A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about mass media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.
In the 1970s, terrorist violence is the stuff of networks' nightly news programming and the corporate structure of the UBS Television Network is changing. Meanwhile, Howard Beale, the aging UBS news anchor, has lost his once strong ratings share and so the network fires him. Beale reacts in an unexpected way. We then see how this affects the fortunes of Beale, his coworkers (Max Schumacher and Diana Christensen), and the network.—Bruce Janson <[email protected]>
The Union Broadcasting System (UBS) is the floundering fourth place American network of only four. Howard Beale, the once popular news anchor for UBS, has seen his own declining fortunes of late. Personal problems have led to his performance slipping, which in turn has led to declining ratings. The network has fired him, effective in two weeks, the news given to him by the head of the network's news division and his long time friend, Max Schumacher. On his first broadcast following receiving this news, Beale announces on air that he will blow out his brains on the telecast in one week's time, and the reason for doing so. The network brass, incensed, pulls him off effective immediately, but Howard, stating he was drunk at the time over the news of his firing, pleads for one final telecast so that he can exit from news broadcasting with dignity. When on the broadcast Howard instead speaks candidly, emotionally and profanely about what he is feeling, Diana Christensen, the relatively new and ambitious vice-president in charge of programming, thinks that Howard is the panacea to all the network's rating problems as Howard is only stating what the public is feeling. She is interested in counter-establishment programming. With Max's blessing, she wants to hijack from the news division a television news show featuring Howard. Through this process, Diana tries to convince network brass to do what she wants not only with Howard's show but other counter-establishment programming, Max wants to preserve his reputation as a news man with integrity, and Howard tries to convince Max and Diana that he is imbued with messages from higher powers, which is making him seem insane to Max (who cares) and Diana (who cares only if his rantings from these higher powers increase ratings). Despite their differences in views, Max and Diana begin a September-May romance, which plays on Max's conscience as a faithful married man for twenty-five years and which Diana always refers to, as she does everything in life, in terms of a television show plot outline.—Huggo
In this lauded satire, veteran news anchorman Howard Beale discovers that he's being put out to pasture, and he's none too happy about it. After threatening to shoot himself on live television, instead he launches into an angry televised rant, which turns out to be a huge ratings boost for the UBS network. This stunt allows ambitious producer Diana Christensen to develop even more outrageous programming, a concept that she takes to unsettling extremes.—Jwelch5742
Howard Beale is an aging TV anchorman for UBS who is fired, effective in two weeks, after his ratings have been steadily deteriorating. He reacts to this by sensationally announcing on live television his intention to commit suicide on air. In doing so, Beale becomes a major TV icon and one of the most valuable assets to the Communications Corporation of America (CCA), the company that is gradually taking control of UBS. As a result he is given his own show as 'the mad prophet of the air-waves'. He appears live on television every week-day evening to tell the real truth to the people of America. The program is a huge success but Beale uses his power to make startling revelations about CCA, leaving the company executives with a serious problem.—David Claydon <[email protected]>
In September 1975, Howard Beale (Peter Finch), the longtime anchor for the UBS Evening News, learns from friend and news division president Max Schumacher (William Holden) that he has just two more weeks on the air because of declining ratings. Beale's ratings have been declining since 1969. His HUT ratings went from 16 to 8, and his audience share went from 28 to 12.The following night, Beale announces to his audience that he will commit suicide on next Tuesday's newscast. UBS tries to immediately fire Beale, but Schumacher intervenes so that he can have a dignified farewell. Schumacher is under a lot of pressure himself at the network since his news division runs at a $33 million deficit annually.The CEO of CCA (The holding company of UBS), Frank Hackett announces a plan at the annual stockholder's meeting to make the news division more accountable to the local network rather than being an independent entity. Schumacher was not in on this plan and is furious as this greatly limits his power in the system. Edward George Ruddy (William Prince) is the CEO of UBS and Schumacher's boss.
Beale promises Schumacher to apologize for his outburst, but once on the air, he launches into a rant about life being "bullshit". The network wants to cut Beale off the air, but Schumacher intervenes, and allows Beale to continue, as in some ways Beale is speaking what Schumacher is feeling himself.Edward hauls Schumacher into his cabin for a confrontation, but Schumacher argues about being kept in the dark about CCA's plans for the news division. Edward asks Schumacher to resign.
