Media in Oklahoma City

Last updated

As of 2011, the Oklahoma City metropolitan area is the 44th-largest media market in the United States, as ranked by Nielsen Media Research, with 712,630 television households [1] (0.6% of all U.S. homes) and 1.2 million people aged 12+. The following is a summary of broadcast and print media in Oklahoma City :

Contents

Newspapers and magazines

The major daily newspaper published in Oklahoma City is The Oklahoman , which has the largest circulation of the state's newspapers. There are also a number of regional and special-interest newspapers such as the Black Chronicle , the Oklahoma Gazette and The Journal Record .

Daily

Weekly

Community

Business, legal, entertainment and other local periodicals

Defunct newspapers and publications

Digital media

TV

Oklahoma City, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, is the 44th largest designated market area for television in the United States (as ranked by Nielsen Media Research); [5] the DMA serves 34 counties in the northern, west-central and central portions of the state. The Oklahoma City area has 19 television stations, including 12 full-power and six low-power (analog or digital) stations:

Full-power

Low-power

Cable

Subscription television

The Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is primarily served by Cox Communications for cable television and AT&T U-verse for Internet Protocol television. Cox Communications parent Cox Enterprises was awarded the cable franchise rights to Oklahoma City proper by the Oklahoma City Council in February 1979, and commenced service in the city in April 1980. Until the latter system's dissolution in December 1983, cable service in the immediate Oklahoma City area was split between the main Cox Cable system and Pan Oklahoma Communications, a joint venture that was 80% owned by Cox Enterprises (the same equity stake it initially held with the western Oklahoma City Cox franchise) with the remaining 20% owned by seven majority stockholders and four minority stockholders based in the city. In 1984, Cox Communications acquired 10% of the remnant shares owned by the six local shareholders in Cox Cable of Oklahoma City, which expanded its service area into areas of northeastern Oklahoma City (located east of Western Avenue, the service delineation point for both systems) as well as the bordering unincorporated community of Forest Park that had previously been served by Pan Oklahoma. [6] [7]

Multimedia Cablevision served as the cable provider for the city's suburbs and adjacent areas (including among others, Bethany, Edmond, Guthrie, Midwest City-Del City, Choctaw, Harrah, Moore, Nichols Hills, Norman and Yukon). Multimedia first incorporated in the metropolitan area when it established a system in Moore and Del City in 1979; the company expanded its service area in 1983, when it acquired the American Cablevision systems in Norman (which launched in 1976 as the first cable provider in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area), Midwest City/Spencer (incorporated in July 1979), Stillwater and Cushing from American Television and Communications Corporation (AT&C) in a trade deal involving two AT&C-owned systems in North Carolina. Cox Communications would purchase Multimedia's suburban Oklahoma City systems from the Gannett Company (as part of a $2.7-billion acquisition of its systems in Oklahoma, Kansas and North Carolina) in July 1999, with those systems formally being taken over by Cox on February 1, 2000. [8] [9] AT&T U-verse rolled out its Internet Protocol television service to portions of Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore and Norman in August 2007; U-verse would expand its service into additional suburban communities (including Midwest City, Mustang, Nichols Hills, The Village, Wheatland and Yukon) by the summer of 2008. [10] [11] [12]

From 1978 until 1984, Oklahoma City was also served by TV-Q Movie Systems, a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service which was the first provider to offer pay television service in Oklahoma City proper; TVQ – which transmitted its signal via antenna to Oklahoma City and adjacent suburbs within a 30-mile (48 km) radius – exclusively carried programming from HBO and SuperStation WTBS (now TBS) as well as, upon converting into a multichannel service in 1981, Nickelodeon. Antenna Vision was launched in 1990 as a 21-channel MMDS offering featuring broadcast stations, and a limited lineup of basic and premium channels from a transmitter atop the Liberty Bank Tower in downtown Oklahoma City (which had previously housed TV-Q and VEU's respective transmission facilities). Launched by Multimedia Cablevision, it made use of additional frequencies licensed to the service by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and reached a 12-mile (19 km) radius covering most of Oklahoma, northern Cleveland and eastern Canadian Counties; American Telecasting purchased Antenna Vision in 1994, folding the latter provider into its WanTV wireless cable service (which remained in operation until 2001). [13]

