Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 538 Media Giant

Liberty Media is interested in USA Cable, but Aaron doesn't know if they've managed to get Viacom on board.
However, Aaron was still willing to trade Liberty Media's Starz! pay-TV channel and 20% of the BET entertainment channel for Dawn's 50% stake in the USA cable network;

After all, Aaron had long coveted premium pay channels, and owning Starz! satellite TV would allow him to directly compete with HBO!
Of course, this matter still needs to be discussed at the Dawn board meeting, but Aaron felt that as long as he agreed, no one would object.

As night falls on the streets of Los Angeles, orange, crimson, and deep blue lights intertwine and swirl, cut off and tossed by the city's towering and diminutive beams, splashing out the eerie colors unique to Halloween into the night sky.

A luxurious Jaguar was parked on the tree-lined road near Griffith Park. Aaron leaned back in his seat, let out a long sigh, and released his hands from his long hair.
After a while, Charlize Theron sat up with a flushed face and smoothed her messy blonde hair!
"She was just a supporting actress in 'Girl, Interrupted,' what's there to regret?"

Aaron patted Charlize Theron's thigh in the passenger seat with a somewhat lazy air.

"Well, the story is really good, and Gus Van Sant is the director. I'd love to work with Winona Ryder!"

Charlize Theron's performance in "Armageddon" was quite good, and the film's huge success significantly boosted her fame.

However, Charlize Theron is currently mainly seen as a pretty face, but as an ambitious woman, she also wants to be involved in some more profound scripts.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance. You just lack some acting experience right now,” Aaron smiled. After all, she couldn’t compare to Liv Tyler, who could play leading roles right after her debut and didn’t lack scripts.
Charlize Theron's debut was marked by minor roles in a few productions!

Charlize Theron nodded. "Yeah, I got it. It's Halloween today, shall we go for a stroll in the streets?"

“Let’s go,” Aaron said without objection, and started the car to head down the mountain.

On Halloween in Los Angeles, the city's outline is no longer its usual clear and bright appearance; at this moment, it seems to be a reflection sunk into a huge, dark pool.

Pedestrians thronged the streets, a tide of outlandish costumes overflowing the roadside crevices, filled with all sorts of bizarre and exaggerated decorations and pumpkin ornaments...

After Halloween, November arrives, marking the start of Hollywood's awards season, with film critics' associations and film festivals in various cities beginning their awards ceremonies.

Los Angeles has entered its most vibrant season of the year, a time of dazzling extravagance and unforgettable charm!

In Burbank, at Dawn headquarters, in the large conference room of Universal Pictures, Aaron proposed at a Dawn board meeting to exchange 50% of USA Cable Network for Liberty Media's Starz! pay-TV channel and 20% of BET Entertainment Channel.

Because, at current prices, the two are roughly equal in value, and perhaps 50% of the USA shares might be worth more right now;

But Starz! is a satellite channel, which not only allows Dawn to enter the satellite television field, but also better showcases Dawn's production capabilities. Starz! has its own film and television production company, as well as broadcasting rights to some movies from major Hollywood film studios.

In short, Aaron favors pay-TV networks that rely entirely on subscribers, with some channels already having AMC and Starz! as supplements.

Moreover, a 20% stake in BET Entertainment is worth four or five hundred million US dollars.

The board of directors had no objections. Subsequently, Aaron held a meeting with Dawn's senior management, including Dawn's two co-presidents, Dawn Steele and Tom Rothman, Chief Operating Officer Brad Gray, AMC President Josh Adams, and Dawn's CFO Jessica Parker.

"The merger of film groups and television stations has become the mainstream, and Dawn's television network is still relatively lacking."

“Starz! TV can fill the gap in our pay channel offerings, and then all we'll need is a nationwide terrestrial broadcasting network!”

Aaron has always had great ambitions. Large media groups cannot function without television stations. The importance of television stations is self-evident, whether for public opinion propaganda or content distribution.

“A wireless broadcasting network?” Jessica Parker glanced at Aaron. “Is Dawn planning to take on NBC or CBS?”

"Yes, I've already proposed this plan at the board meeting: Dawn will pursue a merger or acquisition of NBC or CBS."

"These two wireless broadcasting networks belong to General Electric and Westinghouse Electric respectively, and they haven't been doing well. Divesting from these unfamiliar industries is a good thing for them!"

Tom Rothman began, "Previously, when Disney wanted to acquire NBC, General Electric was willing to sell a majority stake but wanted to retain operational control."

"Now, will General Electric change its mind?"

Aaron thought for a moment, "In the future, I'll talk to Jack Welch. If that doesn't work, we'll focus on Westinghouse Electric's CBS Group."

"After Westinghouse Electric acquired CBS, it merged Westinghouse Broadcasting's television business into CBS. As you've seen in recent years, CBS's viewership has fallen behind FOX."

"If CBS Group weren't so large now, it would have been surpassed by FOX and become the fourth largest wireless broadcasting network in the United States."

Dawn Steele began, "With the internet industry so developed now, many media groups are setting their sights on it."

"AOL, which we invested in, is now a leading internet company with a rapidly growing market value. Perhaps this is also our direction!"

Aaron couldn't deny that the internet industry is indeed very crazy right now, and it has had an impact on the media industry.

"Steve Case spoke to me on the phone earlier, and AOL just spent $42 billion to acquire Netscape;"

"And next, they want to enter other industries for acquisitions, seemingly intending to merge with Dawn!"

Everyone was surprised by Aaron's words, as AOL's market value was now much higher than Dawn's.
AOL, as the largest internet service provider and a benchmark in the internet industry, has joined forces with Dawn to form a powerful alliance!
Aaron looked at everyone's expressions and simply waved his hand, "Dawn will not be acquired, and I will not agree to Steve Case's opinion."

When the tech bubble peaks next year, Aaron will liquidate all his AOL shares to acquire CBS, making Dawn a true media behemoth!
(End of this chapter)