I agree with Ahmadi's interpretation. You certainly can substitute one for the other, but doing that slightly changes the meaning. The Latin root of "convince" is "vincere" which means "to conquer", and some of that meaning remains in the present meaning of "convince". Other words that share that Latin root include "victory", "victorious", "victim", "invincible", and "vindication". All of those words are related to a notion of overcoming someone or something. Persuasion is more gentle. It is a matter more of enticing than overcoming.

The words "persuade" and "convince" are similar but not always interchangeable in every context. Both involve changing someone's mind or beliefs, but "persuade" tends to imply a more active effort or influence, often involving emotional appeal, while "convince" usually suggests a logical or rational change in belief. In the sentence "How did Harpo persuade the TV company to sell The Oprah Winfrey Show?", using "convince" would still make sense, but it might slightly alter the tone. "Persuade" here suggests Harpo's active effort in influencing the TV company, likely involving negotiation or emotional appeal. "Convince" would suggest more of a logical or rational argument to change their decision. Regarding the historical event: Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey's company, was involved in the negotiations around selling The Oprah Winfrey Show. In the early 2000s, Oprah and her team convinced or persuaded her network partners to transition from a syndication model to a deal with a major media company, which eventually led to her decision to end the show in 2011 and transition to a new phase of her career. This involved both logical arguments about business strategies and emotional appeals about the future direction of the brand.

Yes!