Bart and Angel may not see the development in a few years, they choose the fastest way to achieve results. Alex is different, he understands the trend in the future, and he thinks that if he can't buy a newspaper or a radio station, then he should be able to start a TV station.

Don't think that TV stations are more difficult to do than newspapers and radio stations. In fact, in this era of low TV penetration, the value of TV stations is much lower than that of newspapers and radio stations. Nowadays, television stations are blooming everywhere in the United States, and some large and small TV towers have been built in various places, almost a TV tower is a TV station.

However, the cost of running a television station is too high, and many television stations have to be sold at a loss shortly after they are built. After the initial chaotic development, the U.S. government banned the act of building towers out of order, and now you need a government license to start a television station.

If Alex had been reborn ten years earlier, he might have been able to build the largest television and radio network in the United States. Now, unless you can get a new license through government connections, you can buy existing TV broadcasters.

When it comes to television broadcasters in the United States, Alex thinks of the three major commercial broadcasters in the United States, NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation), CBS (American Broadcasting Corporation) and ABC (American Broadcasting Corporation). In later generations, these three companies simply occupied most of the American TV market, and many people were users of these companies. A lot of news opinions are spread through these companies. However, the influence of these companies is not as great as that of some newspapers and radio stations.

"I don't know if NBC or CBS is expensive, it's better if I can wholly own it."

Alex didn't consider ABC at all, because ABC was still a small radio station with little influence. He's grown so big, he hasn't really seen ABC's show, as if he's never heard of it. All he knows is that NBC and CBS are good right now.

He finally decided to ask the market first to see, and then make a comparison when the time comes. So he called the staff of the investment company and asked them to find a way to contact some people from NBC and CBS to get the basics.

"Hello? I'm Alex! I have something for you to help me with. ”

After arranging for someone to do this, Alex waited patiently at home for news. Within a few days, there was a reply.

"Not for sale!" The answer was very succinct, and Alex's request was rejected at once.

The current TV station is actually not very profitable, and if you want to become bigger and stronger, you have to invest a lot of money in it. However, people are not stupid, and they are willing to invest so much money because they are optimistic about the future development of the television broadcasting industry and their influence on public opinion.

After being rejected, Alex began to play with the idea of ABC. He had already asked people to investigate the company, and he wanted to know what would be the famous ABC TV station in later generations, but it was unknown in this era. It turned out that the company hadn't really developed yet.

At that time, NBC was the first broadcaster in the United States, with two nationwide broadcast networks, one called the Red Network and the other called the Blue Network. Among them, the blue net is the predecessor of ABC.

At that time, the broadcast network was slowly transformed into a television network, and NBC, as the largest broadcaster, not only covered the whole of the United States, but also radiated the signal to places like Canada and Northern Mexico. This violated the Antitrust Act of the time, and in 1943, according to the Federal Communications Commission's report on the investigation of chain broadcasting, it was stated that a company could not own more than two broadcast networks.

NBC had to split them up, keeping the red network and selling the blue network. It changed hands several times before it was bought by Edward John Nobel for $10,000. A few years later, it officially appeared in front of the audience in the form of a TV station.

At that time, the blue network was almost an empty shell, except for the network with equipment and coverage, there was no regular program group. Thankfully, Edward didn't discard him, he wasn't a qualified media personality and didn't accept the opinions of his subordinates, and as a result, he made a mess of ABC TV.

Edward was a serious, unsmiling man who didn't know how to run a television station or could afford a company that he had bought for $10,000. He went so far as to suggest that the announcer just read the newspaper in front of the audience in front of the camera. He made his fortune in the candy business, and he was a philanthropist, but not a good TV manager.

For the first 10 years of ABC TV, basically no one noticed it. It's almost impossible to compete with NBC and CBS.

At this time, Alex's people came to the door. The idea of buying the TV company surprised Edward. The two of them made an appointment to come out for dinner and talk about related things by the way.

"Why do you want to buy ABC?" Edward asked, he was already tired of the station by this time, and many people persuaded him to sell the company. But he never found a good buyer, and no one wanted a TV station that had no influence.

Alex looked at the person in front of him, a man with a pale face and deep-set eyes. From the other party's gloomy eyes, Alex felt that this person was running out of time. However, he still replied cautiously: "I like to watch TV shows, but the current TV stations do not have what I want to watch." I want to make my own shows that entertain people and at the same time people can learn something from them. ”

After hearing this, Edward thought Alex's idea was interesting. He had heard about the Carpenter brothers for a long time, first by hearing their songs on the radio, then by seeing their interviews on TV shows, and finally by seeing their films in the cinema. He liked Alex, and he thought that although the boy was young, he would definitely be a big man in the future.

