# Chapter 9: Heartbeat (Part 2)
"The Music Star" has been on air for about one or two months now, with its ratings rising steadily from an initial 14.7% to around 17.3%. This has shown a consistently positive trend.
Local satellite TV channels typically have ratings below 20%. Apart from Xiangnan Satellite TV, which often achieves over 20% due to its idol dramas and variety shows, Capital TV usually doesn't surpass 15% in overall ratings.
Therefore, "The Music Star" was produced with the aim of becoming a flagship show. The program did not disappoint, debuting with a 14.7% rating, a remarkably strong start.
It continued to maintain a positive upward trend, rising to 17.3%, breaking the record of local satellite TV channels not exceeding 15%, and there was hope of reaching 20%.
This made the station's leadership very pleased. They not only distributed generous bonuses and benefits but also granted the production team significant authority.
Achieving a 15% rating means a national viewership of about 1%. This is quite a record. Although CCTV's Spring Festival Gala has national ratings of 30% to 40%, that's an exception and only happens once a year.
On normal days, even the daily broadcast of the news program only garners around 7% national viewership.
So, for "The Music Star" to exceed 1% national ratings, it was highly regarded by all sectors. Other satellite TV channels were secretly preparing similar talent shows.
“How are the ratings?”
In the monitoring room of "The Music Star" at Capital TV, a plump middle-aged man in a white short-sleeve shirt, dress pants, and black leather shoes, with his hands behind his back, glanced at the screen showing contestant No. 03 singing. Then he looked at the rating monitor.
Several staff members sat by the monitor. One of them quickly stood up and reported, “Director Zheng, the ratings are stable, with a peak real-time rating of 17.5%.”
“Not bad, an increase of 0.2% from the last episode.”
The middle-aged man looked satisfied.
“Yes, Director Zheng. At this rate, it might reach 18% by the end of this episode,” the staff member flattered.
Director Zheng nodded, “Very good. Keep it up. If we break 20% this year, your year-end bonuses will double! I can guarantee that in advance.”
The other staff members were overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Director Zheng smiled, exhaled deeply, and felt thoroughly relaxed. Having a show with over 20% ratings during his tenure would be a major achievement!
Many TV station leaders have never achieved such a goal, but he was about to.
Once they break 20%, his track record will be greatly enhanced.
With such an achievement, he could choose his positions at TV stations across the country, and even the role of CCTV director might be within reach in his lifetime.
With such expectations, he had the motivation to stay late and monitor the show even at eight or nine in the evening.
And "The Music Star" did not disappoint, maintaining a positive upward trend, keeping Director Zheng in a good mood.
20% was within sight...
Thinking of his wife urging him to come home for dinner, Director Zheng hummed a tune and was about to leave when he heard astonished murmurs behind him.
He paused and turned back to the staff, asking, “What's going on?”
“Director Zheng,”
A bespectacled man sitting in front of the monitor turned and smiled, “It's like this, Director Zheng. Contestant No. 05, Xie Sijie, seems to be very popular with the audience. Since she came on stage, our ratings have jumped slightly. The real-time monitor shows that our rating has broken 18%!”
“Really!” Director Zheng was momentarily surprised but then smiled, “Seems like she's a good prospect. Tell Zhang Heng to focus on nurturing this contestant. If the audience likes her, give her more screen time!”
After instructing the staff, Director Zheng continued humming as he prepared to leave.
Just as he pushed open the monitoring room door, he heard exclamations and murmurs like “This is impossible,” “Am I seeing things,” and “Oh my God, this is too weird.” The room was in an uproar.
Director Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding shot through him like a cold wind from his feet to his brain.
After a moment of stupor, he shuddered and snapped back to reality.
Turning quickly, he strode back inside, his face pale, “What's happening? Has the rating dropped? By how much? Speak up!”
The bespectacled staff member, initially puzzled and dazed, snapped back to attention at the director's outburst.
He looked at the monitor again and swallowed, hoarsely saying, “Uh... it should be... 3%?”
“3%? Phew, that's not too bad, we can manage that. What is Zhang Heng doing! How could such a major broadcast mishap happen without any warning signs! Too unprofessional!”
Hearing the number 3%, Director Zheng's jowls twitched, and the evident cold sweat and rapid breathing showed his fear. A 3% drop was barely acceptable.
But Zhang Heng was too careless. After all the bonuses and power he was given, this was how he repaid him?
Director Zheng was angry.
“Not a drop...” The staff member's face turned awkward. The earlier data was so shocking that he instinctively thought the director asked about the increase. Now, hearing the actual question, he quickly shook his head, “It increased by 3%! Our current rating is 21%, yes, 21%!”
He checked the monitor again and exchanged glances with his colleagues, finally confirming the number.
An increase of 3%? Not a drop?
The rating reached 21%?
Director Zheng was stunned. He looked at the monitor, but sorry, even as the director, his eyesight wasn't great, and he couldn't really understand the graph. It was no use looking at it.
So he turned to the TV screen.
A handsome young man was playing the guitar. The boy was exceptionally good-looking, with the makings of a star. Judging by the number on his chest, he was contestant No. 06.
What was he singing?
“Believe you are still here, never left, my love guards you like an angel…”
“If life ends here, without me, I'll find an angel to love you for me…”
What nonsense! The lyrics were too sappy!
Director Zheng quietly listened to a couple of lines and found the lyrics lacked power, which he disliked.
The guitar sounded soft and not at all powerful, although the melody seemed okay.
But at this moment, Director Zheng no longer cared about the quality of the song.
He kept repeating one thought in his mind.
“The rating reached 21...”
“The rating actually reached 21...”
“It really reached 21!!”
The goal he thought impossible suddenly fell into his lap like a pie from the sky, leaving Director Zheng speechless for a long time.
The staff's faces were also full of joy. A 21% rating meant their year-end bonuses would double, as the boss had promised.
Director Zheng lit a cigarette, calmed down, and suddenly asked, “What's the name of this No. 06 contestant?”
Hearing the director’s question, the staff excitedly chirped like sparrows.
“Li Qing!”
“He's singing ‘Angel's Wings’!”
“He's contestant No. 06!”
“He passed and got the qualifying card!”
“This guy is so handsome and sings so well!”
Director Zheng quietly listened to the reports, nodded, then took a deep puff and stomped out the cigarette. He instructed the bespectacled staff member, “Xiao Xu, go to our station's publicity department first thing tomorrow. Tell them to investigate the reason for the rating spike.”
Xiao Xu nodded repeatedly.
Director Zheng continued, “Then tell them to focus on promoting this Li Qing in the upcoming 'The Music Star' promotions. If they ask why, don't explain, just say it's my order! Also, notify Zhang Heng to extend Li Qing's screen time in the next episode!”
The staff members were stunned.
It looked like this Li Qing had earned the favor and support of the director of the Capital TV station!
This guy...
Wow, this guy is going to be a star!
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