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Arthur Smith's Hollywood Odyssey

In the 1990s, the United States officially launched its strategy to globalize entertainment, leading to a flourishing film and television industry with Hollywood's influence spreading worldwide. Arthur Smith, who has mysteriously traveled through time, begins a glamorous journey through the world of European and American cinema. Unofficial translation of 美娛從1989年開始 by 顏可顏.

Sayonara816 · Celebrities
Not enough ratings
545 Chs

Chapter 460: Unrestricted

[Chapter 522: Unrestricted]

It was evening in Los Angeles, in the Brentwood community.

"How's it feel to be internationally known for your beauty now?" Arthur held Sophie Marceau from behind in the villa, his hands slipping under her nightgown to caress her softness.

"Mmm," Sophie turned to kiss Arthur passionately, and before long, they fell onto the bed together.

"You've really done something big; you're shining in Hollywood," Sophie said, leaning on Arthur, kissing his chest.

Arthur chuckled, "Nah, the real shining star now is Disney; ABC's size can't compare to CBS!"

ABC owned eight flagship television stations, 225 affiliates, and 21 radio stations. CBS had seven flagship stations, 200 affiliates, and 14 radio stations!

Unfortunately, ABC also had a massive asset in Capital Cities, including a publishing industry, over 50 cable channels, and ESPN. At that time, just the ESPN channel was worth over $3 billion.

Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC, adding up to a $19 billion debt; Galaxy acquired CBS for a total of $8.2 billion.

In the wireless broadcasting TV network, ABC ranked first, CBS second, NBC third, and FOX fourth!

Sophie didn't seem to catch what Arthur was saying and just burrowed under the covers.

Arthur took a deep breath, comfortably enjoying her attentive care.

At that moment, Cristiana Reali came in after her shower and approached the bed, kissing Arthur gently. "I'm getting ready to go back home; I've been here long enough!"

"Mmm," Arthur replied, pulling off her nightgown and kissing her chest.

Cristiana laughed, holding Arthur's head, "Honey, want a double treat?"

With that, Cristiana dove under the covers...

...

With Galaxy's acquisition of CBS, Arthur Smith's share in Galaxy fell to 71%, with some set aside in an equity pool for executive incentives. The remainder was owned by CBS shareholders and contributing investment firms, including Fidelity Investments, TGP, and Merrill Lynch, as well as Berkshire Hathaway!

Halloween, New York, 1995.

Arthur arrived at the headquarters of Loews Corporation.

Laurence Tisch handed Arthur a drink as they stood by the window, overlooking the bustling streets filled with Halloween revelers.

"Congratulations, Arthur; Eric Ober of CBS News is a real powerhouse!"

Arthur smiled. CBS News's upper management was mostly Jewish, and he hesitated, worried it might cripple CBS's news operations.

"How can traditional news compete if it doesn't change? CNN, FNC, MSNBC..." He took a sip of his drink, pondering whether CBS needed to create its own 24-hour cable news channel!

Laurence Tisch glanced at Arthur, feeling helpless; the guy was too shrewd.

He believed it wouldn't be long before CBS would have high-rated shows airing, and CBS's ratings would outweigh any issues.

Besides, with Arthur's control over Galaxy, he wasn't worried about anyone challenging him.

When Ted Turner launched CNN, there were Jewish partners involved!

"Is Galaxy really going IPO next year?" Laurence Tisch wanted to confirm.

"Absolutely, it's a merger frenzy in the media industry now, and Galaxy needs to raise funds from the market."

Arthur knew that Loews Corporation held a small stake in Galaxy and thought about selling it off after the IPO to recover some funds...

Having met with Laurence Tisch, though he felt a tinge of envy from him, Arthur couldn't care less.

The merger of television networks and film companies was the trend of the times; Hollywood's content output was the biggest advantage.

...

In the evening, Arthur drove near Times Square and picked up Jennifer Aniston.

"There are really a lot of people!" Jennifer exclaimed, watching the Halloween parade along Broadway.

"What's the matter? You wanna join in?" Arthur patted her thigh.

"No way, it's too crowded," Jennifer kissed Arthur on the cheek. "I finally got a break; I'm not wasting it like this!"

At the moment, Jennifer was busy shooting the last few episodes of the second season of Friends.

Later, the two arrived near High Line Park by the Hudson River, where Arthur had given her an apartment a few years ago.

But now, Jennifer had bought the two neighboring buildings, opened them up, and remodeled them.

"Mmm," as she stepped inside, Jennifer pulled Arthur in for a kiss. "Congrats, your dream has come true!"

"Mmm," Arthur pushed Jennifer onto the sofa, kneading her chest, "A milestone dream has been realized, but Disney and Time Warner's market values are higher than Galaxy's."

Jennifer held Arthur's face and smiled, "I never realized how ambitious you were back then. If Galaxy goes public next year, it's definitely not gonna have a low market value! Still, it's a pity."

"Oh, what's the pity?" Arthur unbuttoned her lingerie, feeling the softness.

"Mmm, it's just that the two high-rated shows developed by Galaxy Television, The X-Files and Friends, both premiered on ABC; if only they had aired on CBS!"

Arthur laughed, "I hadn't committed to acquiring CBS before; after all, the rights to the shows belong to Galaxy Television. CBS will definitely re-air them."

Actually, it was the summer Sun Valley Conference that made Arthur decide to acquire CBS;

in the future, he really didn't want to be limited in publicity!

"True, you'll continue to develop high-rated works," Jennifer closed her eyes, savoring Arthur's kisses on her chest. "I got several scripts this year and shot two movies, hardly had time to rest. So, I plan to mainly shoot the script you're preparing next year and drop the rest, especially since I still have to film the third season of Friends!"

"You're Rachel," Arthur said as he picked Jennifer up and carried her into the room.

Soon, in the bedroom, Jennifer, riding on Arthur, was excited. "After Christmas, there'll be a guest appearance by Winona Ryder in one episode of Friends season two. At that time, she'll play someone I dated in school, and we'll have a kissing scene!"

"Now, that's interesting," Arthur sat up and pulled Jennifer in for a kiss, embracing her...

*****

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