I am a master in India

Chapter 293 Split up
ATN (Asia Television Network). No, it should be called Sun Television now, though it has a good location.

Not far from the broadcasting center is the commercial street of Zhuhu District—Zhaopati Shopping Mall, and downstairs is a well-known food street in the western suburbs.

The women shopped and bargained at the Chaopati shopping mall, thoroughly enjoying themselves. When they got tired of shopping, they went to the food street, ordered a puli ball, and a cup of kufofaluda.

On Thursday night, loud, out-of-tune chanting echoed from the nearby Sai Baba Temple, attracting a large crowd as the temple distributed offerings (bread and vegetables) to the public free of charge after the ceremony.

The food stalls outside the temple, which had just been ordered to be demolished by the city hall, have now made a grand comeback, standing even more prominently than before.

But as you approach the Sun TV office building and step inside, the noise is immediately shut out.

The world is quiet now. The chairman's office has its own kitchen and bathroom, and there is a lush old tree outside the balcony.

Ron sat here and went through the ATN’s assets in detail.

Needless to say, the news program had to be completely remade. The previous content was very sloppy and clearly showed signs of fabrication.

The studio set was terrible; it looked incredibly cheap at first glance.

Ron has ordered a complete renovation, to be done in the style of the BBC and ABC, and it must be high-end and full of technology.

Extra-large LCD screen, retractable circular ceiling structure, concealed light strips, and anti-reflective transparent floor tiles.
Ideally, the screen and lighting should be controlled together, such as displaying a floating data stream, a rotating Earth model, or an abstract matrix of light and shadow.

Isn't this better than just using a piece of cloth as a backdrop? As a status symbol, what's a little money?

In the future, the studio can also be used as a photography studio to host a serious program similar to Focus Interview.

Speaking of which, Ron also saw the new variety show that Karuna was planning, a cooking show aimed at women.

He shook his head after just one glance; it was a complete knock-off of Zee TV's "Delicious Treasure".

It's basically a program hosted by a chef, with celebrities invited each episode to taste different Indian dishes.

The idea is good, but someone else has already used it.

It's not that you can't copy, but you have to innovate on the basis of copying, otherwise you're sure to fail.

"Boss?" Karuna waited anxiously in front of the desk.

"It needs to be changed." Ron took the program and started writing and drawing.

He directly eliminated the similar settings for chefs, and even completely overturned the rules.

“Celebrity Cooking Competition?” Mary watched from the side.

"As the name suggests, it's a show where celebrities compete in cooking skills." Ron handed over the new proposal.

SunTV can also have food programs, but they have to be more entertaining.

Regardless of whether the guests perform well or not, the important gimmick is the celebrities; the more ridiculous they make, the more interesting it is.

Add a competitive element, and isn't that more interesting than a few people sitting around a chef giving pretentious reviews of the food?
"Brilliant, boss!" Karuna exclaimed, beaming with delight as she held the proposal.

Even he, a staff member working behind the scenes, began to look forward to what the show would look like after it was finished.

Bollywood male and female stars, cricket stars, and even politicians can be invited to be guests on the show.

When will ordinary Indians ever see a scene like this? I bet they'll all be screaming with excitement to see it.

"Mary, the Bollywood guest is in your hands."

"No problem, darling."

“Karuna, go and contact other celebrities, athletes, academics, anything.”

"Yes, boss."

“If necessary, I can get two municipal councilors to come over.” Ron planned to invite the politicians himself.

According to the plan, the show will be broadcast in October and will be the first variety show on Sun TV.

However, "Celebrity Cooking Competition" can only be considered a warm-up program; the TV station still needs a flagship variety show.

As a flagship channel, food alone cannot support such an event.

"I'm planning to create a grassroots talent show on SunTV."

"Amateur talent show?" This new concept has left many people puzzled.

"Yes, this is a large-scale television talent competition. Anyone, regardless of age or background, can participate in any form in front of an audience and judges."

"Wow!" Mary and Karuna were both amazed; they could hardly imagine what kind of show this would be.

"Anyone can come, and there are no taboos about what they perform."

"Anyone?" Karuna asked.

"Yes."

"No restrictions on the content of the performance?" Mary raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"There might be some outrageous performances, and the audience might have objections," Karuna expressed her concerns.

"Audiences have a natural curiosity, so feel free to try things out. Controversy is what gives something the potential to become a hit."

Ron wasn't afraid at all; India's ethnic groups, languages, and customs were indeed complex.

But as long as you maintain the right balance and avoid taboos, there's absolutely no problem.

Indians have incredibly creative ideas, and they'll adapt.

Ron had already thought of a name for the show: "Got Talent".

Hehe, if other countries want to do this in the future, they might have to pay us copyright fees.

Of course, that's a story for later; the current focus is on preparing the program.

"Got Talent" requires auditions, meaning Sun TV first selects talented performers.

This will take some time, so preparations should begin as early as possible.

Although Sun TV has not yet started broadcasting, various parties have already begun to mobilize.

