1920's Media | Paley, William S. 1901-1990

RADIO TYCOON

Conflicting Assessments.

William S. Paley, the head of the Columbia Broadcasting System, has been classified as a genius with an unerring instinct for entertainment and as a megalomaniac motivated by greed. When he died, Video Age International published conflicting assessments: "No one can deny that Paley was a programming genius, and that he was one of the architects of modern society"; and "He had a fine feel for creating a mix of popular and special interest programming, but he took credit for a great many achievements that distinctly belong to others." Undeniably, under his autocratic leadership the Columbia Broadcasting System rewrote the nation's definition of entertainment and news.

Family Fortune.

William Paley was born in Chicago on 28 September 1901, the son of Samuel and Goldie Drew Paley, Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Making money was in Paley's blood: his father had been...