America 1982-Chapter 289 - 13: Art is Priceless_3
But on the Hollywood side, with seventeen employees, there were dedicated editors for cutting footage, for reviewing footage, and for checking the edited rough cuts, detail-oriented editors, a dedicated sound designer, a visual effects artist, and a caption writer...
Rick had reached out to the production company to discuss whether the post-production team could be trimmed, only to be told that this was just a standard setup in the Hollywood television production process and that they could add more staff but not reduce it.
Rick didn’t even dare to blow up in anger because if he argued, the other party could immediately breach the contract legitimately, not only avoiding the work but also collecting full payment.
"We all understand, Rick, TV is not an industry that permits cutting corners; we have to invest real money to produce quality shows to stand firm," Tommy consoled Rick with no hint of anger, but rather with a calm and reassuring tone:
"I’ve said it before, I will ensure that the weekly budget for program production and procurement at BT Television is no less than two million. For the sake of African Americans, for the sake of television art, we can’t be too concerned about the cost! Believe that you are doing the right thing! Art is priceless!"
Hearing Tommy’s words, Rick saw his boss in a new light. Regardless of his previous distasteful thoughts about African Americans, at that moment, he was impeccable.
After all, this meant he had to shell out two million every week, come rain or shine, for BT Television’s expenses in program production and procurement.
Two million a week, eight million a month, ninety-six million a year.
It sounds like a lot, but it’s not in reality; calculating at a cost of five hundred thousand per episode, it’s just enough to run four self-made variety shows a week, nowhere near filling the slots of the prime-time seven days. Furthermore, not all of the two million can be used for self-produced projects, as a portion of the funds must be allocated to acquire existing programs.
For example, purchasing some previously popular or well-rated old series to fill the broadcast time, acquiring the rights to air non-exclusive and non-premiere series at much lower costs than creating original content. For instance, buying the three-year non-exclusive broadcasting rights to "Beverly Hillbillies," a hit comedy, for just twenty thousand US dollars an episode.
For a similarly themed comedy produced today, even with all unknown actors, the per-episode cost would not be less than seven hundred fifty thousand.
For the two hundred eighty episodes of "Beverly Hillbillies," it only takes five million six hundred thousand to play for three years on the network, whereas if BT Television were to produce its own luxurious two hundred and eighty-episode comedy with a cast full of stars, the total cost would be astronomical. Apart from the big three networks and movie company giants, no other industry players would dare to plan such massive projects.
So, in Rick’s eyes, two million signified that he had to come up with one million worth of cost-effective, top-rated self-produced projects to rapidly attract advertising clients for financial infusion. The remaining million would then have to be spent acquiring a plethora of classical series or variety shows to fill his network’s schedule.
As the owner of a new television station, Tommy’s weekly expenditure of two million on program costs had already exceeded 90% of independent television stations in the United States.
Reassured and encouraged by Tommy, Rick, who was about to hurry back to Hollywood to continue working, rose to take his leave. No matter how unfriendly to African Americans Tommy had been previously, by forking over two million in solid cash every week, he showed his sincere commitment to the television industry.
He was curious about what business his boss ran that could afford to support his dream of television.
Unfortunately, Rick left too early to see Sophia walking in with an expressionless face, looking at Tommy across the office desk:
"Jim says if you want him to convince the clients to provide the money under the guise of crowdfunding to splurge on producing television shows, you’ll have to call him yourself. He says that even if the black people in California are considered mere weeds, they also need room to grow."
"Don’t toy with the black people of California. Can they bear the expenditure of two million a week? Didn’t I tell you to tell him to peddle some high-return nonsense to those officials in Africa, to get them to use the United Nations aid funds - or their embezzled cash - to invest in us, guaranteeing to double their investment in three years and toss them some unrealistic perks? Like arranging a tour agency to let their families travel to the United States, suggesting we might help their wives and children apply for immigration to America, letting them see the goodness of the country, making them believe that we, the wealthy Americans, would never stoop so low as to cheat them of their African poor hands’ money?" Tommy said, sitting up with dissatisfaction upon hearing Sophia’s words:
"I am making a program for black people; Africans are the ancestors of African Americans, and it’s only right for the ancestors to fund shows for their descendants. By producing programs for black people without a fee, I have already shown a friendly attitude. It’s only natural for them to cover the production costs, isn’t it? Besides, art is priceless!"
