Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Jessop.
Hi Doug, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Chances are that if you see a TV personality wearing a hat, it’s me, Doug Jessop.
It all started with a cassette recorder I got for Christmas when I was 12 years old growing up in Southern California. I interviewed relatives, friends and anyone else that might have a good story. The broadcast bug was solidified in high school when I got 15 minutes of fame being on-air briefly at 2 major Los Angeles radio stations.
“Everyone has a story. Stories have power. They help us understand each other.” With that mantra in mind, I feature 30 minutes of powerful. positive and inspirational stories and music in my weekly TV series “Jessop’s Journal.”
Jessop’s Journal airs Sunday Mornings on ABC4 TV in all of Utah as well as parts of Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. The show also streams worldwide at JessopsJournal.com.
My broadcast career officially started over 40 years ago as a radio announcer in Logan, Utah; Los Alamos, New Mexico and then Salt Lake City with KCPX-FM, the sister radio station of KTVX-TV (ABC4 Utah).
I first went to the TV side as the Director of Marketing for the largest satellite broadcast firm in the country distributing TV programs, NBA games and was involved in the creation of a new TV network, UPN. I’ve worked at various Utah TV stations and am currently back at home with ABC4. You’ve heard my voice for years in commercials and as one of the station voices for several Utah TV stations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our family motto is “Life Is Never Boring..”
When I was about three years old my jaw got broken and was wired for a number of months. Fast forward a couple of decades later and I go to a doctor because there is a bump in my jaw that’s getting bigger. Within a couple of minutes the doctor informs me that I have a tumor the size of a golf ball and it needs to come out as soon as possible because it might be cancer.
The doctor continues and says “I’ve got good news and bad news.” Okay, I think this is going to be interesting. He goes on and explains the “good news” is that the surgery will be in the same place as a facelift from the back of the ear to the collar and so it shouldn’t be so noticeable.
“The bad news is that if you get sunburned, your scar will glow like Frankenstein, so I strongly suggest you start wearing hats.”
Fortunately, the surgery went well and after getting the first set of pathology results that were inconclusive, a month later I was finally given a clean bill of health.
Duly equipped with a new fedora, my wife and I became de facto tour guides for a group of fifty advertising clients on a
TV media trip to Austria. All of these fellow travelers spread the word that “if you need help go talk to Doug Jessop – he’s the one wearing the hat.”
The moniker of being the hat-wearing TV guy was born and lives on to this day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been a broadcaster and marketing guy pretty much my entire life. It’s been my pleasure to meet with thousands of business owners and hear their stories. From Billion Dollar businesses to boot-strapping ventures, the successful owners share what I call “passion.”
ABC has a popular TV show called “Shark Tank” that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit. What you might not know is that Utah has one of the highest appearance rates on Shark Tank and I’ve been able to chat with a lot of these people.
With the concept that everyone loves a good success story, a number of years ago I started a TV franchise called “Doug Jessop’s Utah Success Stories” that airs Sundays in the ABC4 News at 10 p.m. and online at UtahSuccessStories.com.
It became clear that people were enjoying watching my positive stories on-air and online but the hardest part of doing the stories was the fact that I had to cut out so much good stuff because of time restrictions in newscasts. That frustration moved me to start my “personal passion project” – “Jessop’s Journal – a 30-minute collection of powerful, positive and inspirational stories” that airs Sunday mornings at 10 on ABC4 and worldwide at JessopsJournal.com
Consider this your personal invitation to watch Jessop’s Journal and recharge your batteries, be reminded that there is still good in the world and remember to breathe.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Spending as much time as possible at the tide pools at Corona Del Mar.
Contact Info:
- Email: doug@dougjessop.com
- Website: DougJessop.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dougjessopnews
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougjessopnews
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougjessopnews
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/dougjessop
- Other: www.jessopsjournal.com
Image Credits
Chris Dickinson Photography
Greg Newbold (Pencil Portrait)
Mark Throckmorton (TV Graphics)
