Conventions/Seminars
April 9, 2026
OKANA Resort
Oklahoma City
2026 Convention
Join us at the beautiful and exciting OKANA Resort!
April 9, 8am-11pm in Oklahoma City. OKANA room reservations include two free passes to the indoor Waterpark. Bring the kids and the grands and make it a weekend!
Convention '26 features Excellent Sessions, Career Fair & Student Day, Hall of Fame Induction for Dave & Dan, Outstanding Achievement Awards, and a chance to catch up with your colleagues. See you there!
Reserve Your Room at the OKANA Resort
Deadlines
March 10
March 12
March 12
March 20
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
2026 Schedule and
Session Information
Thursday, April 9, 2026
7:30 AM
Registration opens, Continental Breakfast opens
9:00–10:20
Radio/TV
The State of Things: Broadcasting in 2026 and Beyond
Fred Jacobs and Paul Jacobs, Jacobs Media
Everything is changing – audience, technology, advertising revenue and more. Yet broadcasting’s value proposition remains unchanged. So how do broadcasters evolve their businesses to position them for growth, while remaining true to what they are? Fred and Paul Jacobs, Jacobs Media, will share their research, observations, and five decades (each!) of broadcasting experience, providing a road map for you to utilize in the coming years.
This session on how the media landscape is changing and how you can succeed going forward is recommended for all broadcasters who want to grow with the changes and make radio and television still the best business to be in.
9:00–10:20
Radio/TV
From Resilience to Renewal in Local News
Chip Mahaney, Media Executive-in-Residence, SMU
As the News gathering and distribution business has changed dramatically, this Super Session on Local Broadcast News will focus on renewal: how to rediscover purpose in daily work, build sustainable practices that prevent burnout, and foster a culture where commitment to public service journalism can thrive even in adversity. Whether you're a leader navigating difficult decisions and trying to inspire your team, or a reporter wondering how to sustain your passion for this work, this session offers both solidarity and practical tools for the road ahead. Chip Mahaney has spent an entire career in the Local Broadcast Journalism business and for 16 years was the
Corporate News Director of E.W. Scripps while also being an instructor for the Poynter Institute. Chip recently joined his alma mater SMU and is now their Media Executive-in-Residence, reenergizing their news operations.
Recommended for all News Professionals.
10:30–11:50
Radio/TV
Attitude Over Everything! Why Your Mindset is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage in Broadcasting
Aaron Davis, Attitude Expert: Performing Like a Champion
Aaron Davis has inspired over a million people with his compelling message on Performing Like a Champion. With his humor, authenticity, and practical takeaways, Attitude Over Everything! challenges programmers, sales teams, and station leaders to take advantage of their mindset, reframe their challenges, control internal dialogue, let go of yesterday’s mistakes, and show up every day with energy, purpose, and professionalism. Aaron’s mission of “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it” has fueled his journey as a member of the 1994 Nebraska Championship Football Team, business owner, corporate professional, and cancer survivor. Corporations such as Walmart, The Farm Bureau, John Deere, Cargil, USC, and Penn State have trained under Aaron. Because in broadcasting, just as in life, ATTITUDE isn’t the only thing… BUT it is the Most Important Thing.
This incredible motivational session is recommended for every broadcaster who wants to be inspired to succeed at the highest level and Win like a Champion!
10:30–11:50
Radio/TV
Washington Update
David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
David Oxenford, Partner with Wilkinson Barker Knauer and the OAB’s Washington counsel, will answer your questions and present his annual “check-up” on the challenges and opportunities we face in the ever-changing legal world. These sessions are a must to make sure you are on track in our highly regulated industry.
For all Managers and Business Personnel.
10:30–11:50
Radio/TV Students
Preparing for Your Broadcasting Career
Amy Calvert, Television Executive, Tulsa
Jason Wilson, Area President, iHeart Media Markets Group, OK/AR/MO/KS
Kari King, Digital Executive Producer, Nexstar Media, Oklahoma City
Don Cristi, Operations Manager, Griffin Radio, Tulsa
Each year OAB is proud to host our future radio and TV professionals—college students from Oklahoma universities that offer broadcasting curricula. OAB members Amy Calvert, Tulsa TV Executive; Jason Wilson, Area President, iHeart Media Markets Group; Kari King, Digital Executive Producer, KFOR–KAUT; and Don Cristi, Operations Manager, Griffin Radio, Tulsa, will present a “State of the Industry” overview and answer questions about how to prepare for a career in broadcasting.