Oklahoma City also served as the pilot market for Video Entertainment Unlimited (VEU), a subscription service launched in October 1980 by Golden West Broadcasters over its then-fledgling independent station KAUT-TV, which transmitted the service during the nighttime hours seven days a week as well as on weekend afternoons. VEU – which was formatted similarly to premium cable networks (such as HBO and Showtime) as well as other over-the-air subscription television services of the time period (such as ONTV and SelecTV), offering a mix of unedited movies, music specials and sporting events – expanded to include affiliates in Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta; VEU – which was dropped by KAUT in September 1982, in favor of offering a full-time schedule of syndicated and local entertainment programs available for free to the entire media market – ceased operations on its two other affiliates in September 1984, as cable television service expanded its reach throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta markets.

Radio

As of September 2011, Oklahoma City is the 48th largest radio market in the United States, according to Arbitron. [14] The following is a list of radio stations serving the Oklahoma City area:

AM

FM

LPFM

(*) - indicates a non-commercial station.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma City</span> Capital city of Oklahoma, United States

Oklahoma City, officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and is the 8th largest city in the Southern United States. The population grew following the 2010 census and reached 681,054 in the 2020 census. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had a population of 1,396,445, and the Oklahoma City–Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,469,124, making it Oklahoma's largest municipality and metropolitan area by population.

KWTV-DT is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship broadcast property of locally based Griffin Media, and is co-owned with MyNetworkTV affiliate KSBI. Both stations share studios on West Main Street in downtown Oklahoma City, while KWTV-DT's transmitter is located on the city's northeast side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOCO-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City

KOCO-TV is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. Its studios and transmitter are located on East Britton Road —between North Kelley and North Eastern Avenues—in the McCourry Heights neighborhood of northeast Oklahoma City.

KUOK is a television station licensed to Woodward, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language Univision network. Owned by the Oklahoma City–based Tyler Media Group, the station maintains a transmitter near State Highway 34 in rural southwestern Woodward County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTUZ-TV</span> Telemundo affiliate in Shawnee, Oklahoma

KTUZ-TV is a television station licensed to Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States, serving the Oklahoma City area as an affiliate of the Spanish-language network Telemundo. It is the flagship station of locally based Tyler Media Group, and is co-owned with Woodward-licensed Univision affiliate KUOK, channel 36, and low-power Estrella TV affiliate KOCY-LD. The stations share studios near Southeast 51st Street and Shields Boulevard in south Oklahoma City, while KTUZ-TV's transmitter is located near 86th Street and Ridgeway Road in northeast Oklahoma City.

KAUT-TV is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, serving as the local outlet for The CW Television Network. It is owned and operated by the network's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, alongside NBC affiliate KFOR-TV. Both stations share studios in Oklahoma City's McCourry Heights section, while KAUT-TV's transmitter is located on the city's northeast side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSBI</span> MyNetworkTV affiliate in Oklahoma City

KSBI is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by locally based Griffin Media alongside CBS affiliate and company flagship KWTV-DT. Both stations share studios on West Main Street in downtown Oklahoma City, while KSBI's transmitter is located on the city's northeast side.

The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The authority operates as a statutory corporation that holds the licenses for all of the PBS stations operating in the state; it is managed by an independent board of gubernatorial appointees, and university and education officials, which is linked to the executive branch of the Oklahoma state government through the Secretary of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOKH-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Oklahoma City

KOKH-TV is a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside independent station KOCB. The stations' studios and transmitter facilities are co-located on East Wilshire Boulevard and 78th Street on the city's northeast side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOCB</span> Independent station in Oklahoma City

KOCB is an independent television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Fox affiliate KOKH-TV. The stations' studios and transmitter facilities are co-located on East Wilshire Boulevard and 78th Street on the city's northeast side.

