Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that Jeff Douglas, who played a historic role in establishing such OPB signature series as "Oregon Art Beat" and "Oregon Field Guide," has died of cancer.

Douglas, who retired in 2011 at the age of 65, was one of the most familiar voices in Oregon broadcasting, having been one of the founders of KINK-FM radio in the late 1960s, up through his work at OPB.

As I wrote in a profile of Douglas upon his 2011 retirement, the man who grew up in Virginia moved to Portland in July 1968, after graduating with a degree in economics from Dartmouth College.

Douglas began working for King Broadcasting, at the time a Seattle-based company that owned KGW.

"They had an FM license at a time when nobody was making any money in FM," Douglas said in our interview. Sensing a need for a new style of radio, Douglas was one of people who put KINK radio on the air on Christmas Day, 1968, when the station was known as "the underground link." In place of the customary singles that made up the top 40, KINK played album cuts, from artists including Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix.

Douglas' career included a stint as KINK general manager, a move to producing TV news with KGW-TV, and then joining OPB in 1990.

During his time at the public broadcasting service, Douglas was a reporter for the outdoor series, "Oregon Field Guide," served as vice president of local production and created "Oregon Art Beat."

OPB reports that Douglas, who was born with the name Malcolm Cross, shared details of his battle with cancer on his Facebook page.

-- Kristi Turnquist



kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist