S4, E7 | The Will of the People

\ Monday, January 14th, 2008 /
\ 12:02 pm est. - 9:02 am pst. /

“And we’ll call it ‘Online and Unfiltered with Carly Carpenter” Colin explains, standing beside Joey with an audience of both friendly superiors and unfamiliar superiors alike. “And you’re in favour of this?” Vickers questions, standing with his arms crossed beside his swivel chair, which hosts the company’s chair woman as it usually does when possible. “I think it makes sense for the demographic we’re working toward” Aiden answers, finding himself as the subject of the president’s interest.

“I’d be willing to bet a pretty penny out of my paycheck that the younger generation would be more willing to watch a bipartisan news broadcast if it broke free from the traditions that their parents’ news show stuck to” the eight o’clock producer explains, sitting in one of the visitor’s chairs whilst his girlfriend occupies the one beside him. “If you don’t catch the youth’s eye, you’re going to need every penny that you get” Robin interjects, turning her eyes toward the woman beside him.

“What’s your take on this?” the forty-one percent shareholder in the company questions, her hands coupled and left elbow pressing into her seat’s armrest. “I think you want us to get a move on with bringing in younger eyes and this might be the way to do it” Carly answers, passing a look toward the associate producers she sits to the right hand side of.

“I don’t see how this is supposed to bring in more eyes to our program” Vickers remarks, looking toward Doug whilst he stands behind the eight o’clock EP and his anchor girlfriend, “your show is an alternate, shorter, less-censored broadcast of the one that we put on. Even if it brings in more eyes to what you’re doing, it doesn’t bring in more eyes to our show.”

“Which can work out well for the company as a whole if you play your cards right” Joey retorts, recapturing the collective attention of the crowd he and Colin have at their disposal. “We can ease our younger-approach at the traditional eight o’clock show and do more of the stuff that the older generation watched for” the man explains, holding his hands parallel to each other before directing them toward the young, attractive anchor, “and online, we can have a similar show with fewer restrictions and the younger demographic that we’re looking for.”

“And absolutely no guarantee that the companies we’re targeting with this ‘younger approach’ will want to attach their name to a show that has no vetting process whatsoever” Robin rejoinders, bouncing her right leg up and down as it sits atop her left thigh. “It doesn’t matter if we don’t have a guarantee. These are companies, not religions. They’ll throw morality out the window as long as it turns a profit” Joey doubles down, “we make strong revenue out of the ad space we sell as is. This show is- for you- a way of having your cake and eating it too.”

“And what happens when uptight mothers with a stick up their asses begin boycotting our sponsors because they don’t like the program we’re peddling to their kids?” Vickers queries, watching Colin stare toward the trio occupying the space to his right with curiosity. “You say that as if Carly’s going to go on air and call Al-Qaeda a group of fags and start fighting for the return of slavery” the quieter of the two associate producers respond.

“They’ll certainly take issue with the bodacious brunette on the eight o’clock show spreading her unholy-ways to their youth” Vickers retorts, letting his arms fall from their cross as he places a hand against the corner of his desk. “The last thing we need is Robin swinging by because the family foundation for the foundation of families are threatening to boycott our advertisers unless Carly gets baptised on the air to expel the demon within her or something” he argues, earning the humour of the woman’s producer.

“At least the ratings for that show would go through the roof” Aiden murmurs, earning a sarcastic frown from the company president and a playful elbow in the side by his girlfriend. “The point is that we’d be tainting the image of the anchor that most wives across America already feel their husbands watch each night more than they need to” Robin interjects with a shrug, “we’d threaten to push the advertisers that have already bought into our plans away in the same breath.”

“And you’d be threatening to lose out on perhaps the biggest head start in business that any company’s had since the creation of the telephone” Joey argues back, watching Robin part her lips to speak before raising a finger in her direction, not uttering a word as he gestures for her not to interrupt. Widening her eyes at this motion out of surprise at the man’s gall, the company’s chair woman does as instructed and allows the man to continue speaking.

