NPC Storyteller
Continuing my interest in fleshing out daily life in the Empire, I'd like to turn to state-controlled broadcasting. This was explored a little bit in media about Palpatine's Empire, and I'd like to build on that - both with the state-run network itself and some shows to run on it, all appropriately and dystopian-ly propagandistic. As always, open to feedback! There's plenty of room for folks to add additional TV shows to ISPN's broadcast schedule if they'd like.
"Conquest... provides us with not only new territory, but a new flock.
And flocks, as you know... require shepherds."
-
Janus Vipsanius
, Chief Minister
By evening, the Emperor’s words would carry across the capital
and into the farthest reaches of the holonet.
-
Redak Boyd
, High Commissioner
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Imperial Center (Coruscant)
Domain: Within the borders of the Galactic Empire, ISPN programming is omnipresent. It blares from every vidscreen in starport terminals, caf shops, and hospital waiting rooms. It issues forth from the family holo-emitter in every apartment and private home. It is broadcast publicly along city streets and on immense holoscreens lining the sides of skyscrapers. Their programs are the only legal media in Imperial space; possession of non-state-approved media, along with viewing or producing a pirate broadcast, is a serious crime. After all, who but a dangerous seditionist would engage with subversive content?
Notable Assets: ISPN owns and operates a dizzying array of satellites and broadcast platforms across Imperial territory - enough broadcast technology to ensure that there is no corner of the Empire where its propaganda does not reach. Since all of its programming is produced in-house, it also operates a large number of studios and filming locations in Imperial-occupied territories. Most of its studios, along with its offices, are located on Coruscant, but the conglomerate has outposts everywhere. When the Office of Imperial Truth deploys Vox Aeternum pacification emitters, they are serviced by ISPN technicians.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: ISPN is structured as a corporation, with entry-level positions, mid-level management, and a board of directors at the top. The company has two major divisions: Design and Deployment. Deployment is the larger of the two, and works in the field across the Empire. Broadcasting managers for cities report to territory managers, then planetary managers, then system and sector managers, with galactic regional managers reporting to the Division Head. Design, by contrast, is housed entirely on Coruscant. Creative teams for various different programs report to Creative Heads, all advised by OIT censors.
Membership: ISPN has a corporate hiring process that seems fairly standard, with cover letters, resumes, and rounds of interviews. At least as important as any of the listed qualifications for any ISPN position, however, is a demonstrated loyalty to the Empire; clear fervor for Imperial values is even better. It is difficult to be hired, and impossible to rise, at ISPN unless you are outspoken about the Empire's principles, emphasizing unity, security, and devotion to the Emperor over any moral concerns. Low-level technicians might get away with just keeping quiet, but managers and executives need to be near fanatical.
Climate: Blind faith in the Emperor, relentless optimism about the future of the Empire, and boundless enthusiasm about the necessity of ISPN's work are hard requirements to be promoted there. This is in addition to the standard Imperial ideals about the value of struggle and competition, presented as meritocratic but ruthless in practice. As a result, employees of the conglomerate are eerily upbeat and eager to please, tripping over themselves to one-up each other in how far they will go to advance Imperial goals. Outwardly everyone acts enthused to collaborate for the Empire's greater good, but competition is relentless.
Reputation: Most Imperial citizens don't think about ISPN too much; they're just the people who, behind the scenes, create all of the Empire's HoloNet programming. True believers in the Empire see the company's work as essential for creating a united Imperial culture and stamping out sedition. More cynical people recognize that ISPN infuses all of their shows with spin and propaganda... but what does it matter when there's nothing else it's legal to watch? Outside the Empire, ISPN is viewed as little more than another brainwashing tool wielded by the Church of the Dark Side and the Office of Imperial Truth.
Curios: Because they work to subtly steer public opinion and influence the mindsets of Imperial citizens, and to build and maintain the Empire's propaganda infrastructure, ISPN employees have access to information, locations, and equipment that ordinary civilians do not. As such, their Citizen Registration Interfaces are programmed with levels of corporate security clearance - not quite military grade, but similar in style and usage. Deployment Division members can access restricted satellites and broadcasting infrastructure, while Design Division members often get to see the unadulterated truth before they work to spin it.
