, they would switch to ABC, lowering their ratings and advertising revenue, making the future more challenging.

An executive angrily said, "How much money must they be spending on all these programs? That Jon Hardy is really willing to burn money."

Another executive shrugged, "Well, they do have the money. Just the Playboy magazine alone can support the TV station."

The other executives fell silent for a moment. Previously, they broadcasted 5 hours daily.

In contrast, ABC broadcasted from 8 a.m. to midnight, for a total of 16 hours, more than three times their duration.

To catch up with ABC, they would need to increase their programming by 11 hours. Just thinking about what to fill those hours with was headache inducing. Moreover, ABC's program quality was so high that matching it would require significant investment, which the board might not approve.

One executive suggested, "President, why don't we also start a TV shopping program? We can deal with any infringement issues as they come. Let ABC sue us. Lawsuits take time, and we can drag it out for at least six months to a year. Even if we lose, we can just pay a portion in damages."

The president thought for a moment, "I'll discuss this with the chairman. In the meantime, everyone should go back and write a development plan for the TV station. Submit it in two days. If we don't want to be left behind by ABC, we must improve. Let's brainstorm and come up with ways to counter ABC. Meeting adjourned."