More than 70 years ago – the legislation passed in 1953 – the state of Oklahoma embraced technology and created the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, Oklahoma’s only statewide coordinated instructional and public television network.
Lawmakers worked a while at the process. In 1951, the state Legislature created one of the first noncommercial educational television facilities in the United States by approving House Concurrent Resolution Number 5, which urged the new Federal Communications Commission to reserve television channels for educational purposes.
Two years later, in 1953, House Bill 1033, sponsored by Rep. W.
H. Langley and Sen. Byron Dacus created OETA. The measure was signed by Gov. Johnston Murray. And at that moment, Oklahoma became the first state in the country to pass a law providing for statewide educational television.
“The FCC granted construction permits for Channel 13, KETA, in Oklahoma City in December 1953, and Channel 11, KOED, in Tulsa in July 1954,” a story posted on the Oklahoma Historical Society’s website noted.
“To finance expenses OETA was authorized to issue revenue bonds redeemable with money accumulating in the public building fund,” the story said. “However, the legislature did not appropriate operating funds; they believed private donations should cover these expenses.
Subsequently, Edward K. Gaylord, founder of the Oklahoma Publishing Company, donated $150,000.”
They kept working.
And history would prove later that Gaylord, the publisher of the state’s largest newspaper, was also one of the state’s most conservative businessmen and a supporter of OETA.
Ground-breaking for the KETA transmitter building, located in Oklahoma City at Wilshire Boulevard and Kelly Avenue, started on Aug. 1, 1955. The network aired on April 13, 1956.
For decades, the station has brought unique programs and educational materials to Oklahomans. The network has continued to provide children’s educational content, locally produced public affairs programming.
And today it also ensures the statewide broadcast infrastructure used to distribute emergency alerts and severe weather warnings remains functional.
This year, Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed legislation that would have extended OETA’s statutory authorization for another five years.
That bill was overridden by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
However, the Oklahoma Senate fell short of the votes needed to override the veto of Senate Bill 1461 before adjourning for the year.
This left OETA on course to sunset – that is, end its operations – unless lawmakers revisit the issue during the 2027 legislative session.
Oklahoma needs OETA. As a small child, OETA helped teach me how to read. It taught me history and science and shared major moments of American culture such as Sesame Street and a seemingly unending collection of historic movies with me. Had it not been for OETA, I would have never had the opportunity as a child to watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
As a journalist, I have worked with many OETA reporters – some of the best professionals in the business. It’s time for Oklahoma to reembrace its love for OETA because it is one way to get vital information to every corner of this state.
It’s time to keep OETA alive for another 70 years because those years, just like public broadcasting, will be vital and necessary this state and its people.
___ M. Scott Carter is an award-winning political and investigative reporter with more than 40 years’ experience covering federal and state government and politics in Oklahoma. He can be reached at scott. carter@ swoknews.com.