WASHINGTON — February 24, 2015 — The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) today presented the 2015 National Advocacy Award to Rob Dunlop, President & CEO, KCTS 9, and Ed Ulman, Executive Director & General Manager, KBTC, for their exceptional efforts in furthering public television’s legislative goals and marshalling grassroots support for public broadcasting.
“Rob Dunlop and Ed Ulman are two new outstanding leaders in the public broadcasting system, who effectively communicate their local stations’ services to members of Congress, both in Washington state and Washington, D.C.,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of APTS. “The close collaboration of Rob and Ed is a perfect example of how stations can work together to advance a common goal. Throughout this past year, their active outreach to Senator Patty Murray and her staff has been particularly important in securing federal funding for public broadcasting and for Ready To Learn, public television’s successful transmedia content program for early learners, especially those from low-income families. We are honored to present Rob and Ed with this most well-deserved National Advocacy Award.”
“On behalf of KCTS 9, our colleagues at KBTC, and everyone in public television who is so passionate about making a positive impact in our communities, we are honored to receive this award,” said Dunlop. “Public television provides such essential services—that educate children and touch people’s lives on so many levels—that advocacy becomes intrinsic to who we are and what we do.”
“I am proud of our team at KBTC Public Television and honored to share acknowledgement of our work with my colleague at KCTS 9 in Seattle,” Ulman said. “Strong, localized, public media is vital for our culture and our democracy. Doing my part to ensure public media has the resources and support we need, comes naturally.”
Rob Dunlop joined KCTS 9 as President & CEO in September 2013 after more than 22 years with Fisher Communications in Seattle. As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Fisher, Mr. Dunlop was responsible for driving operations and business strategy through a strong and collaborative culture, resulting in consistent growth. With a focus on innovation and efficiency, he had direct leadership responsibility for all television, radio and digital media, technology and engineering, and capital and strategic planning disciplines.
Prior to working at Fisher, Mr. Dunlop was a research consultant to broadcast companies on product strategy and competitive performance. He was a Producer at the ABC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio as well as a News Anchor/Host for the top-rated news-talk station in the market.
Mr. Dunlop is the former Chair of the Washington Athletic Club; a director and vice chairman of the Better Business Bureau for Alaska, Washington and Oregon; and director and vice chairman of the North Seattle Community College Education Fund. He received his BA degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Edward J. Ulman serves as Executive Director and General Manager of KBTC Public Television, a PBS member station located in Tacoma, Washington that delivers media experiences to 4.3 million viewers in the Seattle/Tacoma DMA. KBTC also operates KCKA in Centralia/Chehalis, several translators, and a low power television signal while simulcasting one HD and two SD channels featuring PBS, APT, NETA, MHz Worldview, and TVW programming. In many parts of rural western Washington, especially in the southwest region, KBTC is the only PBS service available by antenna.
In addition to his public television responsibilities, Mr. Ulman serves as Dean of Instruction for the broadcast, audio, video production, and digital media programs. KBTC provides broadcast educational opportunities to students enrolled in these programs, while being a community service of Bates Technical College.
Mr. Ulman began his public broadcasting career, first as pledge talent on KUAT/KUAZ in Tucson, Arizona, and then, at New Mexico PBS in Albuquerque where he led teams that earned a NETA Award for Take One Step: A Women’s Health Initiative in 2007 and a PBS Development Award for KNME Science Central in 2008. He has served on the PBS Teacher’s Advisory Panel, the WGBH Teacher’s Domain Implementation Advisory Committee, and KCET’s A Place of Our Own Station Advisory Committee.
Mr. Ulman is active in the community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Tacoma, the KBTC Association board, and the Tacoma Mayor’s Education Task Force.
Before launching a career in public broadcasting, Mr. Ulman was the Executive Director of the New Mexico Jazz Workshop and the Tucson Jazz Society. These nonprofit arts organizations continue to produce and promote national and regional jazz, Latin jazz and blues artists. Mr. Ulman remains an active jazz and commercial trombonist. His Transit Latin Jazz Ensemble studio recordings earned New Mexico Music Awards in 2009 and 2013.
Mr. Ulman earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Idaho and a Master’s of Science in Teaching from Portland State University. He also completed post-graduate work at the University of Arizona.
The National Advocacy Award was presented to Rob Dunlop and Ed Ulman during The APTS Public Media Summit on Tuesday, February 24.
About APTS
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1979. The mission of APTS is to conduct – in concert with member stations – advocacy, planning, research, communications and other activities that foster a strong and financially sound public television system providing essential public services to all Americans. Its affiliate APTS Action, Inc. promotes the legislative and regulatory interests of noncommercial television stations at the national level through direct advocacy and through grasstops and grassroots campaigns designed to garner bipartisan congressional support. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
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