Doug Price, a veteran of the Colorado banking world and an advocate for early childhood education, has been named head of Rocky Mountain PBS, effective Jan. 5.
Price, a native Coloradoan and former president of FirstBank of Colorado, worked on education commissions under then-Gov. Roy Romer and President Bill Clinton, and co-founded Educare Colorado, a nonprofit dedicated to improving childcare.
In becoming president and CEO of RMPBS (which includes KRMA-Channel 6, plus stations in Pueblo, Grand Junction, Durango and Steamboat Springs), he fills the post left open by the departure of longtime head James Morgese this summer. Morgese left to pursue new media enterprises.
Price rose from a position as a bank teller at FirstBank of Boulder while still a college student, to become president of the Boulder branch in 1982. Within the next fifteen years, Doug served as president of FirstBank of Denver and FirstBank of Colorado.
A RMPBS release Tuesday noted Price has “the skills and experience to lead Rocky Mountain PBS with essential content on television, the internet and through community engagement.”
“It is essential to lead the organization, not as an alternative to commercial television but as something distinct and unique,” Price stated.
Price joins public broadcasting at a time when the audience for PBS nationally and locally is aging and dwindling. Increased attention to online and educational efforts has been a priority for some time.
In a statement, Price said he hopes to bring a passion for public TV to the task “in a time when we have new tools to make the organization more relevant and indeed, essential, to the entire Colorado community.”
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