Rules:
Goals: ISPN works tirelessly to advance the Imperial project through the creation of media and culture. In concrete terms, their goal is to influence the mindset and worldview of Imperial citizens. The conglomerate creates newsreels that present themselves as unvarnished truth, and programs that masquerade as simple entertainment, but all are infused with carefully-researched spin. They reinforce the idea that a godlike Emperor rules over a modern, efficient, and safe Empire, and that any challenge to either comes from chaotic subversives or the corrupt representatives of the decaying system the Emperor tore down.
FORMAT INFORMATION
ISPN channels broadcast on a constant cycle designed around the length of the local day - it is a 24-hour cycle on Imperial Center, for example, but local broadcasters fill in or subtract content on planets with shorter day cycles. However, no household need worry too much about missing an episode of their favorite show; all episodes are immediately available for on-demand streaming five minutes after they begin broadcasting. Imperial HoloVision newsreels are similarly archived for later viewing. ISPN broadcasts a large number of channels, delivered through S-Threads to HoloNet transceivers in homes and starships.
CONTENT INFORMATION
ISPN produces a wide range of programming for different demographics, including:
Imperial HoloVision: "Reliable reports from the heart of the Empire."
The official state-sponsored news service of the Galactic Empire, Imperial HoloVision (IHV) reports on local, regional, and Empire-wide news... or at least, the version of the news that the Office of Imperial Truth approves for civilians. Many real events never reach Imperial civilian ears, or are utterly distorted by propaganda. Calm, reassuring anchors tell viewers that IHV "brings you the truth, direct from Imperial Center". Stories highlight the Empire's benevolence - new starports, pirate crackdowns, garrisons "bringing safety and prosperity" - while framing all dissidents as dangerous extremists.
Stormtrooper, Guardian of Peace: "Discipline, courage, order - the Empire's finest."
A serialized show following a squad of heroic stormtroopers. Early seasons featured the squad during the "liberation" of the Core Worlds, encountering the widespread decay and corruption that was supposedly allowed to fester during the rule of the Galactic Alliance and their Jedi puppet-masters. Later seasons feature the squad protecting Imperial worlds from pirates, raiders, and anarchists, as well as witnessing the transformation from Alliance neglect to shining Imperial prosperity across the Empire. The troopers are shown as brave, disciplined, and devoted to the Emperor. Supposedly based on real events.
Legends of the Empire: "Stories of visionaries who built a safer galaxy."
A "documentary" series covering major figures, battles, and engineering projects that were pivotal in the formation and preservation of the Galactic Empire. Some episodes delve all the way back to Palpatine's original Galactic Empire, presenting it as a lost golden age of peace and stability, and the current Empire as a return to those halcyon days. Figures like Wilhuff Tarkin and Raith Sienar got their own episodes, alongside current members of the Imperial Ruling Council. The events and biographies presented in the show are 50-90% invented by OIT spin doctors. The show is popular among middle-aged dads.
Life on Brentaal: "Laughs, lessons, and life under a steady sky."
A warm sitcom about a middle-class family navigating work, school, and neighborhood hijinks, always concluding with a message such as "respect for Imperial law" or "gratitude for our brave troops." Set on Brentaal IV, in a suburb of the capital city of Cormond, the sitcom also quietly emphasizes how much life has improved since the resurgent Empire swept away the neglect and corruption of the Galactic Alliance. Organized, witty mom Maris works in the local COMLIT office. She reins in absent-minded but well meaning husband Daran, tech-savvy and excitable son Tovo (11), and curious, outgoing daughter Lira (16).
TIE Cubs: "Tiny wings, big dreams, soaring with teamwork."