Recommended for all Broadcasting Students.
12:00–1:00
Membership Luncheon
Keynote address by Curtis LeGeyt, President & CEO, NAB. Hear how the NAB is framing the very robust future of broadcasting under Mr. LeGeyt’s leadership.
- Community Service Awards Presentation
- Student Scholarships Presentation
1:15–2:20
OAB/OBEA Student Career Fair
1:15–2:45
Radio/TV
One-On-One with Legendary OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione
Moderated by OU Football standout and veteran NFL player Dusty Dvoracek. Since 1998, Joe Castiglione has guided OU to exceptional levels of success in numerous areas, including 26 National Championships, incredible facilities improvements, and unprecedented financial success. Joe’s leadership has been defined by his integrity and his innovative approach to the rapidly changing landscape in collegiate athletics. Notable accomplishments include being the first athletic department to consolidate the marketing rights for increased revenue and exposure, elevation of Women’s athletics to the highest level in the country, being ahead of the curve on conference alignment, and re-establishing OU as arguably the finest Athletic Department in the country. Here’s your chance to gain insight into how the elements of winning teams, financial success, and impeccable reputation made Joe Castiglione an Iconic Oklahoman.
This session is recommended for everyone that wants to see how success is measured and how a dynasty
was enhanced.
2:30–4:00
OBEA Student Awards Presentation
3:00–4:30
Radio/TV
The Integration of Digital Sales and Broadcast Sales: One Plus One Equals Three
Mark Landon, Recrue Media
Digital Sales Guru Mark Landon, Co-Founder of Recrue Media and CTVBuyer, will teach the fundamentals of modernizing your sales offerings by incorporating data-driven audiences, performance television, and advanced digital solutions that will unlock new advertiser categories and budgets. His techniques focus on helping local broadcasters leverage real-world consumer behavior such as location and purchase intent data, while maintaining the impact and trust of your traditional local broadcasting.
Mark’s ability for helping Radio and Television broadcasters to grow and compete for this increased digital revenue is recommended for all Sellers and their Managers.
3:00–4:30
Radio
AI Excellence in Commercial Production: Hands-On Creation of Award-Winning Commercials
Fletcher Ford, Radio Workflow
AI brings some fantastic opportunities for radio broadcasters. A huge advantage of AI is the production of high-quality commercials for your local advertisers. What has changed in the past year? We will recap how to create and produce spots that are superior and effective, making your station the go-to station for quality advertising with tremendous results. OAB President Will Payne and Fletcher Ford from Radioworkflow.com (which provides software for radio sales, traffic, and production) will conduct an intensely interactive session on how to immediately create winning commercials. Learn how to elevate your marketing and gain more advertisers.
Recommended for all broadcasters who want to use AI to produce better content.
3:00–4:30
Radio/TV
Legal & Regulatory Q&A
David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
David Oxenford, Partner with Wilkinson Barker Knauer and the OAB’s Washington counsel, will answer your questions and present his annual “check-up” on the challenges and opportunities we face in the ever-changing legal world. These sessions are a must to make sure you are on track in our highly regulated industry.
For all Managers and Business Personnel.
4:45–5:15
Annual Membership Meeting
6:30–7:00
Awards Reception
7:00–9:30
Hall of Fame & Outstanding Achievement Awards Banquet
- Hall of Fame Induction of Dave Murray and Dan Stroud, dominant Morning Show
for twenty years at KXY 96.1 Country in OKC and #1 in Nation in 1992. - Achievement Awards honoring outstanding work by Oklahoma Broadcasters in 2025.
Join us in honoring the outstanding work by Oklahoma broadcasters in 2025 and induct radio icons Dave Murray and Dan Stroud—Dave & Dan Morning Show on 96.1 KXY Country OKC—into the OAB Hall of Fame. Dave & Dan were the number one radio show in Oklahoma from 1985 through 1998 and had the highest market share of all radio shows in the nation in 1992