Member Services
LocalBroadcastSales.com Access
OAB members have free access to on-demand Broadcast Training and Revenue Development services through LocalBroadcastSales.com. Go here for more information.
OAB Toll-Free Telephone Number
In-state OAB members may call the office at no charge by using our toll-free number. Call (866) 848-0771. The number is restricted to in-state use by members only.
Free Legal Hotline
The OAB has contracted with Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, a law firm in Washington, D.C., to offer a Legal Hotline to our membership. As an OAB member, you may call WBK with questions about legal issues at no cost to your station.
WBK will provide general answers to routine legal questions facing broadcasters, including such matters as political broadcasting, EEO requirements, contests and lotteries, filing fees and other routine FCC filing requirements, children's television, ownership matters, and other issues that can be answered in a single telephone call without putting the firm into an adversarial position with another station.
The firm will also give you timely updates on the status of general regulatory changes at the FCC and provide you with copies of FCC Forms or other documents. If a question proves to be too complicated to handle in a single call, arrangements can be made to employ the firm to assist you.
This OAB service allows you to obtain direct service on bothersome little regulatory issues. Remember, inquiries must be on matters that can be addressed in a single telephone call or email. Calls to WBK should be directed to David Oxenford, (202) 383-3337, or email David. Identify yourself as an OAB member and your questions will be answered.
The Free Legal Hotline is another benefit for the members of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.
Manufacturers Sales Tax Exemption
Oklahoma radio and television stations are exempt from sales tax on the purchase of equipment that qualifies as part of the manufacturing process of a broadcast signal, including the sales tax on electricity for a separately-metered transmitter.
This exemption also applies to the manufacturing equipment involved in the asset purchase of an existing station.
The Tax Commission provides a list of examples of items that qualify for exemption under the statute. Click here to open a copy of the document.
To qualify for the exemption, the licensee must fill out the Oklahoma Business Registration Packet for Manufacturers and request the Manufacturers Sales Tax Exemption Permit (Part VII of the Registration Packet) from the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
For additional information, contact the OAB office at (405) 848-0771, or call your accountant. Don't miss this opportunity to save thousands of dollars on your equipment purchases.
Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program
A Cooperative Effort of the FCC and OAB. The ABI Program provides you with:
- A Full Compliance Inspection
- Immunity From FCC Random Inspections for 3 Years
- An Opportunity to Correct Deficiencies
- A Certificate of Compliance
All At A Low Cost
Contact the OAB office for more information about the ABI program, or fill out the form to request an inspection.
OAB Education Foundation
It is the mission of the OAB Education Foundation to support, promote, and foster formal learning in broadcasting and its related fields at all levels of the education system. The OABEF supports the faculty and students in Oklahoma broadcast education through scholarships, grants, funding special needs, conducting or assisting at educational workshops, sponsorship of programs or any other means that might be appropriate for the betterment of those seeking careers in the radio and television industry.
A non-profit organization, the OABEF is governed by the officers and directors of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. The OABEF funds the following annual scholarships, grants, and assistance programs:
- $2000 Lisa John Faculty Fellowship
- $2000 Stan Forrer Scholarship
- $2000 Saidie Adwon Scholarship
- $2000 Mark Rawlings Scholarship
- $2000 Harold C. & Frances Langford Stuart Scholarship
- $2000 Bill Teegins Scholarship
- $2000 Carl C. Smith Scholarship
- $1,000 Ken R. Greenwood Student Assistance Fund
In addition, the Education Foundation conducts a Student Day Program at the annual OAB Convention and provides opportunities for students to attend OAB workshops and seminars.
For information on the OAB Education Foundation, contact the OAB office.
Governmental Affairs
In recent years, a myriad of issues have come before the Congress of the United States impacting the radio and television profession. It has been the role of the OAB to keep our U.S. Senators and Representatives informed on these issues and how they would impact broadcasters as well as the consumer. Radio and television is the nation's "free" broadcasting system, and it is our responsibility to preserve that system.
The OAB also has the responsibility to protect the broadcasters' rights in local and state legislative issues.