Leslie Moonves Quotes

Powerful Leslie Moonves for Daily Growth

About Leslie Moonves

Leslie Moonves, born on March 28, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York, is an influential media executive and producer known for his significant contributions to the American television industry. His journey, marked by resilience and ambition, led him to become one of the most powerful figures in entertainment. Raised in a working-class family, Moonves was determined to break free from financial constraints. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Bucknell in 1971. However, instead of pursuing law as originally planned, he found himself drawn to the world of television. Moonves began his career as a low-level assistant at CBS and quickly climbed the ranks, thanks to his strong work ethic and keen eye for talent. In 1995, he was appointed President of CBS Entertainment, where he revitalized the network with hit shows like "ER," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Survivor." In 2004, Moonves was promoted to President and CEO of CBS Corporation, a position he held until his departure in 2018 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite the controversy, his impact on the television industry is undeniable. Under his leadership, CBS experienced significant growth, with its market value increasing from $4 billion to over $25 billion. Quotes such as "Content is King" and "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything" encapsulate Moonves' philosophy towards business and life. His legacy lies in his ability to identify and capitalize on audience preferences, shaping the landscape of American television for decades. Despite personal scandals, Leslie Moonves remains a notable figure in the history of media and entertainment.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Content is king."

The quote "Content is king" by Leslie Moonves emphasizes the importance of valuable, engaging, and high-quality content in today's digital world. In essence, it suggests that the key to success lies not just in the delivery platform but primarily in the quality and relevance of the information or entertainment being shared. Whether we are talking about a television show, an article, or a social media post, the content must resonate with its intended audience to capture their interest and generate positive outcomes, such as increased engagement, brand loyalty, or viral popularity.


"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

This quote by Leslie Moonves emphasizes the importance of proactive action in shaping one's own destiny. Instead of passively waiting for what life brings, it encourages individuals to take control and actively create their desired future. It suggests that predicting the future effectively lies in taking bold steps towards accomplishing personal goals and dreams. In other words, the quote is a call to action, urging us to seize opportunities and make things happen rather than simply reacting to circumstances.


"Success is really a quite simple formula: decide what you want in life, write it down, make a plan to achieve it and work at that plan every day."

This quote by Leslie Moonves emphasizes that success is attainable through a clear and deliberate approach. To achieve success, one must first define their goals (decide what they want in life), document them for clarity and focus, develop a strategic plan to realize those objectives, and consistently work towards implementing this plan each day. In essence, success is the culmination of persistent effort directed at well-defined ambitions.


"In this business, as in life, everything comes down to leadership."

This quote by Leslie Moonves emphasizes that success in any field, be it professional or personal, largely depends on effective leadership. Good leaders inspire, guide, and motivate others towards a common goal, fostering collaboration and driving progress. The role of a leader is not just to manage tasks but to create a vision, set direction, and mobilize resources effectively to achieve desired outcomes. In other words, the ability to lead well is essential for success in any endeavor.


"Celebrities are the ultimate entrepreneurs. They have one product – themselves – and they do whatever it takes to sell it."

Leslie Moonves' quote suggests that celebrities, in essence, are self-branding businesspeople. They possess a unique commodity - their persona or image - which they diligently cultivate and market to maximize its value in various ventures. The "whatever it takes" implies that celebrities will go to great lengths to maintain and expand their brand, embracing diverse opportunities in entertainment, endorsements, fashion, philanthropy, and more, to ensure the continued success of their self-entrepreneurial endeavors.


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

Doing, Tent, Carriage, Our World

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

News, Argument, Been, Mediums

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

Game, Bad, I Think, Breaking Bad

By the same token, I think news has more and more of a pro bono aspect to all the networks. When we do our election coverages throughout this coming year, it's not a money-maker for us. It is more of a public service situation.

- Leslie Moonves

Year, I Think, Networks, Bono

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

Thought, Hit, Would, Fugitive

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

Broadcast, Slightly, Profits, Foreseeable Future

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, Proud, Very, Last Night

We have CBS.com, we have our stuff on iTunes. We feel the wave of the future is getting as much distribution as we can. We feel that we should be nonexclusive and get our content out there.

- Leslie Moonves

Feel, Distribution, Our, iTunes

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

Career, Good News, Before, None

I understand why creative people like dark, but American audiences don't 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

Strength, Why, Part, Dilemma

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

Beginning, Surfing, Year, Episodes

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

Feel, Good News, About, CBS

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

- Leslie Moonves

Company, Largest, CBS

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

Work, Proud, Been, CBS

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

Reason, Been, Viacom, CBS

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

- Leslie Moonves

Now, Part, Very, Journalism

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

Game, I Think, Football Game, Wireless

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

Week, Broadcaster, Genuinely, Cheerleader

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

Stories, Broadcast, Stopped, Hurting

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

Idol, Willing, Dollars, Hundreds

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

Big, Big Brother, Very, Outfits

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 U.S.

- Leslie Moonves

Country, I Think, TV, CSI

You won't see Moonves on Twitter.

- Leslie Moonves

You, See, Twitter

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

Process, Want, Show, Network

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

- Leslie Moonves

World, Dead, Totally, Depends

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