Volume 4: White Devil Chapter 201 A Loud Slap
Three satellite lines ensure that televisions around the world can receive the news, hundreds of foreign correspondents, and a headquarters staff of up to 500 people in Washington.
Although Wolf Tucker did not have to pay for all of this out of his own pocket, as the CEO of VOX News Network, he still couldn't help but feel nervous. This meant that every day VOX broadcasted, it would consume money that an ordinary person would not earn in a lifetime.
Yes, Tommy's limited news network is called VOX. In Tommy's words, V stands for Wolf Tucker. VOX is the wolf and FOX is the fox, which means that sooner or later they, the gray wolf, will swallow up FOX, the fox.
The tone was big and the preparation was fast, but the performance of VOX after it actually went on the air was extremely bad. Today is January 4, 1989. The VOX news channel has been broadcasting to the world for a month, but it only has a miserable 1.6 million subscribers. Not only are the data miserable, but the reputation is also a mess.
Not only in the United States, but news media all over the world are laughing at the VOX News Network that Tommy spent countless money to build, and they are mocking the sharp contrast between the unprofessional American journalists and the professional American military.
Why is there such blatant ridicule? The reason is simple. Although VOX News Network has high investment and many foreign correspondents, many of its reporters are actually seriously lacking in professional standards in the eyes of their peers in the news industry. The way of broadcasting news is even more monotonous, with the studio always connecting with foreign correspondents to deliver the so-called news that VOX thinks is worth broadcasting from all over the world.
But a lot of the news is very boring. For example, some reporters will interview American troops stationed abroad or the life of American navy members on ships, and some reporters will interview American people about their views on Bush's election as president. In short, there is absolutely no news worth everyone's careful reading.
Foreigners don't care about how American soldiers live on the ship, nor do they care about what image the American president has in the eyes of ordinary Americans.
"Tommy, do you really think it's right to let those reporters broadcast all kinds of fast-food news every day without any content preparation? Are you sure we really don't consider the news star system?" Wolf Tucker didn't know how many times he had suggested to Tommy to produce several programs that were more inclined towards the news star system.
The so-called news star system does not mean inviting entertainment stars to serve as news guests. In fact, the stars refer to the news program hosts of major American television networks. These people have clear angles when reporting the news and their comments are very in-depth, which attracts a group of audiences who like them to host news programs all year round.
Wolfe suggested that Tommy lay off some of the foreign correspondents who looked unprofessional and hire two or three news program hosts who were well-known in the United States. This would at least ensure that VOX's subscribers would see a significant increase and make those news colleagues who had been mocking VOX shut up for the time being.
VOX has now become the laughing stock of the American television industry. The FOX television network has even set up a small section in its own program called "VOX Today's Funny News Record", which is specifically responsible for capturing the moments when young VOX reporters who work hard overseas make mistakes.
Wolf knew that the show's ratings were even higher than those of the entire VOX channel.
"If they don't want an annual salary of several million and can accept the same salary as our current host, I certainly welcome them to join." Wolfe remembered that Tommy always gave the same answer.
In the director's room, Wolfe stared at the host who was reporting on the Los Angeles Rams charity event in the studio hall with a Los Angeles reporter and rubbed his eyebrows. The host had just made another obvious slip of the tongue and said the wrong word, which meant that his own news channel had successfully provided new jokes for FOX's satirical program.
"Wolf! Look at the screen! Listen to the news!" A director who was wearing headphones next to him suddenly took off his headphones, his fingers quickly moved across the buttons on the console, and then the screen in front of him immediately switched the picture.
Although Wolfe thought the other party was making a fuss, he still picked up the headphones and stared at the screen.
On the screen was a male reporter who was at most 25 or 26 years old. At this moment, he was standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier and spoke loudly to the camera:
"This is the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean! I am on the USS Kennedy, a sailing aircraft carrier. Our VOX reporter team was originally following the aircraft carrier to do a special interview and record of American soldiers' lives at sea, but now something unexpected has happened! Just now, I saw the guys around me getting ready for battle! It seems that there are two Soviet-made fighter jets in Libya that are intercepting our early warning aircraft in front! Now, the fighter jets on the aircraft carrier are preparing to take off..."
