Biography of Peter W. Morrill

Peter W. Morrill has been General Manager for Idaho Public Television since 1996. During his 30-plus year career in the media, Morrill has actively supported and defended the role of public broadcasting: to enlighten, to entertain, and to serve those not otherwise served by mainstream media.

Among Mr. Morrill's accomplishments, he has overseen IdahoPTV's planning, fundraising and implementation of the statewide network's $24 million conversion to digital television. Despite having one of the smallest budgets for a statewide network, under his leadership the station has had a robust local production effort that has received more than 53 national and local awards of excellence this past year, including one regional Emmy award and an Edward R. Murrow Award (one of only two local PBS stations to be honored regionally this year).

Mr. Morrill serves on several boards of directors. He is serving on the Board of Directors of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), of which he is the past Chairman of the Executive Committee. Also, Mr. Morrill is serving on the Board of Directors of the Idaho State Broadcasters Association, of which he is former Chairman. He serves on the advisory board of the University of Idaho School of Journalism and Mass Media. Finally, he serves as Chairman of the Common Facility Management Committee of Deer Point Partners, LLC, a collaboration of television and radio broadcasters who operate a transmitter facility serving Boise, Idaho. In 2012, he completed his second and final three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). As part of his duties on the PBS Board of Directors, he served on several committees, including the Interconnect Committee of which he was chair; the Station Services Committee of which he was Vice Chair; the Finance Committee; and the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee.

From 2003-2008, he served in various capacities on the Board of Directors of Anser Charter School. From 2003-2005, he served a two-year term as the Co-Chairman of the Organization of State Broadcast Executives (OSBE), during which he was a founding member of the Affinity Group Coalition (AGC), a group representing more than 90% of public television stations on policy issues. Mr. Morrill served the AGC from 2009-2012 and is the Coalition's Past Chairman.

Mr. Morrill was born and raised in Connecticut and attended Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, graduating in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He has worked in various production and management capacities for WBGU-TV (PBS), Bowling Green, Ohio (1978-1979); Idaho Public Television (1979-1986); WUFT-TV (PBS), Gainesville, Florida (1986-1989); and Idaho Public Television (1989-present).

Mr. Morrill has been honored with awards of distinction including: the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Northwest Chapter (2008); Distinguished Alumnus Award, WBGU-TV/Bowling Green State University (2007); the Intellectual Freedom Award, American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho (2002); National Advocacy Award, America's Public Television Stations (2002); Grass Roots Award, America's Public Television Stations (1999); the first annual Idaho Tax Turkey Award, Idahoans for Tax Reform (1999); and the United Nations Human Rights Day Award, Idaho Voices of Faith (1999).

Peter and his wife Linda Olson have a daughter Sadie. On most weekends you'll find them skiing, playing tennis, rafting, road biking or running in the Idaho outdoors.

Updated: February 2013