An animated children's program featuring the anthropomorphic baby TIE fighters of Cub Squadron - Whirly, Zippy, Shiny, Rumble, and Pip. They are deployed from Mothership, the anthropomorphic Star Destroyer who teaches them life lessons through their (relatively child-friendly) missions. The program's core message is that "discipline keeps the galaxy safe", though each individual episode also teaches its own small lesson - respect for authority, gratitude to the Emperor, rising through merit, and the like. The theme song is very catchy. The show is broadcast on loop for young children raised in Imperial Kinder-blocks.
The Throne Speaks: "History's wisdom, the Emperor's guidance."
A stately panel show where respected historians, cultural commentators, and retired officers discuss history and philosophy, praising the Emperor's "Era of Stability" in contrast to what they term the Galactic Alliance's "Era of Stagnation". Framed as calm, thoughtful conversation, each episode connects lessons of the past to the ideals of unity and order in the present day. The tone is measured and intellectual, encouraging viewers to see themselves as part of a grand, carefully tended civilization. Subtly, the show reassures citizens that the Empire's stability is what allows history, art, and reasoned debate to flourish.
Stars of the Academy: "Talent takes flight under Imperial stars."
A competition show, Stars of the Academy pits top pilots at the Imperial Naval Academy against each other in a fierce contest to be the ultimate TIE Fighter ace. The winner earns a place in one of the Imperial Navy's most elite TIE squadrons. The competition emphasizes Imperial ideals of meritocracy and proving one's worth, as well as pride in the military. Pilots engage in battle simulations, races through dangerous planetary terrain, daring stunts, and tests of judgement under pressure, with one pilot sent home by the judges each week. Successful competitors show patriotism and gratitude to the Emperor as well as skill.
Fall of the Alliance: "Witness the chaos… and the dawn of order."
A sweeping, complex, character-driven drama depicting the supposedly self-inflicted collapse of the Galactic Alliance. The characters are, of course, entirely invented - or resemble real figures in name only. Senators are corrupt, greedy, and self-serving, bickering over their own selfish interests in a paralyzed senate. The Jedi are detached and dispassionate, giving out only scraps of aid to those in need, clearly possessing the power to solve the Alliance's problems but unwilling to use it to make any meaningful change. The Empire's arrival is presented not as an invasion, but as saving the Core Worlds from themselves.
Glarnok & Yabassi: "Two agents, one mission: keep the chaos in check."
A revival of a show that ran during the reign of Palpatine's Galactic Empire, Glarnok & Yabassi is a police procedural drama focusing on a pair of Imperial Center Police Department detectives. The pair investigate crimes from the highest spires of the city-planet down to the lowest levels of the Works, invariably finding that petty street crimes are secretly linked to shadowy conspiracies and outside infiltrators. The series reinforces the idea that crime within the Empire is not a result of any systemic inequity, but instead caused solely by foreign attempts to disrupt the perfect, orderly society that the Emperor has created.
Galactic Spotlight: "Where creativity shines in an era of peace."
Galactic Spotlight is a carefully-curated travelogue hosted by Virella Saan, a poised, charismatic holonet journalist from Chandrila who has reinvented herself as the Empire's premier culture correspondent. She's known for her warm interviewing style, impeccable Core Worlds fashion, and subtle knack for framing every performance or exhibition as proof of an "era of peace and stability" that lets the arts thrive. On-air, Virella blends genuine enthusiasm for music, theater, and cuisine with deft, reassuring asides about the Emperor's support for high culture. Each episode features a new location in Imperial territory.
MEMBERS
ISPN employs millions across the Empire's occupied worlds, but it does so quietly. Employees sign nondisclosure agreements that keep them tight-lipped about the details of their work, especially those in the Design Division. The identities of anyone in management are kept quiet, to prevent subversive groups from targeting them for their equipment access or to disrupt Imperial propaganda. The identities of the Executive Board are even more carefully protected, to the point that some people don't believe they exist; after a certain point, it may just be officials of the Office of Imperial Truth that run things at the top.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Early on in its rule,
Darth Solipsis
's Galactic Empire was careful in its dealings with most corporations in newly-conquered Imperial space. Wary of disrupting the economy it would need to support its security state and wage external wars, especially with the vast flow of credits and materiel required to complete Project Stardust, the regime signed agreements like the Imperial-Trade Cooperative Act with the Trade Federation. Regulations that had protected workers and limited corporate overreach during the Galactic Alliance's rule were rolled back in exchange for favorable economic terms for the military.
