morning news program by an hour.”

Ian pointed at him, “Exactly.  What I need to know is not whether or not that is the plan, but whether or not that will help or hurt HRT.”

Shayne added, “Canceling an embarrassing piece of crap on the bottom of the ratings is probably not a bad idea.”

“Correct, it probably needs to go, but what we need to figure out is adding an extra hour to a news show that plays leap frog with CBS for last place is a financially sound move.”

“Explain.”  Willa stated, as her pencil was ready at her pad.

“I read it like this,” Ian went on, “regardless of its ratings in the USA, what are the overseas market sales valued at.  American soaps earn big money over seas.  Would it behoove us just to remove the albatross and cover the grave, or should a new soap take its place, keeping the much needed dollars in the coffer.  I need both sides of each scenario.”

Shayne volunteered, “I’ll take pro cover the grave.” Ella went with pro replace the show, Sean con replace the show and Daryn con cover the grave.

“Good”, that left two staff members, “You two, I have something else in mind.  Also this weekend I was regaled with an urban legend concerning the studio, I want the two of you to find everything you can on Darla Hutton.”

Wella and Blake both perked up.  “What on Earth for?  It’s fun to speculate about, but what good will it do us?”

“Ah, there’s the rub!”  Ian held up a Shakespearian finger.  “Let’s find out.  We have the apparently unsolved mystery that concerns our own network.  We have a network getting beaten regularly by reruns of “Dukes of Hazzard” on SpikeTV.  Let’s see if there is something there that can drum up some good press, maybe make people tune in just because of the past.”

The puzzle piece fit in Wella’s head, “I get it, maybe a campaign for the fall, a remember our past come check us out now, kind of thing.”

“You got it, and hopefully come fall we’ll have something worth checking out besides a few reality shows and a once great cop show whose ratings are now as saggy as the female leads aging breasts.”  Ian wrung his hands, “Chop chop, ladies and gentlemen, the conference is in less than 4 hours.”

There was a ruckus in the hallway.  Ian looked up half hoping it was Trish throwing a very large towel in.  Instead he witnessed two of the guards struggling with an alley cat who was managing to get herself into Ian’s office.  Ian’s heart fell into his lap when he recognized the alley cat.

“Darling, will you please explain to these idiots that I am your fiancé?”  Claire put her hands defiantly on her hips, and tapped on foot on the floor.   

“We are sorry Mr. Ian, sir…” one of the harassed men tried to explain.

“But this…this…woman insisted. Threatening to call the police and have us all arrested” the other one finished the first’s sentence.

Clair rolled her eyes back in her head, “Ian I don’t know where you find these people.  I didn’t threaten to have them arrested.  I threaten to have you fire their moronic asses!”

Ian felt every eye on him and the spectacle before him.  He didn’t know how she