Chapter 1216 – Sohu Channel
Station Chief Jia walks out from his leader’s office with a resigned look. His leader also felt Feng Yu is ridiculous!
It is not because this idea will not work, or such Internet TV stations cannot be privately owned. But it should be CCTV to set it up first before they allow private entities to do it.
All industries in China are started by the Government first before private entities can enter.
What? You said Tai Hua Supermarket is something new? Our country has supply and marketing cooperatives first, right? It’s the same.
Even the Government set up internet companies first before they can be privately owned!
This internet TV is good, and everyone had been discussing it. Let CCTV set up its own internet TV first.
…….
“Station Chief Jia, you are saying you all want to do it yourselves, and we must wait until you all succeed before we are allowed to set up our Internet TV station? It’s not I am belittling you all. Do you know how much investment is needed to set up an Internet TV station for PC?”
“How much?” Station Chief Jia asked.
“Bot a lot. It’s just a few hundred million… USD.” Feng Yu casually replied.
Sohu and Feng Yu have money, but CCTV does not have a few hundred million USD.
Feng Yu might sound exaggerated, as a few hundred million RMB is enough to set up an Internet TV in the future. But for now, it is not enough.
The website, servers, database, programs, movies, and TV series’ broadcasting rights all cost money.
Also, experienced staff is critical. Does CCTV have such talents? Yes, but not a lot compared to Sohu.
Sohu had started its online video platform, and it is the top Chinese video platform. Although most of the videos were downloaded, and very few users are watching them through streaming. However, at least they still have some users watching the videos online.
CCTV has zero experience!
“Manager Feng, are you sure we need to invest so much?” Station Chief Jia’s hand shook. A few hundred million USD? Even if the currency is in RMB, CCTV also cannot afford it.
“You can calculate how much Sohu had invested and the funds they gathered from being listed. If they had not invested most of their advertising revenue into this, they would be profitable like NetEase, a long time ago.”
NetEase is the first to be profitable, followed by Sina. But Sohu, Baidu, and Tencent are still losing money.
But Feng Yu believe these three companies will start making money within the next two years. Also, Alibaba, which Feng Yu had invested, should have made money. But because they started developing a new website, they are still in the red now.
Feng Yu can afford these losses for the next three to five years, as the returns will be ten times or even a hundred times in the future!
“Manager Feng, how about we cooperate?” Station Chief Jia asked.
“Cooperate? Didn’t I have been talking about cooperating? CCTV can sell the broadcasting rights to Sohu, and we can cooperate. Also, if Sohu has any creative program ideas, they can let CCTV produce the program. How else do you want to cooperate?”
“Can CCTV invest in Sohu?”
“No!”
CCTV investing in Sohu?! They will ask for voting shares, and it will dilute Tai Hua Consultancy and Zhang Chaoyang and his team’s shares. Even if Zhang Chaoyang agrees, Feng Yu will not agree.
The most difficult phase is almost over, and how can CCTV just come in to reap the benefits? Even without internet TV, Sohu can also make high profits with its video website!
“Manager Feng, everything will be easier if CCTV can invest in Sohu. If now, the higher-ups will not grant the approvals.” Station Chief Jia replied with a troubled expression.
“Stop it. This is not our first meeting, and we have known each other for some time. If it’s not possible, you will tell me straight.” Feng Yu sneered.
Station Chief Jia smiled. They know each other for a long time, and he knew these little tricks will not work.
“Manager Feng, I had helped you a lot in our CCTV advertising slots bidding and had also helped you to kick out those Japanese, Korean, and American products, right?”
“That’s right. You had helped us, but we did not let CCTV suffer any losses. In fact, you all had gained more.”
“You asked me to help promote your companies, and I had let <Oriental Horizon> and <Focus Report> to report on it. We had also promoted your companies through other TV shows.”
“You all are supposed to promote good enterprises and their representatives. Which one of my companies and its executives are not qualified to be featured on your TV shows?” Feng Yu retorted.
Before Station Chief Jia can say anything, Feng Yu continued. “Also, how many creative TV shows have I suggested to CCTV? How many suggestions had I made to help you all generate revenue? CCTV wants to build a new building, and I had also donated to you all. Who is it that settled the copyrights issue for CCTV? Who had paid for the broadcasting rights for those Hong Kong movies?”
“Alright… alright…. I know you had made significant contributions. Those TV program ideas you suggested must include your products’ advertisements. The revenue-generating ideas are not bad, but we cannot get approval for those beauty pageant programs you suggested. How can we let girls parade in swimsuits on national TV? You had also donated money for our building, but the name of the road in front of the building was changed to Tai Hua Road. You had paid for the broadcasting rights for those Hong Kong movies. Still, we must interrupt the movie with your Aiwa DVD player’s advertisements.”
“Eh… Station Chief Jia, let’s not talk about all these. Just tell me how you are going to settle my Internet TV station for me. If there’s nothing you can do, I will think of other ways.” Feng Yu skipped those topics and continued talking like they are old friends.
Station Chief Jia looks at Feng Yu speechlessly. After so many years, Feng Yu’s business had grown a lot. But why is he still behaving like this?
“You all are not allowed to set up your own Internet TV station, but it is fine for you all to produce Internet TV programs.”
Feng Yu immediately asked. “Then we will not call it Sohu TV Station. It should not be a problem if we call it Sohu Channel, right?”
The smile on Station Chief Jia’s face froze. How come he felt he had let Feng Yu exploit a loophole? Sohu Channel? The viewers will think it is a TV Station.
But if it is called Sohu Channel, it will not be against the regulations, and the higher-ups might approve.
“Fine. Just call it Sohu Channel, but you cannot set up a second or third channel!” Station Chief Jia warned.
Station Chief Jia knew if he did not say this, Feng Yu would exploit this loophole again.
“Don’t worry. The approval for Internet TV station should be out when we decided to set up a second channel. If not, I will buy a TV station in Hong Kong. This is not against the rules, right?”
“Save it. If you do that, it will be hard for me to help you. Alright. Get your men to meet me. I will teach him how to get the approvals. Let me make it clear. If you cannot produce one or two good TV programs, my side will not stop our cooperation!”
“Don’t worry. I guarantee you will not bear to give up this cooperation!”
