:24:04
unless Beale is taken off the air.
:24:05
Did you see the overnights
on the "Network News"?
:24:08
It has an 8 in New York,
a 9 in L. A...
:24:10
and a 27 share in both cities.
:24:13
Last night, Howard Beale went on the air
and yelled "bullshit" for two minutes.
:24:16
I can tell you tonight's show
will get a 30 share at least.
:24:20
- I think we've lucked into something.
- For God sakes, Diana!
:24:23
Are you suggesting we put that lunatic
back on the air yelling "bullshit"?
:24:26
Yes, I think we should put Beale back
on the air tonight and keep him on.
:24:30
Did you see the news this morning?
Did you see the Times?
:24:32
We got press coverage on this
you couldn't buy for a million dollars.
:24:35
That show jumped 5 points in one night.
Tonight's show will be at least 15.
:24:41
We've just increased our audience by
20 or 30 million people in one night!
:24:45
You won't get something like this dumped
into your lap the rest of your days.
:24:48
You can't piss it away. Howard said
last night what every American feels.
:24:52
He's tired of all the bullshit!
He's articulating the popular rage!
:24:57
I want that show, Frank.
:24:59
I can turn that show
into the biggest smash on TV.
:25:01
It's a news show.
It's not your department.
:25:04
I see Howard Beale
as a latter-day prophet...
:25:07
a messianic figure inveighing
against the hypocrisies of our times!
:25:11
A strip Savonarola
Monday through Friday...
:25:13
that will just go through the roof!
:25:16
And I'm talking about
a six-dollar cost per thousand show.
:25:19
I'm talking about
130,000 dollar minutes.
:25:22
Figure out the revenues of a strip show
that sells for $100,000 a minute!
:25:26
One show like that could pull
this network out of the hole!
:25:30
It's being handed to us on a plate.
Let's not blow it.
:25:34
Yes.
:25:36
Tell him I'll be a few minutes.
:25:41
- Let me think it over.
- Let's not go to committee on this.
:25:44
It's 10:20. We want Beale in the studio
by 6:30. We don't want to lose momentum.
:25:48
For God sakes, we're talking about
putting an irresponsible man...
:25:52
on national television.