“We all know the internet is just going to get bigger. Most of the presidential candidates are already using these message boards to gain traction with the youth in their campaigns” Joey continues on, pointing out the direction in which their industry is headed. “Doug showed you a couple of months ago how fast these things can move if we play our cards right, and we’re playing our cards right” he continues to argue, “other agencies are going to be following our lead, so we might as well beat them to the punch.”

“At best, other agencies would just put the show they air on television on the internet instead. They wouldn’t go out of their way to create an entirely new show” Vickers rebuttals, only for the confident producer to fight the claim. “Exactly, which is why they’d lose to us” Joey rebukes, splitting his attention between the two superiors he holds less familiarity with than those who’d joined him in the office.

“If we don’t start this show, someone else will do the same thing with a rinky-dink camera and a shotty microphone in their bedrooms or basements and gain the audience that can be ours” Joey explains, watching the president step around his desk with an inquiry. “What reason do we have to believe that they’ll be able to collect the kind of audience that we already have on air?” Vickers queries, approaching the head-strong gentleman and locking eyes with him.

“Because our audience is shrinking and dying while their audience is growing and just needs to know where to find them” Joey counters, “and as long as these schmucks keep their little show going on long enough with inferior equipment to ours and far less attractive anchors than ours... people will find them.”

“And what do you suggest that we do in the event that we start losing sponsors because of this little stunt?” Robin questions aloud, regaining the attention of the men who’ve approached to present her this opportunity. “Carly and I have contract negotiations coming up within the next few months. If this doesn’t work, you’ll likely want an entirely new crew in at eight o’clock anyway” Aiden speaks aloud, throwing their hat into the ring with full support of his girlfriend, “there’s no reason for us not to put our jobs on the line for this.”

“You’re really that confident in this?” Vickers questions back, approaching the seated figures with both arms crossed over his chest. “There’s no other way to gain that kind of traction in the demographic as fast as you want us to” Aiden confesses, shrugging his shoulders whilst shaking his head, “as far as I’m concerned, I probably don’t have a strong enough case for renewal if we can’t get this show approved.”

“We’ve finally found a stable foothold in the key demo with consistency. But, as far as when our contracts are up, we won’t have done what you wanted us to by then. It’ll take longer than that” Carly remarks, completely buying into the proposition levied prior to the weekend, “as far as we’re concerned, you likely don’t have support of the board to renew our contracts without this.”

“As much as we like you, how would you argue that taking this risk to keep you two around is preferable to just cutting bait when the time comes and starting over again?” Vickers questions, failing to find a suitable answer. Shaking their heads at a loss, the pair of figureheads fail to come up with a satisfying reply as the air grows quiet for a moment, only to be filled with sound by the voices of those that the president now stands slightly ahead of.

“If this show runs sponsors off, you’ll have to restart anyway” Colin speaks up, regaining the focus of those that share the room with him. “The news needs to adapt and there’s no reason for us to let someone else beat us to the curve. We need to evolve with it if we’re going to maintain our place at the top” the shy and reserved producer explains, “if either option ends with you starting from scratch anyway, you might as well roll with the one that has the bigger upside.”

Staring at the men without offering an immediate response, Vickers presses the palms of his hands against his hips and inspects their figures, eyeing them from head to toe. Going along with his investigation of their persons, the associate producers at the centre of attention allow the man to continue with his internal thought, maintaining eye contact with differing levels of confidence before watching the man’s lips finally part.

“I guess I might as well” the company’s president responds with a faint nod.

= Tonight at 9 is created by Zachary Serra, all rights to the series belong to Zachary Serra and his entity of Pacer1 from the start of Season 1 onward =

\ Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 /
\ 1:17 pm est. - 10:17 am pst. /

“My sources are confirming the same thing!” Abby proclaims, pulling her head away from the desktop handset with her palm covering the receiver, staring in the direction of the casually-dressed anchors in the centre of the panopticon. “Who’s your source?” Taylor questions back, stepping ahead of her fiance as he balls his hand by his hip, ready to punch the air in celebration.

