Sunday February 26, 2006
Book 7: Emperor Pius Dei — Part V: Glamour Assault

Transcript

Narrator: Planning an operation. . .
Kevyn: I'm not sure, Captain. You accepted that half-down before you even looked at operational parameters.
Tagon: That's because our target is a very soft target. In a worst-case scenario, we just burn their operation from orbit and run.
Kevyn: We don't collect the remaining 50% if it's that messy. And we'd probably end up with the military after us.
Tagon: That's why we're here. We've made payroll, and we've got money to spend setting this operation up properly. All we need to do is figure out how to take Glamour Assault off the air cleanly and permanently.
Ennesby: Captain, it's a reality show. . . You could kill everybody involved, and the network would just put together a new team for the next season.
Schlock: It still sounds satisfying.
Elf: So it's like fighting a popular insurgency, where the enemy we can see is just the beginning of the problem?
Tagon: Ennesby, tell me more about this network. What do you have to do to a successful TV show to keep them from bringing it back?
Ennesby: I don't know. Litigation, maybe? But if the show is profitable enough, even that won't work.
Ennesby: HTRN is publicly traded. I've seen the books: these programs pay for themselves very, VERY quickly, and don't rely on named talent. Take one down, and it'll be replaced within the season.
Ennesby: The only way to kill the program permanently would be to kill the whole network.
Schlock: Okay, now that sounds satisfying.
Elf: Oh, Captain. . . Pleeeease?