History

Milestones from six decades of serving Oklahoma:

From humble beginnings in a basement classroom, OETA-The Oklahoma Network has evolved into a statewide network that provides diverse educational and entertaining public media and services to Oklahomans. OETA began with one transmitting station, little money, limited broadcast hours and a small, almost immeasurable audience. Today, OETA's only statewide public media network continues to expand its reach and impact, through additional digital channels, community engagement initiatives and multi-platform content delivery.

Historic Highlights:

1951

The Oklahoma State Legislature unanimously approves a resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reserve television channels for educational purposes -- the first and only legislative body in the United States to petition the FCC for this purpose.

1953

House Bill 1033, creating the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, is passed and signed into law.

1956

Channel 13-Oklahoma City is activated, the 20th educational television station in the United States -- and the second in the Southwest.

1959

Channel 11-Tulsa is activated. OETA's two VHF transmitting stations provide educational television to approximately 60 percent of Oklahoma's population.

1962

OETA moves its educational TV operations from the University of Oklahoma's student union building to the Forum, a unit of OU's Kellogg Center for Continuing Education.

1966

A federal grant is awarded to OETA for coverage expansion and to provide its first color capability.

1967

Report of the Carnegie Commission challenges educational television to go beyond instructional realms to serve the public with quality entertainment, public affairs and cultural programs. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, in great part a response to the Carnegie Commission's recommendations, created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

1969

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is chartered by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the public television licensees to serve as the national program distribution agency for public television. Sesame Street premieres.

1972

OETA director John Dunn, who has guided the Authority since its inception in 1953, retires July 1. Under the leadership of new Executive Director Bob Allen, former director of communications for the State Department of Education, the Authority adopts goals to develop a financially diverse state network of public television stations.

1974

A new OETA facility is completed in Oklahoma City.

1975

The first Festival fundraising telethon membership campaign is broadcast. Families and individuals in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City viewing areas contribute over $125,000 to help OETA purchase programs.

1976

With the addition of a mobile television unit, OETA can, for the first time, produce programs from the state capitol and other locations throughout Oklahoma.

1977

The state legislature appropriates funds for the purchase of a comprehensive curriculum of instructional programs to be telecast on OETA to classrooms across the state.

1978

The PBS network begins broadcasting national programs, thereby becoming the first American television network to transmit programs regularly by satellite. OETA is among the first PBS members to erect a satellite-receiving dish.

1980

OETA's news and public affairs program "The Oklahoma Report" unveils a new format, providing comprehensive statewide news coverage each weeknight.

1982

OETA finalizes construction of six 1,000-watt translator stations in northern and southern Oklahoma. Activation of these new stations marks the final step in extending the OETA signal into every area of the state.

1983

The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority Foundation, Inc. is established.

1984

In an average July week, according to PBS, OETA reaches 1,228,710 viewers for a cumulative audience of 40 percent of the TV households in the state — the largest cumulative audience of any statewide public television network in the nation.

1987

OETA — in cooperation with the Lawrence Welk Syndication – offers a 52-week series of programs to public television stations. Within 60 days, "The Lawrence Welk Show" becomes one of the largest independent public television acquisitions.
In September, OETA Foundation's launches a $1 million fund-raising campaign in support of "Oklahoma Passage.” The five-part Oklahoma history docu-drama is the most industrious project undertaken by OETA.

1988

The OETA Foundation is offered a $1 million grant from Pappas Telecasting Companies to acquire a second educational television channel in Oklahoma City.

1991

Channel 43, The Literacy Channel, begins operating as OETA’s second channel in the Oklahoma City metro area. OETA becomes the first statewide system to operate a second instructional broadcast service, with Sesame Street, Barney and Reading Rainbow airing in prime time hours in the Channel 43 schedule.

1997

A proposal is made to the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Education to fund a state-of-the-art digital satellite delivery system of OETA’s programming to transmitters throughout the state to replace the current analog system. A Joint Resolution is passed by OETA and the OETA Foundation that the assets of Channel 43 be sold and the proceeds used as matching funds for the required digital transmission and production equipment costs and to establish an Endowment for future capital and related needs.

1998

Channel 43, The Literacy Channel, is sold to Paramount Stations Group. Bob Allen retires as executive director after 26 years to serve full time as president of the OETA Foundation.

2000

OETA's Audience levels grow to new heights, reaching 1,800,000 viewers each week. OETA is consistently in the top 10 highest rated public television stations nationwide.

2001

Demonstrations of the new digital television future are presented to civic groups all across the state. A total of $5.6 million in state appropriations is received in connection with the conversion to digital television. This appropriation is matched by the OETA Foundation, making the total commitment $11.2 million.

2002

OETA broadcasts live The Dedication of the State Capitol Dome. The special broadcast wins an Emmy Award. Beginning in mid-October, OETA’s entire local News and Public Affairs programming is captioned live for the hearing impaired.

2003

Four new digital transmitters are signed on in Cheyenne, Eufaula, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. OETA celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a gala broadcast from the Western Heritage Museum. At the event, the first OETA HD production is demonstrated. Executive Director Malcom Wall leaves OETA to take a similar position with the Kentucky Educational Television network. The board hires John McCarroll who has managed several PBS stations, including KLRU in Austin, Texas.

2004

Viewers with digital receivers can now watch OETA’s digital and analog transmitters in Eufaula, Cheyenne, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. OETA, in cooperation with OneNet and both houses of the Oklahoma legislature, begins audio streaming of all floor sessions of the 50th Legislative Session. Gallery wins an Emmy Award for a special half-hour production.

2005

Nielsen ratings show that Tulsa and Oklahoma City consistently rank in the top seven public stations in the nation in viewership. Prime-time viewing of OETA places the network in the top four stations, depending on the measurement period. OETA begins on-air promotion of Oklahoma as “The State of Creativity” by saluting individuals who have tapped into their own creativity to express themselves, solve problems and improve the quality of life in Oklahoma.

2006

Oklahoma’s produces its first High Definition local television program: “OETA and the Digital Revolution.” With the advent of digital broadcasting, OETA expands its programming offering to include new channels dedicated to specific Oklahoma, children’s and adult learning programs. Cable subscribers in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa area are provided with a total of four channels of OETA programming. Live coverage of “Oklahoma’s Election 2006” gains for OETA the highest viewership of any public television station in the nation on November 6.

2007

To celebrate the Oklahoma Centennial, OETA produces six new history documentaries and “one hundred stories for one hundred years.” OETA is selected to produce the Centennial Parade and the Centennial Spectacular for television. Viewership of these two events set records for public television nationally. Oklahoma legislators approve $3.2 million in appropriations to OETA to help complete the digital conversion of the state network. The funding is to help pay for 15 low-power rural OETA translators, studio upgrades and production equipment. State dollars are matched with non-state, private and federal money. OETA also stepped up community outreach efforts through its Oklahoma WWII Stories project. The project collected and preserved more than 500 stories from WWII veterans and their families.A record number of awards are garnered by OETA, including three regional EMMYS, the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Bar Association Liberty Bell.

2008

OETA won four Emmy Awards, including honors for the Centennial Spectacular, Stateline photographer Derek Watson and the Oklahoma WWII Stories community service project. Additional honors include OAPB, SPJ and NETA awards.