“A staffer with the McCain campaign” the associate producer responds, “she says they were told that Giuliani’s flying out to California to end his campaign and offer his endorsement.” To a handful of claps throughout the bureau, the male anchor of nine o’clock punches the air in front of him with a nod, pleased with the way in which the voters of his preferred party have chosen to take their nomination.

“Alright, we’ll run with Edwards and Giuliani’s campaign suspensions at the top of the hour” Taylor remarks to those on duty, “we’ll lead into the cutting of the federal funds rate and follow into the district council’s dismissal.” Accepting of these plans, the broadcast’s producers carry on with their business whilst Marcus remains manning the assignment desk.

“Taylor?” Keith questions aloud, prompting the woman to turn back for the man calling out for her. “I have Sam Vickers on the phone, he says he wants you and Grant in his office as soon as you can” the associate producer explains, watching the anchor approach with her hand held outward. Handing the phone over, Keith steps out of his chair to afford her the ability to sit within it.

“Hello?” the nine o’clock producer greets, her fiance approaching at the sound of his name being mentioned. “When you’re done putting tonight’s show together, I’d like the two of you to see me in my office” Vickers comments, refusing his anchor the opportunity to respond by hanging up the phone, returning an empty dial tone to her ear.

“What’s going on, Sam?” Taylor wonders aloud, walking into the man’s office with her fiance following closely behind. “We’ve got ourselves a little bit of an issue that I’m pretty certain was intentional” the president replies, slapping a newspaper down upon his desk and opening to the sixth page of the document.

“Finley Network appears to close a deal to name disgraced news anchor Howard Nalty one of two faces for new, two-hour flagship show” the older man reads aloud, voicing the headline that stains the most eye-catching space on the tall paper. “You think they leaked it?” Grant questions aloud, taking over the conversation with his ally whilst Taylor turns the published journal around, reading the article that resides beneath a photograph of a smiling Howard exiting the tower Finley is headquartered out of.

“I don’t see any other reason there’d be to just allow Howard Nalty of all people to walk out of the front door to your building” Vickers comments back, “even if he didn’t set it in motion, you wouldn’t want to have a ten foot pole of yourself seen within the vicinity of that man if you could help it.”

“We did have him escorted through the underground parking lot, so I can’t argue your point there” Grant responds, wearing a visage of disappointment as he locks eyes with the man’s printed photograph. “I called you two down here because, if this is purposeful as I suspect that it is, there might be more than just dirty tactics that Russo is willing to go to” Vickers explains, “I’d rather you find out that his name is about to take over the headlines from me than some vender shelling papers on the corner.”

“When did they say they were installing the change to the two-hour format?” Grant questions aloud, continuing the discourse whilst his fiance remains fixated on the column written. “Jack Thompson and Eddie Olberman have their last days at eight and nine o’clock respectively on February 22nd” Vickers answers, both hands tucked into his pockets whilst he speaks, “the idea is that they’ll have a fill-in for their shows for the week following and officially transition to the two-hour format on March 3rd.”

“When do they announce Nalty and the other one?” Taylor questions aloud, nearing the halfway point of the article as she ponders. “From what I’m hearing, that’ll also be the 22nd” Vickers answers, “Finley’s allowing an overrun for five minutes after ten to debut the new anchors. It’ll be Thomspon and Olberman’s contribution on their last show.”

“Do we have anybody looking into who the other anchor is supposed to be?” Grant inquires, only to receive a shake of the president’s head at first in reply. “Russo is keeping a tight lip and only a select few people know internally” Vickers answers, reaching into the liquor cabinet just to the side of his desk and retrieving a bottle of light brown alcohol, “from what I understand, the people that know are spreading rumours around in hoping that it’ll get to one of the other agencies and send them on the wrong track.”

“So we know the other anchor is either someone they don’t want people knowing about or a complete nobody that won’t make headlines. Got it” Grant replies as his fiance lowers the journal down, shrugging her shoulders at the lack of insight the catalogue had afforded her. “Should we make a comment about it on tonight’s show?” Taylor wonders aloud, watching her respected elder shake his head in refusal, “people are going to- understandably- expect Grant to have some kind of opinion on the matter.”

