wfn.org | Nelson Price to step down as F@V Channel CEO

[George Gundrey <ggundrey@igc.apc.org>]

Jan. 02, 1996 at 15:36 Eastern (3073 characters)
For Immediate Release         Contact:  Portia E. Badham
                                        212-964-1663
                    

                NELSON PRICE ANNOUNCES PLANS 
                    TO STEP DOWN AS CEO  
                  OF FAITH & VALUES CHANNEL
                              

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 1995 -- Nelson Price announced today his
intention to step down as chief executive officer of the
Faith & Values Channel (F&V) as soon as his successor is
named. 
     A search committee, headed by Wil Bane of United
Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn., is receiving
nominations for the post and expects to announce a decision
in the early months of 1996.
     Price, 67, was named the first full-time CEO of F&V in
1990 after a 35-year communications career in the United
Methodist Church.  
     One of the architects of the interfaith channel, Price
notes, "The cable world into which the Faith & Values
Channel was born is a much more competitive environment
today.  F&V's challenge for the future is to keep pace with
the industry's growth and maturity while continuing to be
faithful to the channel's mission."
     Under Price's leadership, F&V increased its reach from
less than seven million households in 1990 to more than 25
million on over 1,500 cable systems as of November 1995. 
The rapidly growing PRIMESTAR, a direct-to-home satellite
service, also carries the channel nationwide.
     F&V is currently the eighth fastest growing cable
channel, according to research figures provided by the A.C.
Nielsen Company.
     During the past year, Price was instrumental in
negotiating an agreement between the Faith & Values Channel
and Liberty Media, a subsidiary of Tele-Communications, Inc.
(TCI).  
     Under the terms of the agreement, the channel is
jointly owned by subsidiaries of the National Interfaith
Cable Coalition Inc. (NICC), the founders of F&V, and
Liberty Media Corp.  NICC is a consortium of 64 Protestant,
Jewish, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faith groups and
evangelical traditions.
     "The list of Nelson Price's accomplishments as CEO is
truly outstanding, and the announcement of his departure
comes as the fruits of his efforts are being realized," says
Dr. Daniel P. Matthews, chair of the NICC Board of Trustees
and rector of Trinity Church (Episcopal), New York City.  
     "The channel is financially sound and is operating in
the black, ratings are better than ever, and carriage has
surpassed the 25 million household mark," Dr. Matthews
added.
     Dr. Matthews also praised Price's commitment to the
channel's mission and his ability to "focus his energies in
the right direction."
     Price's future plans include consulting work in
communications and other areas.
     Programming on the Faith & Values Channel represents a
mix of religious, moral/ethical, values-based and family-
oriented programming.  The channel prohibits on-air fund
solicitation, proselytizing and maligning of other faiths;
its programming encourages interaction and understanding.

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