Thursday, September 09, 2010

Was I ever this young????


The year was 1956. I was 23 and just two years out of BU with a Bachelors in Journalism. I had worked for a short while in an Advertising Agency and a year as a promotional writer for WWNY Radio in Watertown, NY, but I was getting itchy feet and decided to head to California.

Coming from the East Coast was a huge plus back then and I’m sure it played a large part in my getting an interview at KEY-T television station in Santa Barbara and then actually landing the job. The picture above accompanied the press release which read:

Colin M. Selph, President & General Mangager of KEY-T has appointed Virginia Lee as Advertising & Promotion Manager of the station. Miss Lee, formerly with Shattuck, Clifford & McMillen Advertising in Boston and WWNY in Watertown, NY will head up KEY-T’s trade press advertising and publicity, sales promotion and agency contacts.

When I read that in the paper I realized I was in way over my head but, with the hubris of youth, I figured I could fake it. Actually these were the very early days of TV and the station was just getting off the ground so in a way we were all undergoing a learning experience.

In the long run it didn’t make much difference since Mr. Selph got an “offer he couldn’t refuse” and he sold the station within the first year that I was there. The new owners brought all their own people so that left a bunch of us without jobs ... but the time spent there was definitely not a loss.

That short stint at KEY-T really beefed up my resume and helped to pave the way for my next BIG stop ... New York City !

9 Comments:

Blogger Diana said...

You have such beautiful eyes Ginnie. The similarities in your story and my own Ginny's story are uncanny. Differences of coarse. Time period, companies and such but after reading your post, I swear that I could hear some of my own daughters words that she had said to me when beginning her journalism and media careers!
I look forward to hearing more.
Love Di ♥

6:07 PM  
Blogger KGMom said...

Ginnie--do you watch the show Mad Men? It sounds like it may be about things you might well recognize.
Yes, you were that young...and thank goodness, you are now the age you are. Age and wisdom will outlast youth and beauty any day!

7:29 PM  
Blogger kenju said...

Ginnie, how pretty you look there!! And yes, we once were that young - and that relevant!

10:35 PM  
Blogger Anvilcloud said...

I'm for one am impressed with your resume.

3:13 AM  
Blogger Syd said...

You are stunning! I'm glad that you had that opportunity and had the courage to go for it.

4:48 AM  
Blogger possum said...

Ah, beauty and youth...
But not a match for experience and wisdom!

5:43 AM  
Blogger Beatrice P. Boyd said...

What a fun and exciting time for you Ginnie - being on the west coast and working the the then early days of TV. You must have more wonderful memories to share and will look forward to reading them. I also majoried in journalism (BS from Temple Univ).

1:20 PM  
Blogger Chancy said...

Such an expressive photo. The light of youth in your eyes.I bet you still have this haunting beauty.

10:35 AM  
Blogger Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

You look lovely back then. It seem I told you back when I first started reading you blog, I thougth you were still hot. I certainly have an eye for beauty!

You certainly were adventuresome to seek jobs far from home.

1:43 AM  

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