A Letter to Our Viewers

Dear Oklahomans,

In recent days, you may have seen national reports about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) shutdown. I know these headlines can raise questions and concerns about the future of public media, including PBS and OETA. I want to provide clarity, assurance, and transparency directly to you, our viewers, supporters, and partners.

First and foremost: OETA is not shutting down.

Our broadcasts, educational services, and local programming continue uninterrupted.

OETA is a unique organization in the public media landscape. While we are proud to be a dues-paying member station of PBS, gaining access to the high-quality national programs you enjoy, we are also an independent Oklahoma state agency, established in 1953, well before CPB and PBS existed. OETA’s structure, mission, and operations are separate from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and we are not dependent on its funding to remain on the air.

Because of strong donor support, careful financial stewardship, and long-term strategic planning, OETA is in excellent standing and built for stability. We are deeply grateful to our supporters whose contributions help ensure that OETA remains a trusted public resource for future generations.

We are also investing in our future. The State of Oklahoma recently funded a full replacement of all OETA transmitters statewide, a once-in-a-generation infrastructure upgrade that will keep our broadcast signal strong and reliable for the next 20+ years. At the same time, we remain committed to expanding our digital capacities so we can meet our growing audiences wherever they choose to watch – on-air, online, or on-demand.

I also want to note that our PBS WARN emergency alerting system remains fully active. This vital service ensures that, during disasters or communication failures, public safety agencies can continue to deliver life-saving information to stations across the country. This system is secure, operational, and unaffected by the CPB shutdown.

To every Oklahoma household, educator, student, and lifelong viewer:

OETA is here to stay.

Our mission, to inform, educate, and inspire, remains unwavering, as it has for more than 70 years. We will continue to provide the trusted programming you rely on and the local stories that reflect and celebrate our state.

Thank you for your continued support, trust, and belief in public media.

With gratitude,

Shawn Black - Executive Director, Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA)