I don’t think people realize the extent to which TV networks are hurt when they carry public broadcasting. I think the estimate is that they lose a half-million dollars for a half day’s programming. Roone Arledge Read Quote
The current wisdom now is that if the three networks are covering the news the same way the difference is the anchor people. I think that won’t be true in the future. Roone Arledge Read Quote
People also don’t care about the daily comings and goings of diplomats and yet we must report it. Roone Arledge Read Quote
One of the towering people in this industry said, why don’t you go and make a five-year contract with somebody, make yourself several million dollars and put it away, then go and do whatever you want, work for public TV if you want. Roone Arledge Read Quote
Most of what we report from Congress they don’t care about unless it affects them directly. Roone Arledge Read Quote
In the past ABC has made half-hearted efforts or, worse, cosmetic efforts, to do something about news and I wasn’t certain about what their real aim was – nor am I now. Roone Arledge Read Quote
In fact, I had a series of offers which would have brought me a lot of money to make films and package TV programs. There were people who said to me, we’ll put a million dollars in your bank account tomorrow, which is a hard thing to turn down. Roone Arledge Read Quote
I think people tuned in a lot to see Barbara when she first came here and they just didn’t like the show they saw. I think it was dull. It was sterile. Roone Arledge Read Quote