OETA Funding

[scottk]

https://kfor.com/video/stitt-vetoes-...-bill/8601768/

https://www.news9.com/story/644b9319...expire-in-july

https://okcfox.com/news/local/kevin-...ild-transition

While it may not have the viewership it once did, I think OETA still serves a purpose. Much like a public library, OETA provides an educational purpose to the state and is accessible nearly state wide thanks to a well established network of over the air signals. Just because some may not use its service, there are many who may turn to it as one of few options for programming, especially for children.

Not everyone, especially those on limited budgets or in rural parts of Oklahoma have access to quality internet for streaming or paying for streaming services. Over the air or a limited cable plan may be the only option.

I think because of past budget cuts, a lot of OETA's original programming that focused on state issues has also gone away.

[Plutonic Panda]

Saw this. Very upsetting. I love the OETA.

[Laramie]

OETA is the most educational programming on Oklahoma television. What is Stitt's purpose?

[Jersey Boss]

OETA is the most educational programming on Oklahoma television. What is Stitt's purpose?

The answer to your second sentance is in the first sentance of your post.

[Plutonic Panda]

The answer to your second sentance is in the first sentance of your post.

Lol. Bravo!!

[Laramie]

If that's the case, Stitt wants to be Oklahoma's emperor, just felt his re-election would continue to create more chaos among the Tribes and the media who don't agree with the way he governs Oklahoma.

This education funding compromise he proposed:

Gov. Stitt says the Plan calls for investing a total of $800 million in Oklahoma’s education which will be distributed in three parts:

1) $300 million would go to the Oklahoma Student Fund,
2) $300 million would go to the funding formula, including Senator Adam Pugh’s Teacher Pay Raise Plan and
3) $200 million would go to the Oklahoma Parental Choice tax credit model for parents to send their child to a school that best fits their needs.

$200 million represents 1/4 of the $800 million proposed for Oklahoma schools education funding. Non public schools would receive more per
capital than public schools since 9% of pupils enrolled in Oklahoma schools attend private schools.

Parents who send their children to private schools made their choice. No funds should go toward his parental choice. If Oklahoma approves this type
of funding, there is no limit to where all the funds will go under GOP rule. If you think public schools are bad now, let this formula be approved--it will kill public
schools in Oklahoma. THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T ATTRACT REPUTABLE CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES--our investment in public schools.

All of hat $800 million should go toward Oklahoma public schools.

.


.

[Bunty]

If renewing the license means getting it from the FCC, then not renewing it means all OETA stations will have to shut down this summer. Next to go because Stitt doesn't like the programming could be Oklahoma public radio stations. I don't see how getting rid of public radio makes Oklahoma a more attractive state for industry, either. Hopefully, the legislature will override.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

His statement that it "had its place in 1957" is truly galling. When did opera, Sesame Street, American Masters, Boston Pops at Tanglewood, etc. become passe?

[TheTravellers]

...
Parents who send their children to private schools made their choice. No funds should go toward his parental choice. If Oklahoma approves this type
of funding, there is no limit to where all the funds will go under GOP rule. If you think public schools are bad now, let this formula be approved--it will kill public
schools in Oklahoma. THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T ATTRACT REPUTABLE CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES--our investment in public schools.

All of hat $800 million should go toward Oklahoma public schools.
.

[unfundedrick]

His statement that it "had its place in 1957" is truly galling. When did opera, Sesame Street, American Masters, Boston Pops at Tanglewood, etc. become passe?

He also made the statement that all of the OETA programming could just as easily be on commercial stations. YEAH RIGHT. Like that will ever happen. Over 50 percent of the shows that I record to watch later are on OETA. I seriously doubt that he is even aware of 90 percent of the programming they offer.

[Bunty]

His statement that it "had its place in 1957" is truly galling. When did opera, Sesame Street, American Masters, Boston Pops at Tanglewood, etc. become passe?

I guess Stitt means that most everybody is turning to streaming online, the Internet, to get their TV programming. Cable TV is dead, especially with the young folks. And probably not many people young or old want to bother with hooking up their TV to an antenna, so they can get over the air channels. Not much on there is worthwhile. After all, you can't get Fox News, CNN or ESPN and so on that way. How I wish you could, though.

[Dob Hooligan]

Something that is being overlooked is that OETA owns the Lawrence Welk Show. They bought it from the Welk estate years ago and syndicate it to PBS stations around the country. I gotta admit I noticed it was on Las Vegas PBS a couple years ago when I was resting between casino excursions. The headline that owns the internet is…

Oklahoma Governor Wants To Cancel Lawrence Welk.

Laugh, but seniors across America watch Welk religiously. And are the most reliable voter group, but with a distinct preference. Couple this with the fact OETA is the only “free” TV that reaches every rural home in Oklahoma, also with a distinct voting preference, and we start to see the Culture Wars creating collateral damage within the party.

The Oklahoman is reporting today that the Governors office sent a list of offensive programs on OETA. And 2 of those were “Work It Out Wombats!”, which had a kangaroo lesbian couple with an adopted child, and “Clifford The Big Red Dog”, which also had a lesbian parent couple.

I am convinced the senior citizen and rural working class segments of Oklahoma reliable viewers of OETA and republican voters. That is the angle that is being overlooked and needs to provide serious pushback to Governor Stitt’s plan.

[Pete]

These are direct quotes from Stitt; these are his real issues:

"I don't think Oklahomans want to use their tax dollars to indoctrinate kids. Some of the stuff that they're showing, it just overly sexualizes our kids."

"They're elevating LGBTQIA2S+ voices," the governor said. "If you want to watch that, that's fine. But why are we using taxpayer dollars to prop that up? I don't think we need that and I'm glad to veto that bill."

