--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The program is only the excuse to get you…" description: "\"The program is only the excuse to get you to watch the advertising. Without the ads there would be no programs. Advertising is the true content of tele..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jerry-mander-48493_ads_the-program-is-only-the-excuse-to-get-yo_2058578.png" --- # The program is only the excuse to get you to watch the… ![“The program is only the excuse to get you to watch the advertising. Without the ads there would be no programs. Advertising is the true content of television and if it does not remain so, then advertisers will cease to support the medium, and television will cease to exist as the popular…” quote by Jerry Mander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jerry-mander-48493_ads_the-program-is-only-the-excuse-to-get-yo_2058578.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jerry-mander-48493_ads_the-program-is-only-the-excuse-to-get-yo_2058578.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jerry-mander-48493_ads_the-program-is-only-the-excuse-to-get-yo_2058578.png) > “The program is only the excuse to get you to watch the advertising. Without the ads there would be no programs. Advertising is the true content of television and if it does not remain so, then advertisers will cease to support the medium, and television will cease to exist as the popular entertainment it presently is.” [Jerry Mander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-mander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advertising drives television content; without it, the medium lacks funding. **In simple terms:** Ads fund TV; without them TV would fade. Key Takeaway Recognize ads' influence on media. Themes media advertising economics influence Mood critical analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - budget cuts for TV - ad‑free streaming services - media literacy education Key Concepts advertising economics media sustainability consumer awareness Questions to Reflect On - How would TV change without ads? - What other revenue could support media? A Different Perspective Alternative funding models could sustain TV without ads. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Cease to exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cease-to-exist/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [People don't understand the logistics of advertising. To have the ads purchased and run, you need to have a series of products that work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wojcicki/people-don-t-understand-the-logistics-of-advertising-to-have-the-ads/) [Susan Wojcicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wojcicki/) > [So why do people keep on watching? 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Does that cause comedy in the streets?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/there-s-so-much-comedy-on-television-does-that-cause-comedy-in-the/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [There's no passive success on radio. Well, in radio, one of the ways in which you engage people and make them active listeners and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-no-passive-success-on-radio-well-in-radio-one-of-the-ways-in/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [When you watch television, you never see people watching television. 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