Walking to the door leading to the backyard, Cindy Crawford turned her head to see that Eric and Terry Semel had already talked, and pushed the door open and walked out.

Towards noon, the late autumn sun shone over the wide estate, and the temperature at the end of October had dropped below 20 degrees, and even the sun seemed to pale because of the drop in temperature. Although the lawn in the yard and the surrounding shrubs that serve as fences are evergreen, there are also dead leaves at this time, and they are no longer so business-seeing.

Cindy doesn't like this cold environment very much, but as far as the eye can see, the autumn sky seems very low, and behind a few white clouds is a touching blue, just looking over the fence wall not far away, it seems that you can see the horizon, this kind of open artistic conception makes people can't help but have a feeling of comfort, Cindy can't help but stretch lazily, to the maid cleaning the dead leaves next to the fence to ask Joanna's whereabouts, across the lawn, towards the seaside where a few fiery red maple trees grow.

Joanna was sitting under a maple tree with a thick booklet on her lap and two small figures around her, seemingly collecting maple leaves.

Seeing Cindy coming over, Joanna beckoned to her, smiled, and then took a maple leaf handed over by Kevin, patiently whispered a review to the little one, and then tucked it into the booklet on her lap.

It was not yet eleven o'clock, and Cindy was not in a hurry to relay Eric's instructions, looking at the thick maple leaves on the ground, so she sat down next to Joanna and said, "These maple trees are so beautiful, well, they are maple trees, I feel that the trunk is not the same as what I have seen before?"

Joanna nodded, gesturing to a few boreholes in the trunk. Said: "It's Sugar Maple." In spring, you can take the sap and boil maple syrup. ”

"Oh. So this is Sugar Maple," Cindy snapped, looking at the small holes in the trunk again. Maple syrup has a very low sugar content, it is not easy to make people fat, it is a very favorite food of women, she often eats it, and at this time it is the first time that she recognizes the sugar maple tree that produces maple syrup.

"There is also maple syrup specially boiled this year at home, you can try it at noon. Joanna said, saw Hawaii running over with a leaf, took the maple leaf from her daughter's hand and looked at it, and said softly: "Baby, this leaf seems to have crawled over by insects, you see, the marks on it are ugly, look for it again." ”

Hawaii looked at his mother's finger, still curious, "Mom." Why do these things appear when insects crawl over the leaves?"

Joanna vaguely remembered that the secretions left by some insects had corroded the leaves into unsightly marks, and explained in a whisper in a language that Hawaii could understand. Only then did he send the curious little guy away.

Cindy listened to Joanna's words until Hawaii ran away again, saying, "Joan, you're so patient. ”

Joanna smiled, looking tenderly at the little figure who was picking up maple leaves, as if looking at the whole world. After a few moments, she asked Cindy, "How's your talk with Eric?"

Cindy nodded, her expression was very relaxed, and said, "I plan to produce another season of the show in the spring, and he has already agreed." ”

Since she came to visit, there must be a reason, and Cindy's reason is definitely not perfunctory.

As the ratings of "America's Top Model Contest" became more and more popular, Cindy was a little worried during this time.

Once she got the project, Cindy had her private accountant calculate her likely earnings based on the 10 percent contract.

According to the calculations of the accountants, the passing score of the ratings data that she can get paid more is similar to that calculated by Lifetime TV, which is 1.5 million people. Below this ratings figure, she can only get a guaranteed salary of $800,000, which she won at the original contract drafting stage, and she was still a little proud at the time, because as far as she knew, Linda, that fool, didn't think of these things at all, so there was no guaranteed salary clause in the contract, if the ratings were not satisfactory and the project failed to generate profits, her months of work would be wasted.

But it was the original contract that made her feel like she was cocooned now.

In a rigorous commercial contract, rights and obligations are always reciprocal.

Because of the original guaranteed salary clause, Lifetime TV also attached a bargaining power to the contract, agreeing that the two parties can renegotiate the salary in the second season of the show, which is also a condition offered by Lifetime TV in order to ensure the production of the sequel. 's ratings didn't explode, but they also met the TV's standards for producing a sequel, so they also expect Cindy to join the show at a lower pay next season, and the two sides have even reached an agreement of $500,000 in private.

