PriMedia Inc

PriMedia Inc is a media buying and marketing firm based in Rhode Island, U.S.[2][3] The company was founded by Ed Valenti and Barry Becher,[4][5] and helped pioneer infomercials, the use of credit cards and 800 numbers on Television ads, and the 30-minute infomercial format on shopping channels.[6][7][2]

For the South African media company, see Primedia.
PriMedia Inc was acquired, and the name RentPath is part of that sequence, which also involves the name K-III

PriMedia Inc
IndustryMedia buying
PredecessorDial Media
Founders
Headquarters
Rhode Island
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
James J. Cooney
Websitewww.primediahq.com

History

PriMedia (then named Dial Media) was founded in 1975 by Ed Valenti and Barry Becher.[8] PriMedia became the first major infomercial company and launched several mainstream products including the Ginsu knives.[9] The company also developed the “long-form” infomercial formats, which later developed into standard half-hour infomercial formats used in Home shopping channels including QVC and HSN. Primedia was one of the first to use toll-free telephone numbers in television ads to allow use of credit cards to order products in real-time.[10]

James J. Cooney, who was a teenager when he first met the firm's co-founders, later joined the firm.[lower-alpha 1]

Notes
  1. Cooney didn't co-found the company. He met Valenti and Becher after they founded the company in 1975, when he was 16 or 17.

References
  1. Hevesi, Dennis (June 30, 2012). "Barry Becher, a Creator of Ginsu Knife Commercials, Dies at 71". The New York Times.
  2. Valenti, Ed (2005). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream. Career Press, Incorporated. ISBN 1564148033.
  3. "Night of the receptive zombies". Financial Times.
  4. Schudel, Matt (June 27, 2012). "Barry Becher, co-creator of the Ginsu knife TV commercials, dies at 71". Washington Post.
  5. "Barry Becher, marketer who helped bring Ginsu knives to U.S. public, dies at 71". The Los Angeles Times. June 28, 2012.
  6. "Ginsu Knife Pitch Co-Creator, Barry Becher, Dies". ABC News.
  7. Valenti, Ed (2016). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream. Lancet. ISBN 978-1564148032.
  8. "Infomercial pioneer Barry Becher of Ginsu knives fame dies at 71". Cleveland. June 27, 2012.
  9. Harry, Lou (2002). As Seen on TV - 50 Amazing Products and the Commercials that Made Them Famous. Quirk Productions, Inc. ISBN 978-1422366998.
  10. Valenti, Edward (2005). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream. Quirk Productions, Inc Career Press (March 2005). ISBN 978-1564148032.
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