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OETA reports Emmy wins and transmitter upgrades, requests $612,000 recurring to close pay gap
Summary
OETA executive director Polly Anderson told the committee the network replaced key transmitters, expanded livestreaming to four channels and won five regional Emmys; the agency said staff pay lags market and requested a recurring $612,000 appropriation to raise salaries and retain employees.
Polly Anderson, executive director of OETA, told the Appropriations Committee the state public television network has modernized transmission infrastructure, expanded streaming, increased educational reach and seeks recurring funding to reduce a measured staff pay gap.
Anderson said the agency replaced failing main transmitters and low‑power translators, negotiated tower use with the Department of Public Safety for one transmitter without rent, and noted that as a result all 18 transmitters in the network are less than five years old. She credited prior legislative funding for the replacements and said the upgrades strengthen coverage — particularly in rural areas where OETA can be the only over‑the‑air provider carrying local emergency information.
Anderson reported programming successes — five regional Emmy Awards for local productions — and said OETA’s PBS LearningMedia presence has grown from about 11,000 subscribers before COVID to about 90,000 now; OETA is also producing Oklahoma history curricular content for PBS LearningMedia.
The agency said it now streams four channels live so viewers can access content over broadband and mobile devices in addition to over‑the‑air reception. Chief Operating Officer Sean Black said streaming expands the audience where broadband exists and helps reach streaming‑native viewers.
OETA provided an internal salary analysis and said its staff pay is below market: the agency’s positions were on average roughly 6.7% lower than OMES market estimates and some positions about 21% below market. Anderson said OETA has received no recurring appropriation increases in seven years and requested a recurring $612,000 appropriation to reduce the pay gap and retain staff.
Committee members asked about OETA’s public‑private funding model, coverage versus commercial TV signals and the role of transmitters for emergency redundancy; Anderson said OETA is mission driven, governed as a public media member station and relies on three funding legs: federal (CPB), state and private donations, with statutory and FCC limits on commercial promotion. She emphasized the network’s public‑safety role in parts of the state where commercial coverage is weak.
Clarifying details: OETA requested $612,000 recurring for staff pay; network reported 90,000 PBS LearningMedia subscribers; five regional Emmy awards in 2024; all 18 transmitters now less than five years old; OETA coverage includes counties and rural areas where it can be the only local over‑the‑air provider of emergency alerts (no count of unique population provided).