"Cut off the sports news! Interrupt the broadcast into the studio lobby! Now!" Wolfe's eyes lit up and he spoke immediately.
The director quickly used the microphone to notify the host who was still chatting with the reporter about football to prepare for the interruption. During the five-second countdown, the host had already used the prompter to quickly briefly introduce the situation to the audience who might be in front of the TV:
"During the normal cruise of the USS Kennedy, Libya sent fighter jets to try to intercept the airborne electronic reconnaissance aircraft sent by the Kennedy. Now the fighter jets on the aircraft carrier have taken off to fight!"
The countdown ended, and the screen suddenly changed, and the VOX news channel suddenly showed a picture of an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.
At 10:02 a.m. on January 4, 1989, VOX News Network, at the fastest speed in the world and with a front-line perspective, spread a piece of news that shocked the whole world:
Two F-14 fighters from the USS Kennedy flew over the Libyan airspace line for eight minutes and successfully shot down two Soviet-made MiG-23 fighters that were trying to intercept the USS Kennedy's carrier-based electronic reconnaissance aircraft! There were no casualties in the US Navy, and the two Libyan pilots parachuted before the missiles shot them down. Currently, the USS Kennedy has continued to sail along the established route.
Although the VOX reporter was unable to capture the exchange of fire between the two sides' fighter jets because he was on an aircraft carrier nearly 100 miles away, he captured clear footage of two F-14s and an electronic reconnaissance aircraft taking off and returning to land!
Even the scene of the pilot walking out of the plane and saluting and reporting to his superiors was filmed and transmitted to the world through its own channel as soon as possible.
While the director was frantically using the teleprompter to prepare topics for the host to ask questions to the reporters, Wolfe stared at the TV screens in front of him and cut the images to other cable networks in the world. It turned out that VOX had been broadcasting this news for five minutes, and no news TV network had reported this news!
In the seventh minute, the director received the news that the Associated Press issued a short text news: Two carrier-based fighter jets of the USS Kennedy exchanged fire with two Libyan fighter jets in the Mediterranean Sea, and there were no casualties among the US military.
At this moment, on VOX's TV screen, their own reporter standing on the aircraft carrier continued to introduce more detailed information, and even gave the specific location of the battle!
Until this moment, Wolfe was extremely grateful for Tommy's decision. He also understood why Tommy spent money recklessly, built up connections, and sent his own reporters to various large overseas military bases or aircraft carriers under the pretext of recording the service life of soldiers!
Normally, those reporters only publicize the good qualities of the U.S. military. In order to please those people, they photograph American soldiers like saints, just to record it as soon as the war breaks out!
Although the method is a bit stupid and requires a certain amount of luck, it now seems that this piece of news is worth the money!
"Tommy?" Wolfe came back to his senses, ran back to his office, and called Tommy: "Tommy! Turn on the TV! We got the first major news that was released worldwide!"
When Wolfe called, Tommy was baking with Ottilia at home. Ottilia was leaving for a few days to attend a charity event in New York, and today was her last day in Los Angeles, so Tommy made time to be with her.
Hearing Wolfe's excited voice, Tommy reacted calmly: "Let the host and reporters buy time. Remember the number I'm going to give you now. The other party is Charles Salmon, my schoolmate. He is currently a graduate student at Yale and also works part-time at a think tank. Tell me my name and say that he needs a guest to comment online. He will help you arrange a professional guest to comment on this news. I have already contacted him. His mentors and guests working in think tanks need to increase their visibility around the world through VOX, and we need to let the world see VOX's professional comments."
After that, Tommy hung up the phone. Otilia looked at Tommy and asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing, I think... VOX has given the global news industry a loud slap in the face." Tommy shrugged:
"They will see that VOX will break another record for the fastest global subscriber growth, in addition to breaking its previous record for the lowest global subscribers."
"Are you going to get busy?" Ottilia asked Tommy while putting on baking gloves and preparing to take out the delicious food she had carefully prepared from the oven.
Tommy walked over with a smile, put the gloves on his hands, and then carefully opened the oven: "No, not today. Accompanying you is always the most important thing."
