Boss. There are more and more artistes joining Haitian now. Our resources are limited. I heard that Li Film and Television is having financial problems now. Can we buy it?
After putting down William's phone, Zhang Tao also considered this problem.
All the signed artists under Haitian received comprehensive professional training from film and music. During the training period, the company would occasionally arrange for them to play small roles in some movie programs or participate in some television variety shows to earn some fame. Even if it was an ordinary signed artist who could not earn a single cent, the company would still give him a monthly living allowance of 3000 Hong Kong dollars. This made the children of ordinary families very satisfied with this salary.
Although Zhang Tao had already gathered so many potential seedlings, it was very difficult to make them famous. This was because Zhang Tao did not have a huge media influence like Tvb, nor did he have a complete music production and distribution channel like Polygold and Emi. Therefore, the potential of the human resources under his banner had not yet erupted to its full potential!
After hearing from Zhao Yazhi that Chen Huixian, Lin Yilian, and Ye Qianwen had also defected to Haitian, Zhang Tao could not help but think about how to make Haitian company truly soar.
In March 1981, the British parent company of Li's TV decided to shrink its business in Asia due to the failure of its investment in a laundry factory in Canada. The shares of Li's TV were abandoned.
At that time, Australia's Davidson, Henry Jones, and CARA Ltd. formed an Australian consortium and jointly acquired 61.2% of the shares of Li TV with 120 million Hong Kong dollars in cash.
After the Australian gang took over, they were more and more disappointed to find that the annual loss of Li's TV was as high as tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars, and the profit was far away. Therefore, the Australian consortium was ready to sell off the television.
At this time, Qiu Degen of the Far East Group was negotiating closely with the Australian consortium.
Qiu Degen was quite powerful. When he was 15 years old, he started his career by showing movies in Shanghai cinemas. He won over a rich family's eldest daughter, Qiu Jinqiu, and began to study family business management. However, when he fled to Xiangjiang in 1950, he only had 100 yuan in savings. With this little savings, after he came to Xiangjiang, he actually expanded continuously in the 1950s and operated 14 cinemas. At one time, he was on par with the old film family, the Shao family. Later, he founded the Far East Bank and became a famous banker. If it weren't for the bank run in the 1960s, his current wealth would not be inferior to Li Ka-shing and others. If he had not suffered the pain of losing his wife back then, he would not have left the film industry.
Qiu Degen had originally started off in the entertainment industry. Later, after failing in the banking industry, he had tried many times to return to the entertainment industry.
Originally, Qiu Degen had set up an Asian TV station in the 1970s. It had not been operating for long, but because of the lack of viewership ratings, it had closed down.
After that, Qiu Degen once invested 100 million Hong Kong dollars to obtain 10% of the shares of TvB TV station. However, the shareholders of the consortium such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Hutton Whampoa, and the Li family, the major shareholder of TvB, trusted Shao Yifu and continuously transferred the shares to Shao, allowing Shao Yifu to take over the power of TvB TV station.
Shao Yifu was very interested in running the television station, so he naturally wouldn't let the control of the television station be transferred to anyone else.
Therefore, when Qiu Degen heard that the Australian gang was preparing to transfer the shares of Li's television station, he intended to sell 10% of TvB's shares to cash in 100 million Hong Kong dollars to buy Li's television station!
From a money-making point of view, it would be a problem for Li's (ATV) to achieve profit within a few years. However, for an entertainment agency that mainly produced stars, if they could control a television station that was second only to TvB in Hong Kong. Then, they would have a stronger say in the entire industry chain.
So what if he lost a few hundred million yuan a year?
"William, go talk to Li's shareholders and buy it at a higher price. We don't lack money," Zhang Tao said.
Accompanied by their lawyers, William and Huang Ying were confident enough to start negotiations with the Australian consortium.
When the Australian gang offered to sell 61.2% of the shares at a price of 250 million Hong Kong dollars, William said proudly,""Deal!"
After that, Davidson, Henry Jones, and CARA Ltd., the three Australian consortiums, were extremely satisfied with the transfer of the shares of Li TV.
The Australian gang was overjoyed by this result. Not only would they be able to jump out of the fire pit as soon as possible, but they would also be able to make a profit of 130 million Hong Kong dollars higher than the original purchase price of 120 million Hong Kong dollars.
After the acquisition, Li's TV would become a subsidiary of Haitian Entertainment. In addition, starting from May 1, 1984, Li's TV would be renamed as "Asia Television", showing that Li's TV was not only based in Hong Kong, but also on the road of an international media company.
The news of Haitian acquiring Li's TV was reported in the form of news that night, and the entire Xiangjiang media was completely shocked!