In a casual conversation with Linda, Cindy said that she would be very satisfied if she could get a $3 million profit share for "America's Top Model Contest", which is also a more realistic result she has come to after a few years in the TV industry.

In order to get $3 million from this project, "America's Top Model Contest" needs to reach about 2.5 million viewers, and with the average audience of Lifetime TV station is less than 1 million, Cindy originally didn't have much expectation for this goal.

But now, the ratings of the two shows have far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Take the latest episode of "America's Top Model Competition", which she is responsible for, the highest ratings have rushed to 4.6 million, and with the continuous expansion of the number of subscribers of Lifetime TV in the future and the continued spread of the program's influence, Lifetime TV has predicted that the maximum rating of the program may even exceed 6 million, and the average viewership of the whole season will not be less than 4.5 million.

According to the price floating contract signed between Lifetime TV and advertisers, the average 30-second advertising fee for 1.5 million hours is $50,000, and the average viewership is 4.5 million, which will increase the advertising fee threefold. After the full episode aired. Lifetime TV is only advertising money. It will bring in $60 million in revenue, and the subsequent syndicate distribution and DVD and other messy revenues will bring in no less than 60 million, and a project with a production cost of $20 million will eventually reap $120 million.

In addition to the production cost of 20 million US dollars, the net profit also reached at least 100 million US dollars.

$100 million, according to a 10% share, Cindy can get $10 million. Even if it is a Hollywood A-list actress, how many can get $10 million a year?

So, now comes the problem.

With "American Supermodel Contest" and "Flyover", she and Linda not only firmly crossed the threshold of tens of millions of dollars in annual income, but also left all other supermodels in the industry with an annual income of only one million, as long as the two shows maintain enough popularity, the two of them can even sit firmly in the position of supermodel queen.

However, the rebargaining power attached to the minimum salary has recently made Cindy restless.

If the ratings don't meet expectations, in order to save the production budget. Lifetime TV can activate bargaining power and reduce Cindy's guaranteed salary. But at this time, the ratings exploded, but the bargaining power was still valid, and Cindy could get a sky-high salary of $10 million in the first season, so it seems very reasonable for the TV station to want her to reduce her share in the sequel. Even, if the two sides can't get along, Lifetime TV also reserves the right to change the host.

Reducing the share, Cindy is very reluctant, "American Top Model Contest" is more popular than "Flyover", if her share is lower than Linda Ivan Gorinsta next season, then what is it, she will become a joke when it gets out.

However, the threat of a possible replacement frightened her even more.

When the show didn't have any eyebrows, the position of the host had already caused a lot of open and secret competition, and it finally fell to her and Linda.

At this time, "American Supermodel Contest" has been a great success, if she has a disagreement with Lifetime TV, the project team revealed the news that they plan to change the host, and it is strange that those red-eyed little Bichi do not grab their heads, and when the time comes, the media wind caused by the change of host of the program can definitely cover up the loss of popularity caused by her departure, that is, "American Supermodel Contest" is not so dependent on her, but she can't withstand the impact of losing this position.

After hesitating between the dilemma for a long time, Cindy finally took the initiative to find Eric today, hoping to implement everything in advance, and found a good reason for her trip, she wanted to start the production of the second season at the end of the year.

According to the rules of the competition, because the last three contestants will appear at New York Fashion Week in February next year for the final competition, the production cycle will exceed half a year, during which there will be a winter break of about two months, and it is impossible to produce two seasons a year. But "America's Top Model Contest" is different, and all thirteen episodes of one season can be broadcast in December. After the first season is broadcast, preparations will begin at the end of the year, and the spring file in March next year, and the second season will be launched on time.

In the morning, he hurried over and discussed his plans for the second season with Eric, and took the initiative to explain the matter of bargaining power in a nervous mood. Judging by the smile on Eric's face at the time, he must have been a little gloating or something, but he didn't embarrass her, personally promised her that her contract would be the same, and said that he would ask Anne Sweeney for advice.