In the entertainment sector, corporations were placed under the supervision of the Office of Imperial Truth. Names transitioned - HoloNet News became Imperial HoloVision, for example - but most employees kept their jobs. But then came the disruption, the last gasp of independent media in Imperial-occupied space. Legendary news anchor Halifax Hewitt, with help from a group of Alliance sympathizers including his granddaughter
Halsia Hewitt
, managed to hijack Imperial feeds for one last broadcast criticizing the Empire and spreading the truth over the Holonet. There would be consequences.
In the wake of this PR disaster, Solipsis's regime immediately imperialized all broadcasting and entertainment companies within the Empire's borders. Everything was placed under the direct control and supervision of the Office of Imperial Truth, which consolidated the disparate corporations into a new media conglomerate - ISPN. Any employees who failed to show the proper enthusiasm for Imperial values were soon drummed out - or arrested for reeducation. Programming went back to the drawing board, with every new script carefully monitored by OIT censors. Any semblance of free media was over.
Rather than being covered by one of the Imperial Economic Trusts or publicly traded at the Germon-Sacks Financial Center, ISPN is all but openly an extension of the Office of Imperial Truth. It is a state-run media group that only approximates a private corporation, and Imperial law allows no one to compete with it. This centralization quickly ensured that a unified and consistent narrative reached all planets under Imperial control, with existing broadcast networks repurposed to spread OIT-approved messaging. Soon, the only news any Imperial citizen could access was the news their Emperor wanted them to see.
"Conquest... provides us with not only new territory, but a new flock.
And flocks, as you know... require shepherds."
-
Janus Vipsanius
, Chief MinisterBy evening, the Emperor’s words would carry across the capital
and into the farthest reaches of the holonet.
-
Redak Boyd
, High CommissionerOUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To flesh out daily life in the Galactic Empire.
- Image Credit:
- Wookieepedia, edited in GIMP
- Canon: Imperial Broadcast (Spiritual Successor)
- Permissions: N/A
- Links:
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Organization Name: Imperial State Programming Network (ISPN)
- Classification: State-Sponsored Media Conglomerate
- Affiliation: The Galactic Empire
- Organization Symbol: The symbol of the Empire, surrounded by holoreels.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Headquarters: Imperial Center (Coruscant)
Domain: Within the borders of the Galactic Empire, ISPN programming is omnipresent. It blares from every vidscreen in starport terminals, caf shops, and hospital waiting rooms. It issues forth from the family holo-emitter in every apartment and private home. It is broadcast publicly along city streets and on immense holoscreens lining the sides of skyscrapers. Their programs are the only legal media in Imperial space; possession of non-state-approved media, along with viewing or producing a pirate broadcast, is a serious crime. After all, who but a dangerous seditionist would engage with subversive content?
Notable Assets: ISPN owns and operates a dizzying array of satellites and broadcast platforms across Imperial territory - enough broadcast technology to ensure that there is no corner of the Empire where its propaganda does not reach. Since all of its programming is produced in-house, it also operates a large number of studios and filming locations in Imperial-occupied territories. Most of its studios, along with its offices, are located on Coruscant, but the conglomerate has outposts everywhere. When the Office of Imperial Truth deploys Vox Aeternum pacification emitters, they are serviced by ISPN technicians.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
Hierarchy: ISPN is structured as a corporation, with entry-level positions, mid-level management, and a board of directors at the top. The company has two major divisions: Design and Deployment. Deployment is the larger of the two, and works in the field across the Empire. Broadcasting managers for cities report to territory managers, then planetary managers, then system and sector managers, with galactic regional managers reporting to the Division Head. Design, by contrast, is housed entirely on Coruscant. Creative teams for various different programs report to Creative Heads, all advised by OIT censors.