Li's TV was the first TV station in Xiangjiang City since its establishment in 1957. It had been in the limelight for ten years without any competitors. It wasn't until 1967, after the establishment of TvB, that Li TV gradually withdrew from the dominant position of Xiangjiang TV media.
This was because the decision-makers of Tvb were all Hong Kong consortiums and families, so they were more familiar with the management of Hong Kong's television media. Li's TV was remotely controlled by the headquarters in the United Kingdom. For many years, the general manager was appointed by a British person, so it was difficult to cater to the tastes of the Chinese market in Hong Kong.
In 1975, Li TV made changes and appointed Chinese TV talents as executives in an attempt to reverse the decline. After Huang Xizhao, the first Chinese general manager of Beautiful TV, took office, the situation changed. He was brave enough to find outstanding TV talents and promoted the "Three Heroes of Beautiful TV"-Mai Dangxiong, Li Zhaoxiong, and Tu Yongxiong. He produced many classic TV dramas and gradually increased the average viewership ratings of Beautiful TV by more than 30%. At the peak of the viewership ratings, it could even be on par with TvB.
Although the financial deficit of Li TV was a long-standing problem at the moment, many Hong Kong media people believed that if Li TV worked hard, there might be a day when they could turn the situation around.
But now, such an old television media company had been acquired by William, an Englishman. The citizens of Xiangjiang City were greatly shocked!
Early morning, April 28th, 1984.
"Selling newspapers, selling newspapers! The latest headline was-Hong Kong's beautiful TV changed owners, and the British bought it in a flash!”
"Breaking news! The British have taken over Li's television company and are vowing to become a television tycoon!”
"Haitian Pictures has bought Lidi with a huge sum of 250 million yuan. The old TV giant has changed hands again!”
At the various newspaper stands, the paperboys who were already running on the streets were shouting and shouting to promote the sales of the newspapers.
"Sell it to me!" I want a newspaper!" "Ming Pao Daily News, Star Island Daily News, and Oriental Daily News, give me a copy!”
The townsfolk on the streets were also attracted by this news. They took out their wallets and bought the latest newspapers.
Other than that, the discussions in the marketplace were like a tide.
When William became the eye of the storm, he was already on TV, holding his first management meeting.
In the conference room of Li TV Station.
William, Huang Ying, Huang Xizhao, Mai Dangxiong, Li Zhaoxiong, Tu Yongxiong, and one of the Six Gentlemen, Selina Zhou, were all present.
William looked at everyone and smiled. It was not a sudden impulse or a short-term speculation. Instead, it was a long-term investment plan that he had decided upon after careful consideration. As for how to improve Li TV's finances, operations, viewership ratings, and other related data, it will depend on everyone's joint efforts!”
"First of all, I want to acknowledge the achievements of General Manager Huang Xizhao. Since you took office, you have boldly employed new people and discovered outstanding talents such as Mai Dangxiong, Li Zhaoxiong, Tu Yongxiong, and so on. She had planned many popular programs, which gradually made Li have the strength to challenge TvB. These achievements were all the credit of CEO Huang and everyone present! Now, although Li's TV's viewership ratings had improved, its financial deficit was high.”
"To improve our finances, we have to start with the words 'open up new sources of income, reduce expenditure, and develop and renovate'. The source of income was naturally to increase revenue and profits. Cutting expenses could reduce the scale of debt. Pioneering new businesses, creating new programs and dramas!”William suddenly asked," What's the financial situation of our company now, especially the scale of our debt? How much interest do we have to repay each year?”
"Li's debt is now 700 million, while the company's fixed assets are only worth 680 million," said Huang Xizhao. The annual interest that needed to be repaid was 140 million, while the actual operating income last year was 400 million Hong Kong dollars and the gross profit was 60 million. Therefore, on the books, not only do we not have a surplus, but we also have a deficit of 80 million Hong Kong dollars!”
William nodded." I will settle the financial deficit. I plan to pay it off in one go!"”
There was an uproar below. Mai Dangxiong, Li Zhaoxiong, Tu Yongxiong, and the others did not expect their boss to be so rich.
" Just these aren't enough," said Zhou Liang Shuyi." The way to go is to keep producing outstanding programs and increase the viewership ratings." Even if he had to burn money at a loss, he would not hesitate!”
William looked at Zhou Liang Shuyi in admiration. His boss, Zhang Tao, was not short of money. What he needed was a brave warrior like her.
William said," I hereby announce that Zhou Liang Shuyi will be the general manager and Huang Xizhao will be the deputy manager. You must work together to change Li's name to ATV immediately and make it bigger and stronger.‘'
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