---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Starting with radio, starting with…"
description: "\"Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used to this idea of stuff being free as long as you just watch a few ads.\" — Tim Wu"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png"
---

#  Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used…

![“Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used to this idea of stuff being free as long as you just watch a few ads.” quote by Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png)

> “Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used to this idea of stuff being free as long as you just watch a few ads.”

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Free content is funded by ads; the model is shifting.

**In simple terms:** Free content relies on advertising.

Key Takeaway

Consider sustainable media models.

Themes

media economics advertising

Mood

analytical forward‑looking

Type

media business

When to use this quote

- online news
- streaming services
- content creation

Key Concepts

ad‑supported revenue digital platforms

Questions to Reflect On

- How can creators monetize without ads?
- What alternatives exist for free content?

A Different Perspective

Ad fatigue reduces effectiveness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-free/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/)

## Related quotes

> [I always wanted to work on films, and when I was starting in television in this country, in Great Britain, there really wasn't any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-newell/i-always-wanted-to-work-on-films-and-when-i-was-starting-in/)

[Mike Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-newell/)

> [Am I famous? Sometimes I get really great shampoo for free. The more stuff I do the more free stuff I get, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/am-i-famous-sometimes-i-get-really-great-shampoo-for-free-the-more/)

[Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/)

> [When you get stuff for free, you have no self-worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-dash/when-you-get-stuff-for-free-you-have-no-self-worth/)

[Stacey Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-dash/)

> [People go back to the stuff that doesn't cost a lot of money and the stuff that you don't have to hand money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-go-back-to-the-stuff-that-doesn-t-cost-a-lot-of-money-and-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The challenge of email is that people send you stuff for free, and it becomes items on your to-do list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/the-challenge-of-email-is-that-people-send-you-stuff-for-free-and-it/)

[Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/)

> [You don't need money to be free. You can just say if you don't need stuff, you're always free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-bendjelloul/you-don-t-need-money-to-be-free-you-can-just-say-if-you-don-t-need/)

[Malik Bendjelloul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-bendjelloul/)

> [I will always do music, and now - with where the world is going with social media and people dropping stuff for free and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-milian/i-will-always-do-music-and-now-with-where-the-world-is-going-with/)

[Christina Milian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-milian/)

> [With piracy, people think it's about getting stuff for free. It's not - it's about getting rid of the middleman that stands between you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-linehan/with-piracy-people-think-it-s-about-getting-stuff-for-free-it-s-not/)

[Graham Linehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-linehan/)

> [I get stuff for free and I sell it for as much as I can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/i-get-stuff-for-free-and-i-sell-it-for-as-much-as-i-can-get/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [7-Eleven should create a point system. I'd get so much stuff for free...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hyland/7-eleven-should-create-a-point-system-i-d-get-so-much-stuff-for-free/)

[Sarah Hyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hyland/)

> [I think you spend 50 percent of your mental energy trying to defeat ad systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-think-you-spend-50-percent-of-your-mental-energy-trying-to-defeat/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Google - and some of the other sites, YouTube and, you know - Google has an amazing search engine. The map product is incredible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-and-some-of-the-other-sites-youtube-and-you-know-google-has-an/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [In the media, traditional media like print, we had boundaries. You know, we had spaces that ads didn't leave. They stayed where they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-the-media-traditional-media-like-print-we-had-boundaries-you-know/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Advertising just keeps getting heavier and heavier and heavier. It doesn't have any natural limit, and we haven't found the place for the limit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/advertising-just-keeps-getting-heavier-and-heavier-and-heavier-it/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

## More by Tim Wu

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [When you pay for stuff, it has more of your interests in heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-you-pay-for-stuff-it-has-more-of-your-interests-in-heart/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [“JUST WHAT IS GOOGLE? In 1902, the New York Telephone Company opened the world’s first school for “telephone girls.” It was an exclusive institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/just-what-is-google-in-1902-the-new-york-telephone-company-opened-the/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [“When we speak of living environments and their effects on us, then, we are often speaking too broadly—of the city, the countryside, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-we-speak-of-living-environments-and-their-effects-on-us-then-we/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Now, he doesn't control the media, but Donald Trump has been incredibly successful in having his face appear everywhere. You cannot go a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/now-he-doesn-t-control-the-media-but-donald-trump-has-been-incredibly/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [The best antidote to the disruptive power of innovation is overregulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/the-best-antidote-to-the-disruptive-power-of-innovation-is/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [“In 1956, two psychologists, Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, would conclude that television’s representation of celebrities was carefully constructed to create an “illusion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-1956-two-psychologists-donald-horton-and-richard-wohl-would/)

[tim wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [“Markets are born free, yet no sooner are they born than some would-be emperor is forging chains. Paradoxically,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/markets-are-born-free-yet-no-sooner-are-they-born-than-some-would-be/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I want to say, however, one thing our media in America has done which didn't happen in other totalitarian states is it has very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-want-to-say-however-one-thing-our-media-in-america-has-done-which/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Advertising just keeps getting heavier and heavier and heavier. It doesn't have any natural limit, and we haven't found the place for the limit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/advertising-just-keeps-getting-heavier-and-heavier-and-heavier-it/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I wish more of the web had stayed nonprofit. But the advertising model took over and I think has delivered us to where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-wish-more-of-the-web-had-stayed-nonprofit-but-the-advertising-model/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [There's always people - it doesn't take many - who have a different psychological makeup than most of us who really get joy out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/there-s-always-people-it-doesn-t-take-many-who-have-a-different/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [In the media, traditional media like print, we had boundaries. You know, we had spaces that ads didn't leave. They stayed where they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-the-media-traditional-media-like-print-we-had-boundaries-you-know/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [Google - and some of the other sites, YouTube and, you know - Google has an amazing search engine. The map product is incredible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-and-some-of-the-other-sites-youtube-and-you-know-google-has-an/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [One thing that all the totalitarian states did was make the great leader's face everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/one-thing-that-all-the-totalitarian-states-did-was-make-the-great/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

[Explore all 87 Tim Wu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

## More Ads quotes

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

> [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/)

Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/)

[Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/)

> [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/)

[Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/)

Browse all 856 Ads quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used to this idea of stuff being free as long as you just watch a few ads.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tim Wu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/starting-with-radio-starting-with-television-we-got-used-to-this-idea/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/starting-with-radio-starting-with-television-we-got-used-to-this-idea/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/tim-wu-7845_ads_starting-with-radio-starting-with-televi_880607.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Starting with radio, starting with television, we got used to this idea of stuff being free as long as you…” — Tim Wu",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tim Wu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Starting with radio, starting with television,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/starting-with-radio-starting-with-television-we-got-used-to-this-idea/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/starting-with-radio-starting-with-television-we-got-used-to-this-idea/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
