OETA defends state support, highlights NextGen upgrades and education reach

Sean Black, executive director of Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA), said the public media network serves every county with multiple channels and streaming and provides emergency alerts and educational programming used in classrooms. OETA reported roughly 57% of its budget comes from state funding and said a recent federal funding loss reduced revenues by $1.9 million; Black said private donors have stepped up to cover the shortfall and OETA’s budget request to the legislature for the year is zero.

Black described investments in NextGen TV (ATSC‑3) and the 2020s transmitter upgrades funded by a prior $2.8 million appropriation. He said ATSC‑3 enables data‑casting that could deliver educational content to students without broadband by serving lesson packages to small receiver boxes.

Committee members pressed OETA on the portion of state funds spent on public‑safety services versus general programming; Black said towers and alert systems are integrated and not tracked separately on a line‑item basis. He said OETA’s Friends group pays PBS network dues, relieving OETA of that expense.

Lawmakers asked about metrics: Black reported 4 million PBS KIDS streams last month and described PBS LearningMedia monthly users rising from 73,000 to 85,000 in school‑year months. He described local production (about 65 new episodes across key programs in 2024) and urged the committee to consider the meshed public‑safety and educational value when reviewing funding priorities.