The big stone that tossed her for half a month in her heart finally let go.

Alas, what a little man who makes people want to swallow it in one bite.

Recalling the situation not long ago, Cindy turned her head to see Joanna carefully cut the maple leaf handed over by the little guy with a small pair of scissors, and sandwiched it into the pages of the book, and couldn't help asking, "Joan, will it be boring to just take care of the children every day?"

"In a few years, you will definitely not think like this, women always have to settle down. Joanna turned her head to look at Cindy, smiled, and continued: "You know, I was born in Poland, at that time, the Soviet Union was still there, and the situation in Poland has not been very good, and you were hungry when you were a child, you must not have tasted starvation." Hehe, since I was a child, I wanted to be able to leave Poland, went around and around, and finally left, only to find that it was not heaven outside, so I was so displaced, until four years ago, I inadvertently met Eric, and then there was Xia Xia. ”

Joanna said lightly, seeing Hawaii running over again, she hugged her daughter and kissed her affectionately. The little girl was keenly aware of Joanna's mood change, let her mother hold her, and cried out with some confusion: "Mom, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, baby," Joanna shook her head, let go of Hawaii, looked at her watch, turned her head to the thoughtful Cindy and said, "Cindy, help me take care of Kevin and Xia Xia, okay, I have to pick up Emma, the kindergarten is not far from here, and I can be back in fifteen minutes." ”

"Of course, no problem," Cindy, who came back to her senses, nodded quickly, and added, "By the way, Eric just said that he wanted to leave Terry Semel for lunch." ”

"I'll let the kitchen prepare," Joanna told the two little ones and entrusted it to Cindy, before getting up and leaving.

Watching Joanna walk away, Cindy patted the booklet left by Joanna in her hand, and smiled at the two little guys: "Okay, babies, let's continue, Aunt Cindy will play with you, okay?"

Hawaii and Kevin didn't recognize each other, but they also obviously lost the intimacy with Joanna, and lost interest after a few minutes, and Cindy had no experience with children, so she had to return to the villa with the two little ones.

Pushing the door into the living room, Eric and Terry Semel were still chatting, seeing Cindy back with the two little ones, Eric smiled and pointed to the living room on the right, signaling that Cindy could take the children there to play, Terry Semel glanced at little Kevin, and waved to Hawaii, and got the little girl's response, and immediately showed a more gentle smile on her face.

Since he came through the interface of a passing visit, Terry Semel had been chatting with Eric just now, watching Cindy walk into the living room with the two little ones, knowing that the time was almost there, Terry Semel said: "Eric, I came this time, in fact, there is one more thing, Lifetime TV has been gaining momentum recently, and Warner Cable still has a large part of its user resources, maybe, we can work more closely?"

Eric took a sip of the coffee in front of him before saying, "Terry, although I don't pay much attention to the operation of the TV department, I have also heard that the cooperation between Lifetime and Warner Cable was not too pleasant. ”

"Eric, cooperation between companies can never be calm all the time, and when there are some disagreements, after all, both sides have to think about their own interests," Terry Semel analyzed lightly, and added: "Given the popularity of Lifetime TV in recent times, I think we can re-sign the share contract, and Warner Cable can increase the subscriber share to 18 cents, what do you think?"

Eric shook his head and said, "18 cents, that's too low, the highest viewership of "America's Top Model Contest" has rushed to 4.6 million, and there are not many TV stations on cable channels that can get this result, right?"

"I think 18 cents is a lot of money, Eric," Terry Semel disagreed: "America's Top Model and Flyover." ,It's only two hours a week.,But the total prime-time time of the week is 22 hours,In addition to these two reality shows,Lifetime TV's program ratings in other periods are not prominent.,Moreover,These two reality shows will end one after another in two months.,I'm afraid it's unlikely that Lifetime TV will immediately find a good enough program to undertake the popularity they bring,So,From the perspective of comprehensive strength,Lifetime TV is still insignificant。 (To be continued.) )