Membership: ISPN has a corporate hiring process that seems fairly standard, with cover letters, resumes, and rounds of interviews. At least as important as any of the listed qualifications for any ISPN position, however, is a demonstrated loyalty to the Empire; clear fervor for Imperial values is even better. It is difficult to be hired, and impossible to rise, at ISPN unless you are outspoken about the Empire's principles, emphasizing unity, security, and devotion to the Emperor over any moral concerns. Low-level technicians might get away with just keeping quiet, but managers and executives need to be near fanatical.
Climate: Blind faith in the Emperor, relentless optimism about the future of the Empire, and boundless enthusiasm about the necessity of ISPN's work are hard requirements to be promoted there. This is in addition to the standard Imperial ideals about the value of struggle and competition, presented as meritocratic but ruthless in practice. As a result, employees of the conglomerate are eerily upbeat and eager to please, tripping over themselves to one-up each other in how far they will go to advance Imperial goals. Outwardly everyone acts enthused to collaborate for the Empire's greater good, but competition is relentless.
Reputation: Most Imperial citizens don't think about ISPN too much; they're just the people who, behind the scenes, create all of the Empire's HoloNet programming. True believers in the Empire see the company's work as essential for creating a united Imperial culture and stamping out sedition. More cynical people recognize that ISPN infuses all of their shows with spin and propaganda... but what does it matter when there's nothing else it's legal to watch? Outside the Empire, ISPN is viewed as little more than another brainwashing tool wielded by the Church of the Dark Side and the Office of Imperial Truth.
Curios: Because they work to subtly steer public opinion and influence the mindsets of Imperial citizens, and to build and maintain the Empire's propaganda infrastructure, ISPN employees have access to information, locations, and equipment that ordinary civilians do not. As such, their Citizen Registration Interfaces are programmed with levels of corporate security clearance - not quite military grade, but similar in style and usage. Deployment Division members can access restricted satellites and broadcasting infrastructure, while Design Division members often get to see the unadulterated truth before they work to spin it.
Rules:
- Work to promote Imperial values through entertainment programming.
- Shield Imperial citizens from subversive media and divisive facts.
- Act as a true believer and model of Imperial merits and values.
- Discuss ISPN projects only with those who have appropriate clearance.
- Place the good of the Empire above any personal moral qualms.
Goals: ISPN works tirelessly to advance the Imperial project through the creation of media and culture. In concrete terms, their goal is to influence the mindset and worldview of Imperial citizens. The conglomerate creates newsreels that present themselves as unvarnished truth, and programs that masquerade as simple entertainment, but all are infused with carefully-researched spin. They reinforce the idea that a godlike Emperor rules over a modern, efficient, and safe Empire, and that any challenge to either comes from chaotic subversives or the corrupt representatives of the decaying system the Emperor tore down.
FORMAT INFORMATION
ISPN channels broadcast on a constant cycle designed around the length of the local day - it is a 24-hour cycle on Imperial Center, for example, but local broadcasters fill in or subtract content on planets with shorter day cycles. However, no household need worry too much about missing an episode of their favorite show; all episodes are immediately available for on-demand streaming five minutes after they begin broadcasting. Imperial HoloVision newsreels are similarly archived for later viewing. ISPN broadcasts a large number of channels, delivered through S-Threads to HoloNet transceivers in homes and starships.
CONTENT INFORMATION
ISPN produces a wide range of programming for different demographics, including:
Imperial HoloVision: "Reliable reports from the heart of the Empire."
The official state-sponsored news service of the Galactic Empire, Imperial HoloVision (IHV) reports on local, regional, and Empire-wide news... or at least, the version of the news that the Office of Imperial Truth approves for civilians. Many real events never reach Imperial civilian ears, or are utterly distorted by propaganda. Calm, reassuring anchors tell viewers that IHV "brings you the truth, direct from Imperial Center". Stories highlight the Empire's benevolence - new starports, pirate crackdowns, garrisons "bringing safety and prosperity" - while framing all dissidents as dangerous extremists.
