Rebirth 09: Starting from taking charge of Running Man on CCTV

Zhou Wenbin shook his head.

"I knew it! Young people are so arrogant and ignorant."

"What if seven celebrities fall while chasing each other in the street? What if they get trampled? What if onlookers get injured?"

"If a safety accident were to occur, could you and I bear the responsibility? Could CCTV bear the responsibility?"

Sun Bin opened his mouth, wanting to say something on Chen Yang's behalf, but Zhou Wenbin's words hit the nail on the head.

Safety is the top priority for CCTV when producing any program.

At this moment, Lin Hongyuan, who had been taking notes with his head down, spoke up.

"I'll take a look at this case too."

Zhou Wenbin handed over the proposal.

Lin Hongyuan took it, but instead of flipping through the contents, he glanced at the page about the project background.

After reading it, he took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on, and read it again.

"Old Zhou, have you noticed the policy entry point for this case?"

Lin Hongyuan pointed to a passage on the proposal.

"The National Fitness Regulations were just passed in February and will be implemented in October. Nine months after the closing of the Beijing Olympics, the national fitness trend is at its peak."

He looked up at Zhou Wenbin.

"At the station's regular meeting last month, Jiang Tai specifically mentioned that this year we should come up with benchmark content that responds to the national fitness policy."

"This case just happens to hit this spot."

Zhou Wenbin was taken aback.

He was so focused on the safety hazards that he didn't pay attention to the policy alignment.

Lin Hongyuan didn't stop, and continued flipping through the pages.

Turn to the budget page, then turn to the business valuation page.

"The estimated title sponsorship fee for a single season is 80 million."

When he read out the number, there was a two-second silence in the conference room.

Jiang Bingqian, who had remained silent in the main seat, finally raised his head.

Which case?

Lin Hongyuan handed over the proposal.

Jiang Bingqian took it and turned the pages one by one from beginning to end.

No one in the entire conference room uttered a sound.

After turning the last page, Jiang Bingqian closed the proposal and placed it in front of him.

Who wrote it?

"Chen Yang, the executive deputy director of the 'Happy China Tour' team, is 24 years old, a graduate of the Communication University of China, and was transferred from Anhui TV."

Sun Bin stood ramrod straight, his voice half a notch louder than before.

Jiang Bingqian nodded.

"The case has a good idea, the right entry point, and the complete logic."

He looked at Zhou Wenbin.

"Old Zhou's concerns about safety are indeed worth considering, but we can't kill all innovation just because we're afraid of something going wrong."

"Do they still want CCTV's market share?"

After those words were spoken, Zhou Wenbin fell silent.

Jiang Bingqian pushed the proposal to the center of the table.

"Include it in the final review discussion and let the proposer explain it."

"Let's see if he'll come up on stage and say something, so we can see it for ourselves."

A hammer is fixed.

......

At 5 p.m., the preliminary review results were distributed to all program groups of the variety channel in the form of an internal notification.

The CCTV Variety Channel received 108 proposals for its 2009 innovative program proposals. After preliminary review by a senior review panel, 6 proposals were shortlisted for the final review seminar.

The list includes five proposals submitted by experienced directors: a revamped version of a studio variety show, a cultural theme proposal, and a music-themed proposal.

The sixth one.

"Run, China!" Proposer: Chen Yang, Executive Deputy Director of CCTV-3's "Happy China Tour".

The only variety show that is entirely outdoors.

The only proposal submitted independently by an assistant director transferred from a local area.

The news spread much faster than expected.

In the corridor on the third floor of the variety channel, the directors who had just returned from their lunch break gathered in twos and threes, speaking in hushed tones.

"Have you heard? Of the six shortlisted entries, one is an all-outdoor competition."

Who reported it?

"One of the assistant directors in Sun Bin's team is named Chen Yang, who was transferred from Anhui TV last year."

How big?

"Twenty-four."

"Tsk."

No one said anything harsh, but everyone could understand what that "tsk" meant.

On average, it takes a director at CCTV's variety channel at least eight to ten years from joining the company to independently directing their first program.

A 24-year-old assistant director who had been promoted for less than a year bypassed all the senior directors and directly entered the top six in innovation of the year?

This isn't being a nail that sticks out; it's sticking its head right in front of the gun barrel.

......

Sun Bin stood by the window of his office, holding the printed shortlist in his hand.

He was happy for Chen Yang.

But the joy lasted less than three seconds before the back of my neck started to feel cold.

The final review meeting next Monday will be attended not only by the senior executives present today.

Senior directors and producers from each program will all be present to listen in.

Of the 108 proposals, 102 were rejected.

Behind those rejected proposals stood veteran directors who had worked at CCTV for over a decade or two.

Their case failed, but that of a 24-year-old outsider.

No wonder they couldn't swallow this insult.

At the seminar, Chen Yang will face not only scrutiny from higher-ups.

There were also dozens of pairs of eyes staring at him, waiting to find fault, wishing they could tear him to pieces on the spot.

Sun Bin sighed, picked up the landline on the table, and dialed a number.

"Chen Yang, it's me."

"Have you seen the shortlist?"

"You know what to expect from the seminar next Monday, right?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Director Sun, you know what you're doing."

Sun Bin wanted to say something, but then swallowed his words back.

"Okay, then get ready."

After hanging up the phone, Sun Bin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

The child's tone was too flat.

He's so calm, it's hard to believe he's a 24-year-old about to face a full-scale attack from all channels.

......

Chen Yang's workstation is on the third floor of the variety show channel.

Several scripts for the next episode of "Happy China Tour" were spread out on his desk, but he didn't read a single word of them.

The Nokia N95's screen was still lit, and the Fetion message was stuck at the latest one.

"Comrade Chen Yang, after preliminary review, your proposal 'Run, China!' has been shortlisted for the 2009 Innovative Program Final Review Seminar. Please go to the Variety Channel Conference Room at 10:00 AM on Monday, May 18th for a presentation and Q&A session, which will last 30 minutes."

Sender: General Editorial Office of Variety Channel.

Chen Yang locked his phone and placed it face down on the table.

Next Monday.

A 30-minute presentation, plus an unlimited Q&A session.

Sitting on the stage are the station director, deputy station director, and channel director.

Sitting in the audience were a group of veteran directors whose spots he had squeezed out.

It's obvious what those people will use to deal with him: safety hazards, technical feasibility, budget rationality, artist cooperation, compatibility with CCTV's system...

Every single one is a trap.

Each pit had nails buried at the bottom.

Chen Yang leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head.

He closed his eyes, and his memory bank automatically recalled the complete scenes of every proposal meeting, every program review meeting, and every round of broadcasting review and defense he had participated in during his previous fifteen years.

Every tricky question, every coping strategy, and every key phrase for turning the tide.

Everything is here.

Chen Yang opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

come on.

Thirty minutes it is.

That would be enough for him to pin everyone in the room to their chairs, rendering them immobile.