Hank Price

Hank Price is a veteran television executive, educator and writer. His commentary column, “The Price Point,” is featured on TVNewsCheck and read throughout the television industry.

During a 30-year career as a television general manager, Price specialized in turnarounds, leading television stations for Hearst, CBS and Gannett. Simultaneously, he spent 15 years as senior director of Northwestern University’s Media Management Center, teaching in both the domestic and international executive education programs. Price has been recognized for leadership development and the advancement of television brand strategy.

Price is the author of Leading Local Television (BPP, 2018) and co-author of Managing Today’s News Media: Audience First (Sage, 2015) a management textbook used in many universities. His latest book, “Leadership in Post Christian America (FCP, 2023), was written for Christian business executives. Leading Local Television has become a standard handbook for television station general managers.

Price first became interested in strategic thinking, and what we now call brand, during his time as President and General Manage of KARE 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul. After attending a seminar, where he met and built a relationship with legendary media strategist John Lavine, Price determined to apply business school principles to television station strategy. As a result, KARE 11 became one of the highest rated stations in the country and Gannett’s most profitable unit.

Price then went on to manage WBBM-TV, the CBS owned station in Chicago, where Broadcasting & Cable Magazine named him a Fifth Estater for “innovation in television news.” The station also set new profitability records during Price’s tenure.

Keeping a promise to his wife to return south after years in northern climates, Price left CBS to join Hearst Television, where he turned around stations in North Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama while also training new Hearst television general managers. At the end of 2018 he retired from Hearst to open a boutique media leadership practice and to become a featured columnist on TVNewsCheck.

He was also named director of leadership development for the School of Journalism and New Media at Ole Miss.

In addition to his consulting work and writing, Price is recognized for his presentations on leadership and brand strategy; subjects he believes are intertwined as foundational to the success of any modern business.

Numerous industry awards include NCAB’s Distinguished Service Award for “Outstanding Contributions to Broadcasting,” Gannett Television’s Excellence in Management Award and the NABEF President’s Special Service to America award. He is a member of the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism Hall of Fame.

Price and his wife, Maria, have two grown sons, a lovely daughter-in-law and three beautiful grandchildren. They are members of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Price has also served as an elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.