“I wouldn’t suggest it” Vickers rejoinders, unscrewing the clear cap to his glass bottle and pouring a modest ounce and a half of booze into his transparent cup. “Even if Grant doesn’t give a shit, there’s still no reason to give them more leverage than they’re worth” the president assures, “even Aiden and Carly aren’t considering any sort of counter-programming. They know it’s not worth it to let the pricks at Finley think this is a competition.”

“They don’t think this is a competition... They think this is a war” Grant rebuttals, earning a chuckle from the president as he’s amidst a sip of his beverage. “No, a fat troglodyte thinks this is a war” Vickers counters, smirking as he takes down the refreshing sip, “everyone else sees this for the cry for attention and hissy fit that it really is.”

|

\ Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 /
\ 11:18 am est. - 8:18 am pst. /

“Job well done, everyone” Aiden remarks, stepping out from the side of the camera that filmed his girlfriend from a tighter shot than usual, the format of their filming being adjusted slightly in the name of giving their online-exclusive broadcast a more intimate feel. “I feel like I came off needlessly edgy” Carly retorts, stepping out from behind a much smaller desk than the one she usually mans, one leg having been crossed atop the other as she’d leant further in her seat than usual.

“If it worked out for Nirvana, it can work out for you” Aiden replies, cracking a smirk as his significant other’s unamused expression carries itself back toward him. “Relax, we’re just ironing out the kinks. It happens with every broadcast and this one is no different” the executive producer responds, handing the woman a copy of the rough rundown for their proper broadcast much later in the day, “besides, your tits look even better today than they usually do. I’m sure no one will notice the edginess.”

Amusedly swatting the man’s chest, Carly takes the sheet of papers into one hand before grabbing a hold of the coffee that her boyfriend places into the other, their walk carrying them toward the transparent box off to the room’s side. “Polling places are closing early in the south, but none are being shut down as of right now” Aiden explains, walking with the woman toward the conference area, where most of their staff already resides.

“I’m a newswoman. I don’t cover tornadoes until they start infiltrating actual news” Carly responds, the first to enter the meeting room as she’s mid-conversation, “tell me when primaries start getting cancelled over it and then I’ll care about the tornado.”

“What does everyone have?” Aiden asks aloud, accepting the woman’s retort as conclusive before switching the conversation once in the presence of their colleagues. “A quick point to mention before we get to putting together tonight’s show, as a matter of fact” Joey quips, collecting the eyes of the host’s dictating figureheads.

“Does this have anything to do with yesterday’s premiere episode?” Aiden wonders aloud, watching the man’s head nod without any identifying features in his posture to insinuate what’s about to be brought up. “I do, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with you two” Joey assures, earning a confused look from the newly-arrived couple as they take their seats, “it’s actually got something to do with Grant and Taylor upstairs.”

“I thought that was your show, why are they talking about us?” Taylor responds, having been called into Grant’s office at the polite request of the eight o’clock anchor and executive producer. “Because people are trying to figure out what your take is on Nalty getting hired by Finley and most don’t seem to know how to get a hold of anyone close to you” Aiden explains, standing with his arms crossed as Vickers remains quietly reserved in the corner of the room.

“Our new show is part of a bigger message board online. People can comment on whatever it is they want either anonymously or with their actual credentials” Carly furthers, earning a nod of understanding from the similarly-young anchors. “Even though it’s our show, our younger audience knows that you guys have a history with Nalty- especially Grant- and they don’t know how else to tell you that they want to hear more” the woman confesses, “so they’re asking us to let you know that they’re hoping for a response.”

“I figured they might” Grant comments, turning his head in the direction of the onlooking president, though without receiving much of an initial reaction from the man. “They don’t like Nalty and seem to respect you for having taken the stance against him that you did” Aiden continues on, “they’re opposed to the idea of the Finley Network bringing him in and they’re hoping you can share some of your thoughts on the matter.”

