It's been a year since Gov. Stitt's veto threatened funding for OETA. Here's where its funding is now

Roughly a year ago the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority — the state’s public television system — was on life support. At that time, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt was pushing to shut down the statewide network, saying it aired content to "indoctrinate children."

“I don’t think Oklahomans want to use their tax dollars to indoctrinate kids,” Stitt said during the 2023 legislative session. “Some of the stuff they’re showing just overly sexualizes our kids. There are parents defending child transition on PBS that’s being played. They're elevating LGBTQ voices.”

The governor’s call to defund OETA echoed sentiments expressed by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a right-wing think tank, and followed a push in 2017 by then-President Donald Trump to eliminate funding for the nation's public broadcasting system.

More: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt claims PBS, OETA 'overly sexualizes our kids'

Acting on his complaints about OETA, Stitt vetoed House Bill 2820, a legislative measure to continue the agency's operations through 2026. However, a short time later, the GOP-controlled Legislature overrode the governor’s veto, appropriated $2.8 million for its operations, and OETA lived to broadcast another day.

Fast-forward to March 2024.

This year, debate and negative rhetoric about OETA is nowhere to be found. Since February, most of the talk has centered on tax cuts, Republican party in-fighting and who the governor can and cannot appoint to cabinet posts.

The concern about OETA, it seems, has subsided.

OETA on track to be fully funded for FY 2025

Documents released by the Oklahoma Senate show the OETA is on track to see a $6,022,954 appropriation and roughly another $3 million more in one-time funding for infrastructure upgrades. The package is part of the $5.705 billion earmarked for educational funding.

OETA looks to be, for all practical purposes, strong again. And while the anti-public broadcasting rhetoric may continue, the decision to increase OETA's funding and keep the system alive wasn’t a mistake, state Sen. Adam Pugh said.

Pugh, an Edmond Republican who chairs the Senate’s education committee, said OETA is a big part of the state’s public safety system, hence the reason for the $3 million in one-time infrastructure funding. In addition, Pugh said the television network's long history of children’s programing and educational programs make it worthy of state support.

More: Public Square: Oklahomans vocal about Gov. Stitt's veto of OETA funding

“I grew up with Mr. Rogers,” Pugh said in an interview with The Oklahoman last week. “I love Mr. Rogers and I’m a huge fan of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. It gives a 2- or 3-year-old child the chance to learn the lessons that Mr. Rogers is teaching — to be kind, to be respectful, to be inquisitive. That’s a great thing.”

OETA’s mission, Pugh said, was one the Senate wanted to support. He said the increase in the agency’s recurring funding was to offset the OETA’s increased utility bills.

OETA is among the country's most watched PBS stations

Founded in 1956, records show that OETA is among the nation’s top public television stations. According to a 2021 report, OETA is one of the country's most watched PBS networks with about 1.3 million monthly viewers. In 2021, the network reported that visits to its website — OETA.tv — jumped by 45%.

A funding breakdown, posted on the station's website, shows that OETA receives about 19% of its revenue from the state, 11% from the federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 28% from investments and 34% from individual donors and corporate sponsors. The remaining 8% is listed as "other."

"OETA's swift action has been critical in providing quality learning opportunities for children and adults and keeping Oklahomans informed with crucial information," the report said.

State Rep. Mark McBride, who chairs the House Education Appropriations subcommittee, said he expected the House to also support the agency's funding. "I'm supportive of funding OETA," McBride said last Thursday. "There is a lot in their (the Senate) proposal that we're pretty much on board with."

McBride said he was also supportive of a one-time appropriation for the station. "There is definitely a path forward there," he said.

As for the governor, this year he's remained silent.

On Tuesday, Stitt's spokesperson, Abegail Cave, said she hadn't spoken with the governor about funding for the station. However, in an email to The Oklahoman, Cave wrote that the governor "has been clear that he wants flat budgets." In her email, neither Cave nor Stitt addressed the governor's previous concerns about the station.

Stitt made no mention of the network in his State of the State address, and he hasn't spoken about it since the beginning of the legislative session.

"The Legislature never intended to get rid of OETA," Pugh said. "In rural parts of the state they are part of our public safety network. There's a public safety component, and the other part is their traditional mission."

State lawmakers have until early May to finalize the FY 2025 budget.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OETA on track for funding boost after criticism from governor in 2023