William S. Paley Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"Television, I would say,
isn't an advertising medium.
It's a selling medium."

by:	William S. Paley (1901-1990) Founder of CBS
Source:	Quoted in Broadcasting, May 31, 1976
Rating:
Categories:	Commerce, Media, Money, NWO
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Reader comments about this quote:

I fail to see the distinction between advertising and a selling. At the least, television does both, not one or the other. -- Jack, Green, OH
So many in the world do not understand the difference between marketing and sales... -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
Paley soon figured this out once television became such a powerful tool for propaganda. The fact is, television 'sells' like no other media, -- E Archer, NYC
If anything, TV is all advertising, not selling; which means announcing, promoting, or presenting items to create interest and thus create sales. TV is ideal for that. Selling is an interactive precess, requiring a seller and a buyer exchang items of value, either over the counter, by mail, intrnet, etc. TV cannot complete a single sale, therefore, to be techincally accurate, Paley has it exactly backwards. It's sort of the difference being fishing and catching. You don't have to catch any fish to be "fishing". -- Jack, Green, OH
My thoughts exactly, Jack. The only exception I can think of may be the shopping channel. -- Ken, Allyn, WA
Television is selling values as much, or much more, than any products like never before. -- JT Ready, Mesa, AZ
Comments above are correct. As a product facilitator (soap, cars, etc.), TV is an advertising star. Its primary function though has developed into the sell of individual mores, which society as a whole, has bought into wholesale. -- Mike, Norwalk
Yes, Mike! -- E Archer, NYC