Capítulo 450: Chapter 450: Stabilize the Damned Stock Price
"I knew that the award wasn't meant for Michael; I thought he was just invited as a presenter," Britney Spears said in an interview after her performance at the Los Angeles Open Air Theater. When asked about Michael Jackson's comeback concert next year, she added, "After all, Michael is an idol to countless people, including me..."
The 2002 VMAs insulted Michael Jackson, which made numerous Jackson fans furious. Michael Jackson had taken a break for a few years due to child molestation allegations, but his massive fan base remained powerful.
Early on, since Britney Spears was a Sony artist and the conflict between Michael Jackson and Sony was widely known, coupled with Britney's own negative news, the incident was rarely mentioned at the time.
Now, under Charles Capet's behind-the-scenes planning over the past few years, Britney Spears had evolved from merely flaunting her sexuality into a true diva. After joining Capet Records, she became the top artist at the company. Even newcomers like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga admired her.
Soon, the media dug up the old feud between MTV and Michael Jackson, with Capet adding fuel to the fire by pointing fingers at MTV.
In Burbank, at Charles Capet's office, Evelyn poured herself a glass of whiskey, took a sip, and looked at Charles. "Michael Jackson and MTV are like oil and water; he hasn't attended any MTV-related events for six years. Aren't you worried that having Britney say these things will affect Michael Jackson?"
Charles shrugged. "Affect what? Does he not have an opinion about MTV? I'm helping him vent, and haven't you noticed that AEG Live is stirring things up too? It helps promote Michael's concert next year!"
Charles then asked, "How does Michael feel about our offer? Is he still unsatisfied?"
Evelyn shook her head. "I don't know. He said he just wants to complete this tour perfectly, offering fans a fantastic experience in terms of health, stage design, and overall performance."
"You met with Shari Redstone before; didn't you strike a deal?" Evelyn asked.
Charles shook his head and said, "No deal. I thought Shari Redstone would have some power, but she was just a pawn used against Sumner Redstone. We need to wait for Sumner Redstone to step down from management."
"Given Sumner Redstone's age, he shouldn't have much energy left to manage the company," Evelyn remarked, not believing an 85-year-old man could still be vigorous.
"The older, the more stubborn," Charles said, curling his lips. He continued, "Viacom and CBS stocks have already dropped significantly this year; their debt ratio is rising, and they just lost DreamWorks. Next year, without Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks, Paramount's live-action films will definitely take a hit!"
"MTV and Paramount are the core assets of Viacom, and CW is one of CBS's core assets. You've specifically targeted MTV and CW quite well," Evelyn noted.
"Oh, did we secure the adaptation rights to the bestselling series The Vampire Diaries by American author L.J. Smith?" Charles asked.
Evelyn nodded. "Capet Television is already preparing for production!"
The conflict between Capet and Viacom extended from newspapers to movies, music to television, covering more and more areas. Capet Television adapted L.J. Smith's bestselling series into a teen fantasy drama, The Vampire Diaries, ending negotiations with CBS and instead moving to Disney's ABC. The globally popular Gossip Girl, produced by Capet Television, was also planning to halt the third season premiere on CBS.
Judy McGrath, current MTV president, and Paramount president Brad Grey headed to Viacom president Philippe Dauman's office together.
"Now, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears' fans are expressing their dissatisfaction with MTV. Along with other artists who already had issues with MTV, young artists from Capet Records like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga are also giving us the cold shoulder. Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry are supposed to be next year's VMA stars, but it looks like they might not even attend!" Judy McGrath stared angrily at Philippe Dauman.
As a member close to Tom Freston, she was already displeased with Philippe Dauman for taking the CEO position at MTV amidst declining performance.
Now, because Philippe Dauman let Viacom suppress Capet, they're facing backlash, making MTV's situation increasingly awkward!
"Judy, there are so many excellent artists worldwide. Without Capet's artists, how much can it really affect us?" Philippe Dauman said, frowning.
Judy McGrath laughed. "Do you know how many fans Michael Jackson and Britney Spears together have? Newly emerging country pop princess Taylor Swift has already sold more than 6 million albums domestically with just two records. Katy Perry and Lady Gaga's new albums this year have both surpassed 4 million sales; these are just newcomers!"
Soon, CBS chairman Les Moonves entered, looking at the group and reminding them, "On CBS's end, Time Warner is quite unhappy with our conflict with Capet. Capet Television has already ended negotiations for The Vampire Diaries premiere on CBS next year. Now, they also want to stop Gossip Girl's third season from airing on CBS. Moreover, Capet Television's Family Sitcom Modern Family previously discussed with CBS has shifted to NBC. Capet's production quality is evident to everyone; shows like Prison Break, Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Gossip Girl have proven ratings. Even their reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians saw explosive viewership!"
"Whether it's Viacom or CBS, we need to stabilize the damn stock price," Les Moonves said, glancing at Philippe Dauman. "We need to talk to Mr. Redstone; it's bad for all of us if this keeps up!"
*****
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