• February 2, 2006

Legendary network TV ad buyer William P. Croasdale died Monday in San Diego. He was 77. Croasdale, who began his career in the late 1950s as a production assistant on NBC's "Tonight Show," ultimately moved on to NBC's sales department, but found his real calling on Madison Avenue when he joined BBDO Worldwide as senior vice president-director of national broadcast, overseeing one of the most influential buying departments of its day. Croasdale left BBDO in 1982 as executive vice president-national broadcast and a member of the agency's board to join then start-up agency Backer & Spielvogel (later Backer, Spielvogel and Bates) as head of national broadcast. In 1991, he moved to Los Angels to become the president of national broadcast for Western International Media (now Initiative) and retired from Madison Avenue in 2000 as president of all media and co-chairman of Western's board. A memorial service is planned in Los Angeles.