Stormtrooper, Guardian of Peace: "Discipline, courage, order - the Empire's finest."
A serialized show following a squad of heroic stormtroopers. Early seasons featured the squad during the "liberation" of the Core Worlds, encountering the widespread decay and corruption that was supposedly allowed to fester during the rule of the Galactic Alliance and their Jedi puppet-masters. Later seasons feature the squad protecting Imperial worlds from pirates, raiders, and anarchists, as well as witnessing the transformation from Alliance neglect to shining Imperial prosperity across the Empire. The troopers are shown as brave, disciplined, and devoted to the Emperor. Supposedly based on real events.
Legends of the Empire: "Stories of visionaries who built a safer galaxy."
A "documentary" series covering major figures, battles, and engineering projects that were pivotal in the formation and preservation of the Galactic Empire. Some episodes delve all the way back to Palpatine's original Galactic Empire, presenting it as a lost golden age of peace and stability, and the current Empire as a return to those halcyon days. Figures like Wilhuff Tarkin and Raith Sienar got their own episodes, alongside current members of the Imperial Ruling Council. The events and biographies presented in the show are 50-90% invented by OIT spin doctors. The show is popular among middle-aged dads.
Life on Brentaal: "Laughs, lessons, and life under a steady sky."
A warm sitcom about a middle-class family navigating work, school, and neighborhood hijinks, always concluding with a message such as "respect for Imperial law" or "gratitude for our brave troops." Set on Brentaal IV, in a suburb of the capital city of Cormond, the sitcom also quietly emphasizes how much life has improved since the resurgent Empire swept away the neglect and corruption of the Galactic Alliance. Organized, witty mom Maris works in the local COMLIT office. She reins in absent-minded but well meaning husband Daran, tech-savvy and excitable son Tovo (11), and curious, outgoing daughter Lira (16).
TIE Cubs: "Tiny wings, big dreams, soaring with teamwork."
An animated children's program featuring the anthropomorphic baby TIE fighters of Cub Squadron - Whirly, Zippy, Shiny, Rumble, and Pip. They are deployed from Mothership, the anthropomorphic Star Destroyer who teaches them life lessons through their (relatively child-friendly) missions. The program's core message is that "discipline keeps the galaxy safe", though each individual episode also teaches its own small lesson - respect for authority, gratitude to the Emperor, rising through merit, and the like. The theme song is very catchy. The show is broadcast on loop for young children raised in Imperial Kinder-blocks.
The Throne Speaks: "History's wisdom, the Emperor's guidance."
A stately panel show where respected historians, cultural commentators, and retired officers discuss history and philosophy, praising the Emperor's "Era of Stability" in contrast to what they term the Galactic Alliance's "Era of Stagnation". Framed as calm, thoughtful conversation, each episode connects lessons of the past to the ideals of unity and order in the present day. The tone is measured and intellectual, encouraging viewers to see themselves as part of a grand, carefully tended civilization. Subtly, the show reassures citizens that the Empire's stability is what allows history, art, and reasoned debate to flourish.
Stars of the Academy: "Talent takes flight under Imperial stars."
A competition show, Stars of the Academy pits top pilots at the Imperial Naval Academy against each other in a fierce contest to be the ultimate TIE Fighter ace. The winner earns a place in one of the Imperial Navy's most elite TIE squadrons. The competition emphasizes Imperial ideals of meritocracy and proving one's worth, as well as pride in the military. Pilots engage in battle simulations, races through dangerous planetary terrain, daring stunts, and tests of judgement under pressure, with one pilot sent home by the judges each week. Successful competitors show patriotism and gratitude to the Emperor as well as skill.
Fall of the Alliance: "Witness the chaos… and the dawn of order."
