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By Jeff Osborne,Account
Manager/Sports, NCC Media/N.Y.
I started my advertising career right out of college in
1969 at Leo Burnett/Chicago, my home town. Three years into my tenure (first
two as a TV buyer for the Kellogg account), I was an assistant account
executive on the Maytag business. During the spring of 1972 (a particularly
nasty one in Chicago) I had the good fortune of working on a three day sales
seminar for Maytag dealers (new product launch) in beautiful San Diego. It was
the first time I'd ever been to California.
Upon my return, I said to my wife, "Enough of this
Chicago weather; let's see if I can find work in California." I then more
seriously began scanning the help wanted section in Broadcasting (I'd been a subscriber for a couple years), when what
to my wandering eyes should appear but an ad for a "local account executive"
position with a TV combo of KSBW/KSBY in Salinas/Monterey. Part of the ad (I
believe I saved it somewhere) mentioned the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and
the abundant number of golf courses in the area.
Well, that did it. Sent a letter with some TV rep
recommendations; they flew me out for an interview, and I started my new career
two weeks before the 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. I've been in the television advertising
business ever since.