“Are they expecting us to say something on your show?” Taylor inquires, only to watch either visitor shake their heads in refusal. “No, they’re just hoping you’ll say something somewhere” Carly explains, “they’re using our stuff online as a way to communicate with LMC as a whole from what it seems.”

“Be sure to have Robin send them a gift basket in that case” Grant comments toward the company president, who ventures back and forth at the room’s side, his lips puckered and head nodding. “I’m sure she will if this helps our bottom line or public perception in any way. Neither of those are of the issue at this moment, however” Vickers rebuttals, taking his face toward the man seated at his desk, “what is, from what I understand, is the fact that people want to hear from you.”

“And you don’t want them to” Grant concludes, only to receive a shrug of the man’s head initially. “Well, I didn’t want them to until I was confronted with the fact that I might not have a choice” Vickers corrects, pulling in a deep breath as his pace slows to a stop, his full attention planted upon the four figures that share the room with him. “I have to do what I can to ensure both of- well, all three now- of your shows are successful” the man concedes, “listening to the audience is a priority in doing that.”

“Then it seems like this should be Grant’s decision to make” Aiden responds, standing at the centre of the room with his hands coupled behind his back, eyes holding firmly upon his immediate superior. “It does certainly seem that way, doesn’t it?” Vickers reaffirms, looking at the eight o’clock producer before confidently swaying his face in the direction of the office’s primary tenant with a closed-lipped smile, “the call is yours to make, Grant.”

|

\ Friday, February 8th, 2008 /
\ 9:58 pm est. - 6:58 pm pst. /

“As we prepare to go off the air until Monday evening, we here at Tonight at Nine would like to send you into the weekend with a few words from yours truly” Taylor explains, passing a look toward her fiance as she lifts the paper script off of the news desk. Gently tapping the bottoms of each page against the glass surface, the female anchor levels her papers properly and steps out of her seat.

“I have been Taylor English, saying goodnight and wishing all of you a safe weekend” the woman signs off, passing the broadcast’s focus off to her co-anchor, “now, here is Grant Haste with closing remarks to offer you.”

“Hard camera, tighten the shot on Grant” Shane instructs, commanding the direction of the broadcast in its closing minutes whilst following with the results on the largest screen he stands before. “Good evening. It has come to our attention at the Leicester Media Corporation that members of our audience, mostly through our channels online, have taken interest in personal comments they believe I may be able to offer in the light of inner-industry information that has come to light in recent weeks” Grant explains, coupling his hands atop the small stack of papers before him.

“The belief of many within our field of work is that a rival network- namely the Finley Network- is prepared to bring on former CSN anchor Howard Nalty as one of two new leads for a competing show to that of Tonight at Nine, and our lead-in broadcast, On-Air with Carly Carpenter” he continues. Climbing down from the transparent stage, Taylor retreats to the left side of Vickers, who watches on from just beside the hard camera as his current-primary anchor closes their flagship broadcast.

“As many of you may know, I have a very detailed history with Mr. Nalty. It was on my first night in this chair that I shed light on a sexual assault involving my former co-anchor on the premises of my former employer” the male anchor recalls, speaking from a place of devoted professionalism. “As I stated then, I played a role in covering up that assault that I- even to this day- deeply regret taking part in” Grant confesses, parting his hands to lift a finger toward the camera.

“I, however, have made it a mission in my life to make good on that deeply unprofessional and immoral mistake ever since” the man continues, speaking with the newsroom- and the nation- watching on. “I’d like to thank Ms. Carpenter and her executive producer, Aiden Redwood, for bringing forward requests for my comments made through their online presence” Grant explains, his words catching the ear of those that he mentions, who watch his show from the levels below his panopticon’s floor.

“Howard Nalty is a deeply disturbed man that I wish to never associate myself with. He is someone who I believe has never truly paid for his actions in the way that so many others have” Grant confesses, shaking his head with outright disappointment in the results that have followed. “Nevertheless, he seems to be in line to take over a fledgling broadcast on an infinitely-inferior network opposite my own” the nine o’clock presenter concedes, “and that is something we are all going to have to make our peace with.”

