Leslie Moonves Quotes

• I understand why creative people like dark, but American audiences dont like dark. They like story. They do not respond to nervous breakdowns and unhappy episodes that lead nowhere. They like their characters to be a part of the action. They like strength, not weakness, a chance to work out any dilemma.

  Leslie Moonves

  Character, Dark, People

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• I am broadcaster's biggest cheerleader because I genuinely believe in it. Where else can you get 20 million people a week watching 'NCIS' or 'American Idol?' Where else can you get 120 million watching the Super Bowl?

  Leslie Moonves

  Cheerleading, Believe, Idols

  "CBS CEO Leslie Moonves on Ashton Kutcher Contract Talks, Keith Olbermann's Future and the One Note He Gives Wife Julie Chen (Q&A)". Interview with Lacey Rose, www.hollywoodreporter.com. April 12, 2012.

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• There are plenty of people who are willing to pay $2.6 million for 30 seconds on the Super Bowl and hundreds of thousands of dollars for 'American Idol.' There will be advertising dollars on the Internet. We're there as well. We win either way.

  Leslie Moonves

  Winning, Idols, People

  "CBS Chief Isn't Worried About YouTube or Google — 'As Long as We Get Paid'". Interview with Frank Rose, www.wired.com. May 16, 2007.

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• I think many years from now, people will still watch television, though it will probably be 150 inches wide. What will change is the ability to get 'CSI' not only on TV but also on the Internet, even watching it in a foreign country as it's playing in the US.

  Leslie Moonves

  Country, Thinking, Years

  "Cbs Chief Isn't Worried About Youtube Or Google — 'as Long As We Get Paid'". Interview with Frank Rose, www.wired.com. May 16, 2007.

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• I take great pride in all the tremendous success we've enjoyed at CBS. And the good news is that I feel even more enthusiastic about what my terrific team and I will accomplish going forward.

  Leslie Moonves

  Team, Pride, News

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• Broadcasting for advertisers is still the best game in town, and they know it. Look, I admire a lot of the shows on cable. I think 'Mad Men' is wonderful. I think 'Breaking Bad' is wonderful. But let's remember they're about one-tenth the audience of NCIS.

  Leslie Moonves

  Men, Thinking, Games

  "Executive Suite". Interview with Lacey Rose, www.hollywoodreporter.com. April 10, 2012.

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• It's the quiet little hit that is succeeding totally under the radar, ... NCIS.

  Leslie Moonves

  Littles, Succeed, Quiet

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• Ultimately journalism has changed... partisanship is very much a part of journalism now.

  Leslie Moonves

  Journalism, Changed, Partisanship

  "CBS President Says at Obama Fundraiser 'Partisanship Is Very Much a Part of Journalism Now'" by Noel Sheppard, www.newsbusters.org. June 7, 2012.

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• CBS is proud to have been the home of David Letterman since 1993. He is truly one of the great talents of our time, and we hope things work out.

  Leslie Moonves

  Home, Work Out, Proud

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• We think wireless is going to grow tremendously. Do I think people are going to watch an episode of 'Survivor' on a 2-inch television set? I doubt it. But I do think somebody's going to go to a grocery store in the middle of a football game and watch that game.

  Leslie Moonves

  Football, Thinking, Games

  "CBS Chief isn't worried about Youtube or Google — 'as long as we get paid'". Interview with Frank Rose, www.wired.com. May 16, 2007.

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• News, by and large, has been the purest of all the television mediums, or at least we've tried to keep it that way, and there constantly is the argument about the separation between church and state.

  Leslie Moonves

  Church, News, Television

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• It is too soon to tell, but old, tired 'Survivor' last night beat 'X Factor.' We're really proud of that. We're anticipating a very strong season for CBS.

  Leslie Moonves

  Strong, Tired, Night

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• I was one of the first to read the 'ER' script and the good news is George Clooney still gives me credit for helping to launch his career. I had George Clooney under contract for four years in a row before 'ER' happened. He's one of the few who remembers the people who helped him.

  Leslie Moonves

  Years, Careers, People

  "The man who made George Clooney" by David Teather, www.theguardian.com. September 04, 2006.

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• Broadcast TV is still the mothership and it will be for the foreseeable future. Audiences may be declining slightly but revenues are going up and profits are going up.

  Leslie Moonves

  May, Tvs, Profit

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• My wife is the host of Big Brother. Her name is Julie Chen, and she'll say, "Da da da,* but first* we do this." So they mashed together her saying "but first" a couple dozen times. Literally. In different outfits. And when you cut it together like that, it appears very robotlike. They called her the Chenbot.

  Leslie Moonves

  Brother, Couple, Cutting

  "CBS Chief Isn't Worried About Youtube Or Google — 'As Long As We Get Paid'". Interview with Frank Rose, www.wired.com. May 16, 2007.

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• I read the papers, I surf the Web. At the beginning of the year, I try to see at least two episodes of every show on our network. Am I surfing? All the time. I'm aware of the landscape. I'm a competitor, so I have to know whom I'm competing with.

  Leslie Moonves

  Years, Two, Surfing

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• Rebuilding a network is a slow, brick-by-brick process. It's not just creating a hit show - it's building shows to back up that hit show; it's creating an identity of success so that people want their shows on your network.

  Leslie Moonves

  Creating, People, Identity

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• As the TiVos and the Replays are coming into our world - and they're coming - it's better to - be inside the tent and figure out what they're doing and to work hand in hand with them as opposed to saying, 'You know what, the automobile is not going to work. I'm going to stick to my horse and carriage,' you know.

  Leslie Moonves

  Horse, Hands, Our World

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• Before the start of the 2000 season, 'C.S.I.' wasn't supposed to be the hit. We all thought it would be 'The Fugitive.

  Leslie Moonves

  Would Be, Fugitive, Supposed To Be

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• We realize that if we live in a world that depends totally on CBS.com, we'd be dead.

  Leslie Moonves

  World, Realizing, Depends

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• The stories about broadcast dying or it being overtaken by cable have stopped. Same goes for the stories about the Internet hurting our business.

  Leslie Moonves

  Hurt, Dying, Stories

  "CBS CEO Leslie Moonves on Ashton Kutcher Contract Talks, Keith Olbermann's Future and the One Note He Gives Wife Julie Chen (Q&A)" by Lacey Rose, www.hollywoodreporter.com. April 12, 2012.

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• The reason I've been able to maintain my position of chairman of CBS in addition to all the Viacom stuff is my team.

  Leslie Moonves

  Team, Able, Stuff

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• CBS is the largest out-of-home advertising company in the U.S.

  Leslie Moonves

  Home, Advertising, Company

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• You won't see Moonves on Twitter.

  Leslie Moonves

  "Leslie Moonves on Why Broadcast Trumps Cable, What He Said to Steve Burke". The Hollywood Reporter Interview, www.yahoo.com. April 12, 2012.

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