Beale's outburst causes ratings to spike, and much to Schumacher's dismay, UBS executives decide to exploit the situation. Programming chief Diana convinces Hackett that she wants control of Beale's show. Diana says that a single show can pull the Network out of the hole as the ad spots will sell for $100,000 per minute. Hackett is conservative as it will be his job on the line if Beale messes up on National TV again.Hackett argues with Edward and Network President Nelson Chaney (Wesley Addy) that UBS is staring at losses of $150 million in the current fiscal year. Hackett bullies UBS executives to consent and fire Schumacher and putting Beale back on the air. Most of the news division is angry at the decision to treat the news as a comedy show.Edward speaks to Schumacher and says that Hackett has overextended himself by exposing himself to Beale and insisting on putting Beale back on the air. Edward suspects that Hackett might lose his job over the Beale business. Edward also asks Schumacher to take back his resignation.
When Beale's ratings soon top out (with the angry man novelty wearing off), programming chief Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) reaches out to Schumacher with an offer to help "develop" Beale's show. Diana promises to make Beale the highest rated show on TV, if Schumacher allows her to take over the creative aspects of the show.Diana has been trying to develop a program on the Ecumenical Liberation Army (ELA) and their terrorist activities in America. ELA is led by Great Ahmed Kahn (Arthur Burghardt) and Mary Ann Gifford (Kathy Cronkite). Diana is working with Barbara Schlesinger (Conchata Ferrell) and Bill Herron (Darryl Hickman). Diana is a big fan of counterculture and anti-establishment. She believes that anger sells and hence her interest in Beale.Schumacher declines the professional proposal but accepts her more personal pitch; the two begin an affair.
When Schumacher decides to end Beale's "angry man" format (Schumacher believes that Beale requires care and treatment), Christensen persuades her boss, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), to slot the evening news show under the entertainment division so she can develop it. Hackett, also fires Schumacher and takes advantage of the fact that Edward is on leave due to a mild heart attack.
In one impassioned diatribe, Beale galvanizes the nation, persuading viewers to shout, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" from their windows.He is soon hosting a new program called The Howard Beale Show, top-billed as "the mad prophet of the airwaves". The show becomes the most highly rated program on television, and Beale finds new celebrity preaching his angry populist message in front of a live studio audience that, on cue, chants his signature catchphrase: "We're as mad as hell, and we're not going to take this anymore!".Beale's show ranks as #4 nationally, the highest ever for a news show.
Schumacher and Christensen's romance withers as the show flourishes, but in the flush of high ratings, the two ultimately find their way back together; Schumacher separates from his wife Louise (Beatrice Straight) of over 25 years for Christensen.
Seeking another hit, Christensen cuts a deal with a terrorist group called the Ecumenical Liberation Army (ELA) for a new docudrama series, The Mao Tse-Tung Hour, for which the ELA will provide exclusive footage of their activities. Laureen Hobbs (Marlene Warfield) represents the Communist party and Diana wants her to act as the liaison between the network and the ELA.The network gets into trouble with the FBI for showing ELA's criminal activities on air. Hackett keeps the FBI out by saying that as a news program, they are entitled to protect their sources. Diana argues that FBI suing UBS is the best thing, as the network would get free press coverage for several months.
Edward dies due to his heart attack and Beale knows that UBS is in trouble. Meanwhile, Beale discovers that Communications Corporation of America (CCA), the parent company of UBS, will be bought out by a larger Saudi conglomerate. He urges his audience to pressure the White House to quash the deal.This panics UBS because the network's debt load has made the merger essential for its survival. CCA chairman Arthur Jensen (Ned Beatty) arranges a meeting with Beale, describing the inter-relatedness of the participants in the international economy and the illusory nature of nationality distinctions. Jensen says that the world is a business and money is power. Jensen scolds Beale and persuades him to abandon his message and preach his new "Evangel".
Christensen's fanatical devotion to her job and emotional emptiness ultimately drive Schumacher away, warning her that she will self-destruct if she continues on her current path.Audiences find Beale's new sermons on the dehumanization of society depressing and ratings start to slip, yet Jensen refuses to fire him.Seeing its two-for-the-price-of-one value - solving the Beale problem while at the same time sparking a boost in season-opener ratings - Christensen, Hackett and the other executives decide to hire the ELA to assassinate Beale on the air. The assassination succeeds, putting an end to The Howard Beale Show and kicking off the second season of The Mao Tse-Tung Hour.
A voice-over proclaims, "This was the story of Howard Beale: the first known instance of a man who was killed because he had lousy ratings."