[Pete]

Here's an idea: Stop feeding into these endless culture wars.

The only reason this sort of thing is getting priority is that it outrages their political opponents, which their base supporters love, and the politicians then get more attention and support.

Your outrage is only fueling more of the same.

[soonerguru]

Agree, Pete, but shrugging your shoulders and saying nothing definitely does not work.

I was hoping when they took over all of Oklahoma state government they would look more like Frank Keating, but I knew we would eventually get to this. There were always gadflies in that caucus saying stupid things like this. Well, now they have a governor doing it with a supermajority in the legislature.

It's disturbing that Stitt can't see the connection to losing out on every big economic development effort he undertakes and his erstwhile attempt to make Oklahoma an uninhabitable cultural wasteland.

[jn1780]

Here's an idea: Stop feeding into these endless culture wars.

The only reason this sort of thing is getting priority is that it outrages their political opponents, which their base supporters love, and the politicians then get more attention and support.

Your outrage is only fueling more of the same.

We're just stuck in a feedback loop between the two sides of the cultural war. Each side is getting further and further away from reality.

[David]

The right-wing media is perfectly capable of spinning up their own moral panics and culture war issues without any help from the other side of the aisle.

[Bellaboo]

I liked when Senator Treat said Stitt needs to calm down and sober up. lol

[BDP]

Here's an idea: Stop feeding into these endless culture wars.

The only reason this sort of thing is getting priority is that it outrages their political opponents, which their base supporters love, and the politicians then get more attention and support.

It also doesn't help that it's just dishonest.

State funds don't pay for programming. So, whatever it is that offends opponents of OETA (and I don't think it's clear exactly what that is) and public broadcasting is not being paid for with tax payer money.

In general, state funds go to support the infrastructure. According to OETA's FAQ, it is responsible for maintaining the "state’s infrastructure for the PBS Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) system, which provides a path between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and cellular service providers to relay important emergency information statewide via cellular networks."

So, in effect, Stitt's veto was really to defund OETA's ability to maintain important public emergency communications infrastructure, without designating and funding another group to do it. They knows all of this, and count on voters not to.

[PaddyShack]

It also doesn't help that it's just dishonest.

State funds don't pay for programming. So, whatever it is that offends opponents of OETA (and I don't think it's clear exactly what that is) and public broadcasting is not being paid for with tax payer money.

In general, state funds go to support the infrastructure. According to OETA's FAQ, it is responsible for maintaining the "state’s infrastructure for the PBS Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) system, which provides a path between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and cellular service providers to relay important emergency information statewide via cellular networks."

So, in effect, Stitt's veto was really to defund OETA's ability to maintain important public emergency communications infrastructure, without designating and funding another group to do it. They knows all of this, and count on voters not to.

This is really the problem with defunding. I like a lot of the programming on the OETA channels, I wish the sub-channels had better quality. Whenever we have the TV on, it is turned toan OETA channel. Now, our family does not agree with everyone's lifestyle, but we simply turn the channel or turn the tv off when we don't agree with the topics in the programming. But I would never use my personal feelings about the programs to veto funding for it. Just because I don't find it beneficial to me, does not mean another tax payer likes the program in question.

[Midtowner]

Here's an idea: Stop feeding into these endless culture wars.

The only reason this sort of thing is getting priority is that it outrages their political opponents, which their base supporters love, and the politicians then get more attention and support.

Your outrage is only fueling more of the same.

I'm not outraged. I'm sad and disappointed at the people in this state. It's unbelievable how short sighted people are.

This is why we can't have nice things. This is why we get factories, but almost never get HQs. Few executives want to live in a cultural backwater and Oklahoma seems to want to win the cultural backwater Olympics.

[dankrutka]

Here's an idea: Stop feeding into these endless culture wars.

What is the modern GOP without constant moral panics about "others"? They complain about "cancel culture," but it's the heart of their party. They target any minoritized group and then claim that their white Christian majority (which holds power in every level of government) is the real victim by having to live in a society with people different from them. That's how you get to cancelling an entire public service just to ensure you cancel one gay character that you'd rather not exist. It's all grounded in bigotry.

[Midtowner]

What is the modern GOP without constant moral panics about "others"? They complain about "cancel culture," but it's the heart of their party. They target any minoritized group and then claim that their white Christian majority (which holds power in every level of government) is the real victim by having to live in a society with people different from them. That's how you get to cancelling an entire public service just to ensure you cancel one gay character that you'd rather not exist. It's all grounded in bigotry.

Liberals are just as bad, and not nearly as virtuous as you'd think. I think back to message boards I've participated in and years ago, I recall folks would go after white folks who even used the term "woke" as if it was a sacred cow of some sort. Liberals are just as bad at insisting on orthodox beliefs which defy common sense and logic. You don't have to look hard to find things like this:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/portl...b062f96a348181

(and that's just something that stuck with me because of how ridiculous it is.. better go make sure the owners of Pepperoni Grill are actually Italian...)

The fighters of the culture wars are just going to keep looking for bigger and bigger targets. We reap what we sew.

I think it's all ridiculous.

[dankrutka]

Liberals are just as bad

I'm going to stop you right there. You can't "two sides" this and search for some random article to support your position. You posted some random article about a random burrito cart in Portland. This is what AN ELECTED REPUBLICAN DID TODAY IN OKLAHOMA. Ryan Walters is literally making up that schools "indoctrinate" kids with CRT and libraries are checking out pornography while actually arguing for real biblical indoctrination in public schools. The Republican party is electing election deniers who campaign on banning books. I'm not saying Democrats or those on the left are perfect, but you will not find elected Democrats doing any of this fascist stuff through the government on any scale.