A sweeping, complex, character-driven drama depicting the supposedly self-inflicted collapse of the Galactic Alliance. The characters are, of course, entirely invented - or resemble real figures in name only. Senators are corrupt, greedy, and self-serving, bickering over their own selfish interests in a paralyzed senate. The Jedi are detached and dispassionate, giving out only scraps of aid to those in need, clearly possessing the power to solve the Alliance's problems but unwilling to use it to make any meaningful change. The Empire's arrival is presented not as an invasion, but as saving the Core Worlds from themselves.
Glarnok & Yabassi: "Two agents, one mission: keep the chaos in check."
A revival of a show that ran during the reign of Palpatine's Galactic Empire, Glarnok & Yabassi is a police procedural drama focusing on a pair of Imperial Center Police Department detectives. The pair investigate crimes from the highest spires of the city-planet down to the lowest levels of the Works, invariably finding that petty street crimes are secretly linked to shadowy conspiracies and outside infiltrators. The series reinforces the idea that crime within the Empire is not a result of any systemic inequity, but instead caused solely by foreign attempts to disrupt the perfect, orderly society that the Emperor has created.
Galactic Spotlight: "Where creativity shines in an era of peace."
Galactic Spotlight is a carefully-curated travelogue hosted by Virella Saan, a poised, charismatic holonet journalist from Chandrila who has reinvented herself as the Empire's premier culture correspondent. She's known for her warm interviewing style, impeccable Core Worlds fashion, and subtle knack for framing every performance or exhibition as proof of an "era of peace and stability" that lets the arts thrive. On-air, Virella blends genuine enthusiasm for music, theater, and cuisine with deft, reassuring asides about the Emperor's support for high culture. Each episode features a new location in Imperial territory.
MEMBERS
ISPN employs millions across the Empire's occupied worlds, but it does so quietly. Employees sign nondisclosure agreements that keep them tight-lipped about the details of their work, especially those in the Design Division. The identities of anyone in management are kept quiet, to prevent subversive groups from targeting them for their equipment access or to disrupt Imperial propaganda. The identities of the Executive Board are even more carefully protected, to the point that some people don't believe they exist; after a certain point, it may just be officials of the Office of Imperial Truth that run things at the top.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Early on in its rule,
Darth Solipsis
's Galactic Empire was careful in its dealings with most corporations in newly-conquered Imperial space. Wary of disrupting the economy it would need to support its security state and wage external wars, especially with the vast flow of credits and materiel required to complete Project Stardust, the regime signed agreements like the Imperial-Trade Cooperative Act with the Trade Federation. Regulations that had protected workers and limited corporate overreach during the Galactic Alliance's rule were rolled back in exchange for favorable economic terms for the military.In the entertainment sector, corporations were placed under the supervision of the Office of Imperial Truth. Names transitioned - HoloNet News became Imperial HoloVision, for example - but most employees kept their jobs. But then came the disruption, the last gasp of independent media in Imperial-occupied space. Legendary news anchor Halifax Hewitt, with help from a group of Alliance sympathizers including his granddaughter
Halsia Hewitt
, managed to hijack Imperial feeds for one last broadcast criticizing the Empire and spreading the truth over the Holonet. There would be consequences.In the wake of this PR disaster, Solipsis's regime immediately imperialized all broadcasting and entertainment companies within the Empire's borders. Everything was placed under the direct control and supervision of the Office of Imperial Truth, which consolidated the disparate corporations into a new media conglomerate - ISPN. Any employees who failed to show the proper enthusiasm for Imperial values were soon drummed out - or arrested for reeducation. Programming went back to the drawing board, with every new script carefully monitored by OIT censors. Any semblance of free media was over.
Rather than being covered by one of the Imperial Economic Trusts or publicly traded at the Germon-Sacks Financial Center, ISPN is all but openly an extension of the Office of Imperial Truth. It is a state-run media group that only approximates a private corporation, and Imperial law allows no one to compete with it. This centralization quickly ensured that a unified and consistent narrative reached all planets under Imperial control, with existing broadcast networks repurposed to spread OIT-approved messaging. Soon, the only news any Imperial citizen could access was the news their Emperor wanted them to see.