RSN Season 1 Episode 8: Bridgeport’s New Ratings Problem

STATION MARKET HH RATINGS (+/- LAST WEEK)

RSN Los Angeles: 6.8 (-0.1)

RSN Indianapolis: 5.8 (-0.3)

RSN Santa Fe: 0.7 (=)

RSN Bridgeport: 0.5 (+0.3)

RSN Anchorage: 0.2 (-0.1)


SETTING: Corporate office of RSN. BLAKE, the station liaison for RSN Bridgeport, is on the phone with MELANIE, the station’s assistant manager.


MELANIE

I have a serious concern over the direction of the station. 


BLAKE

Ratings are up. We were at a 0.2, dipped down to a 0.1, we readjusted our programming strategy, and now we’re at a 0.5. What’s not to like?


MELANIE

Our viewers are confused. This was a cooking programming station, then it switched to sports, now it’s back to cooking?


BLAKE

Bridgeport wasn’t showing real sports though. This is just temporary while we wait for the women’s baseball league to get off the ground. 


MELANIE

And then what? We cancel all our cooking shows and switch back to sports?


BLAKE

I mean…yeah, I guess. Don’t worry about that, we need short-term gains. 


MELANIE

No, we need to think long-term. Ratings are gonna keep going up and then when you make us overhaul our programming yet again, it’s gonna be a disaster!


BLAKE

Just trust me, this is the way we have to go for now. We can’t risk 0.0s. 


MELANIE takes a deep breath. 


MELANIE

Let us show more sports programming or we want to go independent. 


BLAKE is taken aback. 


BLAKE

Excuse me?


MELANIE

You heard me. Less cooking or we want out.


BLAKE pauses. 


BLAKE

What does Victor think? Respectfully, why am I on the phone with his assistant manager and not him?


MELANIE

Victor is new here, and knows nothing about TV ratings or having an office job or managing a station.


BLAKE

True. I’ll take your concerns into consideration. 


BLAKE hangs up and lets out a groan. Hearing this, KYLIE walks up to his cubicle.


KYLIE

Something wrong?


BLAKE

Wait…you actually care?


KYLIE

I didn’t say I did. I just like to hear about things going wrong.


BLAKE INTERVIEW

Kylie is…unique. Her station’s ratings are way better than anyone else’s, and yet she still loves to hear about other people’s bad days. Not because she knows how to improve them. Just so she can remind everyone how much better off she is. 


BLAKE

Somehow, ratings getting better is putting RSN Bridgeport’s future in jeopardy. They want to go independent!


KYLIE

Getting better? I wouldn’t get ahead of yourself. What are you at, 1.5? 2?


BLAKE

Uh…0.5?


KYLIE bursts out laughing.


BLAKE

Hey, they’re higher than before!


Mad at KYLIE, BLAKE stands up and walks away from his own desk.


KYLIE INTERVIEW

You think I don’t know where Bridgeport’s ratings are? I know where they are. [KYLIE chuckles, then realizes what she did.] I should probably stop being so mean to him.


CUT to NICOLE, who is in the break room. DEVIN is restocking the vending machine. 


NICOLE

You know, this used to be our job before you got here. 


DEVIN

Really?


NICOLE

Yep. And Benny would use that time to make decisions without us.


DEVIN

He makes decisions? Wow. I’m surprised Los Angeles is doing so well. 


NICOLE 

What do you mean?


DEVIN

You know, because he hates them?


NICOLE

Wait a minute…Benny hates LA?!?!


DEVIN

Yeah, he’s always talking about how annoying they are and how they’re so full of themselves. 


NICOLE laughs.


NICOLE

He’s not wrong.


DEVIN

You knew that though, right?


NICOLE

Uh…yeah.


NICOLE INTERVIEW

I don’t know what it is about Devin that makes him casually reveal so much but…we gotta keep him around.


NICOLE walks back to her cubicle and smirks at KYLIE.


KYLIE INTERVIEW

Did you see that? I literally did nothing wrong. Maybe I’ll try to be nicer to some of my co-workers, but Nicole? Nicole’s a different story.

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