Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, will be a featured speaker and panelist at the upcoming CoSIDA Convention. He will be on a panel during the Wednesday, July 7 "Digital Summit Day" program and will speak on the topic of "The Changing Face of Television" along with Mike Jaquet, Vice President of Advertising, CBS College Sports and Ilan Ben-Hanan, ESPN Senior Director, West Coast Programming.
Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, recently launched his new website,
ESPNFounder.com, providing detailed information on the entrepreneurial career of one of the 100 most important people in American sports history.
On
ESPNFounder.com, sports fans of all ages can learn more about the start of ESPN; watch video highlights of Rasmussen's recent speaking engagements on college campuses and venues around the country; view photographs of Rasmussen's career highlights including historical images from the launch of ESPN; read Rasmussen's comments on current events in sports on "Bill's Blog;" and contact Rasmussen directly to schedule a speaking engagement for your organization through the "Share the Dream" pages. You can also purchase copies of the new paperback edition of Rasmussen's bestselling book at ESPNFounder.com. "Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN" makes a great gift for sports fans, especially for grads and dads.
On September 7, 1979, ESPN went on the air for the first time. Entrepreneurial daring, irrepressible enthusiasm and a dash of good luck gave the world the first 24-hour television network. Once unleashed upon sports fans, ESPN's impact forever changed the way we watch television. Rasmussen is the man who had the dream, the founder of ESPN.
A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen's book reveals his pivotal innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting , including the creation of "Sports Center," wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and "March Madness" college basketball, and coverage of the NFL Draft.
Named "The Father of Cable Sports" by USA Today, Rasmussen was named to The Sports 100,
honoring the 100 most important people in American Sports History. His place in sports history was further recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1994, when he was honored as one of the "Forty for the Ages," one of forty individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.
Rasmussen is a gifted raconteur and a popular public speaker discussing American entrepreneurship and the birth of ESPN. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television shows. Rasmussen recently returned to Bristol, Connecticut for ESPN's 30th Anniversary celebrations, and in further recognition of his role as the father of ESPN, Rasmussen threw out the ceremonial first pitch during ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball coverage of the Phillies/Mets contest on September 13, 2009.
His recent tour of college campuses across America included speaking engagements at Princeton University, the University of Florida, the Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and the 2010 Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley College. Rasmussen also recently delivered the keynote address at the Centennial Celebration of Lambda Chi Alpha in Indianapolis.
Media Contact: Jim DeLorenzo, Phone: 215-564-1122, E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com