BW: Disney tops to start career

The Burbank-based Mouse House leads the way in Business Week's ranking of 50 best places to launch a career. Based on the cover story, it seems that much of the credit should go to Disney-owned ESPN (which is based in Bristol, Conn.). Here's how the piece opens:

Like many other baseball fans, Joe Kosa, 28, is spending his Sunday glued to a TV. But relaxed he's not. Instead, the ESPN production assistant is stationed in front of dozens of flat-screen TVs tuned to global sporting events at the headquarters of the Disney-owned network. He's furiously jotting down notes to weave into a storyline that will be read in 60 seconds flat on tonight's 6 p.m. SportsCenter broadcast.

With the San Diego Padres leading the Chicago Cubs 9-0, the outcome is hardly in doubt, and writing the highlights should be easy. Then, Clay Hensley, who has pitched a near-perfect game for the Padres, steps up to the plate in the ninth inning and strikes out for the fifth consecutive time, possibly tying a Major League record. With an hour to go until showtime, Kosa confirms the dubious honor, then rushes to the edit room to compile clips of each and every strikeout for his account of what are simultaneously the pitcher's best and worst nine innings. During the first commercial break, he debriefs anchor Dave Revsine. Moments later, Revsine is reading Kosa's script to more than a half-million viewers. "It keeps you on your toes," says Kosa, who was promoted three times in his three years at ESPN. "You'll never come in to work and have the same experience twice."

Disney made the top spot because of strong on-campus recruiting, solid benefits and a collaborative culture. Rounding out the top five: Lockheed Martin, Deloitte & Touche, Goldman Sachs and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.