Watching from the comfort of her luxury flat, Robin sits on her pure-white sofa with a glass of red wine in hand, watching the comments one half of her lucrative primetime team makes on the company’s behalf. “While I feel deeply troubled for those within Finley that will be forced to co-exist with such a deliberately-heinous presence within their workplace, I am not responsible for welcoming it into their building...” Grant furthers, pointing his steady finger toward the camera lens, “...Alburt Russo is.”

Squinting as he watches the broadcast breach the point of ten o’clock and carry on, Burt Russo watches his rival network’s broadcast with a semi-smirk, disregarding the comments made toward him. “As admittedly excellent Howard Nalty is as a newsman, he is one of disgraced integrity for a reason. That disgraced integrity is what the Finley Network is hitching their wagon toward” Grant carries on, watched with a smile from his fiance and immediate superior, “that wagon is one that stations like mine will send careening off course.”

Sipping from her glass of wine, Robin lets her free hand gently rest atop her leg, a pleased smile coming over her face as the man’s comments carry forward. Resting further back in his seat at the same time, Burt Russo lifts one hand toward his chin to support the weight of his head, eyes focusing firmly upon the broadcast he’d otherwise refuse to let show itself within his presence.

“Burt Russo made an attempt throughout last year to purchase a significant number of shares within LMC” Grant confesses, returning his hands to their coupled state atop his paper script. “That attempt failed numerous times, and now- Russo makes an attempt at trying to take down LMC since taking it over didn’t work” the premier anchor proceeds with a smirk, “unfortunately for him, this ploy will fail just as his broadcasts do at resembling anything even remotely close to journalism.”

Standing guard in their defiance toward the opposition, Taylor and Vickers watch on with grins as wide as what’s worn over their company chair woman’s own. “The Finley Network has failed to get under our skin. They have failed to set themselves up as direct competition, and they have failed to present themselves as anything worth being concerned over” Grant declares, shaking his head disapprovingly into the camera, “the Finley Network has sacrificed their flagship broadcast in the name of petty failure.”

Pulling back in his seat, Grant loosens his posture from the professional front that he’d taken on, assuming the mantle of someone speaking from the heart rather than the pages before him. “The Finley Network has decided that they want to make this- the beacon used by LMC to best leave the United States with a well-informed electorate- a competition” the man confirms, deepening the sway of his head from one side toward the other, “we here at LMC liken this ‘competition’ as being equivalent to Michael Jordan taking on a wheelchair-bound child in a dunk contest... There is no competition.”

Taking the paper script before him into each hand, Grant tosses the pages to the floor beside his desk and carries on with his stare into the camera. “Wipe off all other lower-thirds” Shane instructs from within the control room, clearing all graphics from the broadcast in an effort of leaving nothing between the audience and the man who addresses them, “leave him the screen.”

“The Finley Network has left us with no other choice than to ensure that- no matter who they place in that desk at eight and nine o’clock...” Grant commands, “...their flagship will be met with Carly Carpenter’s On-Air and our Tonight at Nine stopping at nothing short of delivering them total annihilation.”

Coupling his hands together atop the now-cleared desk once more, the lone anchor leans further toward the camera as it begins slowly zooming into his face. “We here at eight and nine o’clock don’t pull punches... We deliver knockout blows” he declares, shifting his face with a smile and a confident poise.

“So, on behalf of my fiance and co-anchor Taylor English, the president of our news division Samuel Vickers, chairwoman and CEO of Leicester Media Corporation Robin Lloyd, and everyone here at LMC...” he signs off, placing a slight lean against his left side as his closing remarks are provided, “goodnight, have a good weekend...”

With the camera as close to his face as it can get without breaching the boundaries of comfort Shane concerns himself with, the man closes his broadcast with the same utterance of defiance that those he works with wish to provide. “...and to those at the Finley Network...” Grant proclaims, giving a simple nod to the camera as it readies to outright cut to black, following through on his promise not to pull punches, 

“...go fuck yourselves.”

== Tonight at 9 ==