| I had just returned from a whirl-wind tour of Europe. | | | | The man who owned Sterling Communications, Inc., |
| Six cities in 14 days. As a young American man in his | | | | also owned Sterling Movies. He was known to |
| twenties, I didn't appreciate how old everything looked. | | | | everyone as "Chuck", or Charles Dolan. Before I was |
| Rome (ancient), Paris (Eiffel tower-so what?) Berlin | | | | hired, I had to pass a screening test by a sales |
| (grim), London (too proper), Amsterdam (where does | | | | psychologist, something unheard of at this time. Two |
| all the water go?), Copenhagen (beautiful blond girls | | | | weeks later I received a call that I had passed, and |
| with blue/green eyes - don't remember anything else :) | | | | could report to work the following Monday. |
| Why didn't I stay? | | | | Sterling Communications also owned Manhattan Cable |
| I got on the bus in New Jersey on my way to what I | | | | (now Warner Cable) and Chuck was in the process of |
| expected to be a very exciting job - salesman for a | | | | laying millions of feet of cable underneath Manhattan's |
| television program distribution company, on Park | | | | sidewalks and streets. It was an enormous task, |
| Avenue, New York City. Once in the city, I proceeded | | | | frought with political backlash, not to mention kazillions |
| on two more buses until I reached Park Avenue and | | | | of dollars in financing. In these early days, I could sense |
| 59th street. Standing on the corner looking south, I had | | | | that it was a touch-and-go undertaking. I can still vividly |
| to inhale as my breath was taken from my chest. | | | | remember my first comments, "What is this guy |
| Park Avenue was split in the middle by a series grass | | | | crazy?" |
| islands between each numbered street, all the way to | | | | Manhattan cable went to hotel rooms in those early |
| 43rd street, where the view was blocked by the old | | | | days, and the company had a difficult time getting |
| Pan Am building strattled across the avenue. Both | | | | anyone in a hotel room to watch what was essentially |
| sides of the islands had canals laid with black asphalt - | | | | a news ticker. And then came along Michael J. |
| one going south, the other north. As my eyes were | | | | McCurdy with an idea that would transform the world |
| drawn south they were pulled up from the street to | | | | of cable. I am sure that with this idea alone, Chuck |
| reveal each side of the avenue's glass sky scrapers | | | | Dolan would make me a vice president. After spending |
| standing proudly, glistening in the sun. | | | | several days flirting with his secretary, I gave her a |
| "My God - this is America!" I said to myself. In one | | | | note for Mr. Dolan...would she please pass it on to him. |
| moment, I realized what a great country I lived in. I | | | | She smiled, and said yes! |
| wanted to run to my new job which was in a 38 story | | | | Weeks went by before I got the courage to ask her if |
| sky scraper on the left-hand, or east side of this great | | | | he had seen it. Yes, he had. |
| thoroughfare, on fifty-third street. It was one of the | | | | That was it - nothing else. How could he not see the |
| great new buildings - The Seagrams building. | | | | benefit of having "Live Burlesque" on his channel in |
| I took my time walking down the avenue and as I | | | | hotel rooms! Surely every man visiting New York could |
| looked up at all of the sky scrapers. I couldn't believe | | | | not wait until he registered at his hotel. The press |
| how may sales opportunities awaited me. I imagined | | | | would have a field day. I consoled myself by |
| myself spending a month alone making calls on just | | | | rationalizing that he was just too busy to get back to |
| one street. | | | | me. :) |
| As I approached my new place of employment, I | | | | Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia: In 1972, Mr. Dolan |
| marveled at the steps leading up to a plaza with dual | | | | founded Home Box Office Inc (HBO) the first premium |
| water fountains welcoming me to revolving doors and | | | | programming service in the cable television industry. |
| marble floors in an expansive lobby. A sign pointed to | | | | After selling Home Box Office to Time-Life, Inc. (now |
| the entrance of one of the city's Power restaurants: | | | | Time Warner), he organized Cablevision Systems |
| "The Four Seasons." I would later be mildly scolded for | | | | Corporation on Long Island, and has spearheaded |
| entertaining potential clients at my "Power Luncheons." | | | | many of the company's advancements. In 1986 he |
| On any given day, you were lunching with the city's | | | | took the company public, and since 1992 the stock has |
| power brokers, celebrities and sports stars. I decided | | | | risen by 400%. Estimated worth is 2.3 billon dollars. |
| quite quickly that I liked this life. | | | | Oh yeah, he also owns Madison Square Garden, the |
| Much copied but not matched, the Seagram Building is | | | | NY Knicks, NY Rangers, and Radio City Music Hall. |
| generally recognized as the finest example of | | | | Me? I was wooed away a year later to a television |
| skyscrapers in the International Style. | | | | production company as a producer. I loved every |
| The elevator whisked me up to the 36th floor and my | | | | minute in a long career. |
| new office. I loved it. It looked out over the entire city. | | | | |