Oklahoma City is near the geographic center of the United States and is an integral point on the U.S. Interstate Network. The city is served by numerous roads and highways, toll roads, three major airports, a train station, a bus station, and a transit system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMYT-TV</span> MyNetworkTV affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma

KMYT-TV is a television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Imagicomm Communications alongside Fox affiliate KOKI-TV. The two stations share studios on East 27th Street and South Memorial Drive in the Audubon neighborhood of southeast Tulsa; KMYT-TV's transmitter is located on South 273rd East Avenue in the western city limits of Coweta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News 9 Now and News on 6 Now</span> Television channel

News 9 Now and News on 6 Now are American regional digital broadcast television networks that are owned by Griffin Media. The channels simulcast and rebroadcast local news programming seen on Griffin-owned CBS affiliates KWTV-DT in Oklahoma City and KOTV-DT in Tulsa, Oklahoma in their respective markets, along with select other programs. News 9 Now is broadcast on KWTV digital subchannel 9.2 in the Oklahoma City market, while News on 6 Now is broadcast on KOTV digital subchannel 6.3 in the Tulsa market. On cable, the individual channels are available on Cox Communications channel 53 in their respective markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffin Media</span> Media company in Oklahoma

Griffin Media is an American media company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company began as a subsidiary of Muskogee-based Griffin Foods, which produces a line of pancake and waffle syrups and other foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KZUC-LP</span> Radio station in Edmond, Oklahoma

KZUC-LP is the student radio station on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. UCentral Radio applied for an LPFM license in November 2013 and was awarded a construction permit by the Federal Communications Commission on February 24, 2015. UCentral Radio is part of the UCentral student media network at the University of Central Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Oklahoma</span>

Central Oklahoma is the geographical name for the central region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is also known by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism designation, Frontier Country, defined as the 12-county region including Canadian, Grady, Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain, Payne, Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Okfuskee, and Hughes counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VEU</span> American subscription television service

Video Entertainment Unlimited (VEU) (also referred to as VEU Subscription TV) is a defunct American subscription television service that was owned by the Golden West Subscription Television, Inc. subsidiary of Golden West Broadcasters, which operated from May 1, 1980, until September 30, 1984. VEU aired a broad mix of feature films (including mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, lesser-known mainstream films, and softcore pornography) as well as sports events and specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Barry Jr.</span>

Robert Bonnin Barry, sometimes known by the abbreviated nickname "BBJ", was an American sportscaster.

KREF-FM is a commercial radio station located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. KREF-FM airs a sports format branded as "94.7 The Ref". Owned by iHeartMedia, its transmitter is located in Northeast Oklahoma City, and studios are located at the 50 Penn Place building on the Northwest side.

YurView Oklahoma is a local origination cable television channel based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, owned by Cox Communications. The channel is available throughout Cox's Oklahoma City and Tulsa-area cable television systems on channel 3.

References

  1. 2011-12 DMA Ranks - Nielsen
  2. "About 405 Magazine". 405 Magazine. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  3. Sullins; Parsons (1992). "Roscoe Dunjee: Crusading Editor of Oklahoma's Black Dispatch, 1915-1955". Journalism Quarterly. 69. doi:10.1177/107769909206900119.
  4. "Finding the Lost Ogle - 405 Magazine - December 2013 - Oklahoma City". www.405magazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  5. U.S. Local TV Market Rankings
  6. Clay, Nolan (September 15, 1985). "Parent Company Tightens Control Over City Cable Television System". The Oklahoman . Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  7. "Cable TV changes approved". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. February 22, 1983. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  8. Denton, Jon (July 28, 1999). "Cox to Buy Multimedia Cable TV". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  9. Bracht, Mel (February 1, 2000). "Cox viewers to see more local programs". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  10. Stafford, Jim (April 6, 2007). "AT&T chief sets TV debut in city". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  11. Stafford, Jim (August 7, 2007). "Neighborhoods get scoop on AT&T's U-verse service". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  12. "AT&T's U-verse TV sees expansion". Edmond Life & Leisure. August 14, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  13. Chavez, Tim (May 16, 1990). "Microwave TV Service to Begin Antenna Vision Seen as Alternative to Cable". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  14. Arbitron Radio Market Rankings: Fall 2011