Al Franken Quotes

One survey that I saw that was published I think in Variety or Electronic Media within the last three weeks says that now the average hour of radio in the United States has 18 minutes of commercials.

I pay a lot of attention to box office because I understand it. TV ratings? I don't know how to interpret them, since I'm new to TV, so I'm just going to wait for somebody to tell me.

I've been in television for a little bit, and when people are attracted to what you've created, you get very excited because of the numbers. The business side is very exciting.

Television is more of a business. You can't take as many risks, because there's so many channels now, and the advertising's dropping.

In television you go in with this operating system that it is a crapshoot.

You're in the business - when you're a writer, producer, director - to get ratings.

The best businesses that all of us have in the entertainment business are cable content channels, which have a dual revenue stream.

I don't know if I have good habits, but I'm very devoted to writing. I'm very compulsive about having a project, at least one, and trying to follow the business as much as I can. I keep on top of all the entertainment business news.

I mean, all the ratings wars are silly. But, I mean, someone has to be concerned about the ratings because it means, you know, it translates into revenue.

That is the godawful thing about television today. Performers don't have any place to hit and miss. You're either in or you're out; you don't have a chance to become good at your craft. If you make three pictures in a row and they don't go over, you're out of the business.

Many people dismiss morning television as fluff, but the morning hours are where the money is.

Michael Eisner let it be known last week that he had no intention of leaving the entertainment business once he steps down as CEO of Disney in October.

I think DVD has been a real gold mine for a lot of reasons. You were selling a packaged good in a big mass market, so you could make it huge. You were selling or renting a thing that people didn't consume. You go to Blockbuster, rent five movies, and only watch two. That's a good business to be in.

Look, the media are trapped by changes in the technology and business of their industry.

Television saved the movies. The Internet is going to save the news business.

I grew up in L.A., and I worked for 'The Hollywood Reporter.' I knew enough about the business to know that the usual role of the author on a movie is to get out of the way and not say anything.

Even if the chef has a good business head, his focus should be behind kitchen doors. A business partner should take care of everything in front of the kitchen doors.

With network, shows are pulled half the time after three episodes whether they're good or they're not good. It's a numbers game. With cable, they can take a lot more liberties.

I learned you have to fight for yourself in the picture business.

The problem with TV now is that there's so much competition, that you're always on the chopping block.

I really believe God has put me in the entertainment business, and he's taken real good care of me along the way. I want to do all I can to give him all the credit.

My cash cows, the slick magazines, were put out of business by TV.

I think 'Y&R's future is contingent upon the ratings. Obviously, none of the soaps are kept alive for the sake of loyalty. It's all about ratings. It's show business. Period.

The state of radio is not great. It's like playing the lottery. The chances of hitting are mind boggling slim.

I rarely listen to commercial radio, and when I do, I'm shocked by how many ads there are, and how annoying they are, and how bad the radio station usually is.