As early as a year or two ago, Edward already felt that his health was not as good as before, and he had already arranged his afterlife. It's just that the TV station has always been a heart problem that he can't let go, and he has arranged a large amount of funds for his three hospitals and a candy factory. With these funds, the hospitals and confectionery factories will be able to run smoothly and the workers will be well cared for.

However, TV stations are different, they require a lot of investment to function properly. He had planned to set aside a fund for the television station alone, but it was still not enough. Edward was a good and responsible man, and he didn't want to lose his job after he died.

"So what are you going to do? If you own this TV station. Edward asked.

Alex hesitated, unsure if Edward would sell ABC TV to him, and if his thoughts were known to the other party, there would be any bad effects. Eventually, he was going to tell the truth, and he told some of his show ideas.

For example, filming children's science education programs, news programs that closely follow current affairs reports, sports programs, music programs, and so on. These programs, at the time, were very novel ideas, and I thought it was very interesting to listen to them.

From these words, Edward could feel Alex's confidence and love for television. He squinted his eyes, thought for a while, and said, "How much are you going to spend on my TV station?" ”

Edward bought the blue network for only 10,000 yuan, but after so many years of operation, ABC has 116 affiliated radio and television stations. He's invested millions of dollars. It is precisely because of this that no one can take over the ABC TV station in his hand, and even if it is sold at cost price, almost no one wants to buy it. Spending tens of millions of dollars to buy an influential TV station is simply idiotic.

Alex hesitated, he didn't know what the psychological value of Edward was, he was rich now, but he couldn't spend it indiscriminately. He said, "It depends on how much money you want to sell me ABC Company?" ”

Edward opened his mouth and laughed silently, he held out a finger and said, "Ten million dollars!" ”

$10 million, which was a sky-high price at the time. Edward was a philanthropist, but he was also a businessman. He sold it at this price, and he was able to make a small profit of millions of dollars, which can be regarded as not in vain for so many years.

Alex frowned, he thought, with a TV station like ABC, it would cost 10 million dollars, it was really not worth it. With so much money, he might as well start a new company on his own. It's just that the problem of the license plate is not easy to solve, and there is equipment and personnel, which have to have time to be done.

"Mr. Edward, I don't think your ABC company is worth 10 million!" Alex said bluntly.

Unexpectedly, Edward agreed with his statement, nodded and said, "Yes, it's not worth 10 million." I bought it for only $10,000. But you know, ABC was just an empty shell at the time. Later, I looked for the government and the bank to ask for support and loans, and slowly took down its other affiliated TV stations. ”

Alex listened and didn't say anything. He stared into Edward's eyes, and found that when the other party talked about these things, his eyes became sharper and more energetic.

Edward continued: "I got the Blue Net in 1944, when it had changed hands several times, and when it came to me, there was almost nothing. Initially, when NBC sold Blue Net, it sold for $8 million. The people who bought it quickly regretted it, because they found out that the blue network they bought was just some broadcast towers and equipment, which were useless to them. ”

"What about you? Did you regret it when you bought the blue net? Alex asked.

Edward shook his head and said, "When I bought the blue net, I didn't know what the use of the road was. But I don't regret it. My father taught me that instead of regretting what had happened, it was better to find a way to fix it. I don't know anything about TV, and I have no interest in it. But I know that no matter how bad it is, I won't let it go easily. ”

Alex said softly: "Then it will make you lose money, ABC company has been sucking up your funds, but it can't generate any profits." ”

"In my life, I've never done a loss-making business, never. Even if you lose money now, you won't in the future. ”

When Edward said this, his eyes were firm, and he was convinced that television would definitely develop in the future. As long as he persists, his generation can't do it, then look at the next generation, or even the next generation.

Alex then realized that no other TV broadcaster would buy the TV station to him, and it turned out that no one was stupid. Television penetration is now increasing across the United States, and so is the demand for television. It is clear to everyone that the importance of television in the future.

Damn it! These old foxes! Alex cursed inwardly.

He lowered his head and looked at the patterns on the table, estimating how much the business would ultimately cost. 10 million is just the price of buying the company, and then it will definitely need to invest a lot of money to expand TV programs, reform the TV station system, and so on.

Edward was not in a hurry, he did not rush Alex, and waited quietly. He has patience, he has been waiting for more than ten years, is he afraid that he will not be able to wait for this little time?