Mary will travel to the United States to negotiate satellite leasing with Pan Am.

Karuna and Sanjiv were in charge of preparing for two variety shows, as well as recruiting for the television station's expansion.

Lena went to Bollywood to select suitable TV series, ready to broadcast high-quality shows as soon as Sun TV launched. Ron also had a mission: to officially acquire the "Sun TV" trademark.

He had to make a trip to Tamil Nadu, where he had already spoken by phone with Sun TV.

It just so happens that his "mother's" adopted son is getting married, and Ron promised her he would go and support him, so he can take care of both things at the same time.

However, before that, the cable television network left over from ATN deserves his continued attention.

This is a high-quality channel asset, but it will take a lot of effort to develop it.

While 300,000 users may not seem like a large number, it's not to be underestimated.

As mentioned before, TV stations are like network administrators, able to control what programs users watch.

SunTV's own programs are naturally ranked first; see, that's the distribution channel.

Once the user base expands significantly, they can also partner with other TV stations to earn a distribution fee.

Just like movie theaters, they take 40% to 50% of the box office revenue, a sure-fire way to make money.

Of course, a few arch-rivals will be excluded.

Once the distribution channels are expanded, they have the ability to restrict the other party's publicity and promotion.

Now Ron needs to expand the Sun TV network, and he has an idea that's cheap and cost-effective.

Connecting users to cable TV requires a large number of people to install it door-to-door.

Hiring all workers is definitely not realistic; the labor costs are too high.

Ron planned to outsource it to whom? Of course, to his own people in the slums.

However, he was too lazy to concern himself with such trivial details and needed to assign someone to oversee the matter.

In July, Mumbai is not only hot, but also so humid that it makes you feel uncomfortable all over.

During the eight rainless months of the year, dirty dust floats in the air from time to time, and the dust settles, making every exposed surface filthy.

If you walk on the street for half an hour and wipe your face with a handkerchief, you'll see streaks of black grime.

There's no way around it; even the rich can't avoid looking disheveled, unless you hide at home and never come out.

Ron had only walked in the alley for a short while when his clothes were covered with a fine layer of dust.

The rainy season has arrived, and now it's a short period of sunny weather, making it hot and humid.

He found Anand in an old courtyard, the place where the drug addicts gathered.

"Ron Baba!" The short, stout man shook his head happily.

“Come on, let’s grab something to eat by the roadside,” Ron suggested.

Having grown accustomed to five-star restaurants, he occasionally reminisces about the charm of street food.

“I know where the best restaurants are, I guarantee you won’t want to go home! You haven’t been coming here much lately, yaar, you don’t need to be so busy, you should learn to stop and enjoy yourself.” Anand happily led the way.

"Yes, I heard you arranged a marriage for Jamal?" Ron smiled and relaxed.

"He's already sixteen; he should have gotten married long ago."

Why not let him study?

“He doesn’t want to; he’s not happy reading. Ron, happiness is the most important thing in life. If you’re not happy, how miserable life must be.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right.” Ron smiled, a happy smile.

"That's how people in the slums are; you have to make yourself happy. Studying is good, but the ultimate goal is still to be happy. I'm glad Jamal found his path ahead of time."

"Wow, you're an enlightened father."

“Right, you think so too. Are you going to his wedding?” Anand shook his head.

"Of course, I will definitely come."

"That's great! Everyone will be ecstatic!"

In Mumbai during the day, the world around us moves slowly and laboriously.

As evening approached, the city gradually quieted down.

The two walked toward the beach, where the cool sea breeze blowing from the bay gradually subsided and was then blocked by the streets lined with towering row houses.

The smoky traffic flowed endlessly along the seaside promenade, with a cluster of British colonial-era buildings not far behind.

Most of those houses are built with solid geometric structures and are over two hundred years old.

The intricate details of the balcony, window trim, and stepped facade reflect a luxurious and elegant style.

That's a style that this glamorous and modern city is almost powerless to create.

They found a small roadside shop, and Anand ordered food with practiced ease.

There was sweet tea flavored with cloves, rolled pancakes smothered in tubes and coated with refined butter and sugar, as well as roast chicken and roast lamb.

These are all ordinary snacks, not lavish, but they easily arouse people's unique appetite.

“You must not have eaten on the street in a long time.” Anand grabbed a flatbread and devoured it.

“I miss it. We used to eat like this on the street all the time, at least a hundred times.”

“That’s right, we’ve been to every single roadside stall in South Mumbai. We’re so lucky.”

Anand is easily satisfied; he already has a lot of money, yet he still lives in a slum.

He's as stubborn as a child and can't accept living anywhere else.

Just as the rich wouldn't accept living in a slum, they have their own values ​​regarding life.

“By the way, Ronbaba, is something the matter?” Anand asked after finishing a whole roll of tartare.

"Yes, there is a job that needs manpower."

“No problem, everyone in the slums is willing to work for you.” Anand liked this kind of thing.

(End of this chapter)