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After idling for nine months, KAUT Channel 43 has restarted its engines, eager to rebuild its market strength, according to General Manager Harlan Reams.
The independent television station, owned by Heritage Media Corp. of Dallas, has hired eight new employees in the last two months, including Reams, bringing its staff total to 30. The affiliate of Fox Broadcasting Co. of Los Angeles also expects to spend more than $2 million in the next year on programming purchases, he said.
"We hope to surpass 1988 (sales) levels locally by the fourth quarter," Reams said.
The station then will position itself to regain sales as high as 1987, the peak year in local advertising revenues for KAUT to date, he said. KAUT's affiliation with Fox will bolster the independent station's efforts, Reams said.
The infusion of employees and new programming comes after the failure of a plan announced in July 1988 to sell KAUT to California Broadcaster Harry J. Pappas as part of a $30 million deal involving the sale of Oklahoma City's three independent television stations.
KAUT had been chosen to become the authority's second educational station for a one year trial period. That brought an erosion of sales as a result of uncertainty over the station's future, Reams said.
Unsure of KAUT's future, 16 employees left the station to work at other Heritage stations in February, Reams said. This reduced the station's staff of 38 to 22.
"When the deal fell through, we decided we weren't going to turn out the lights and go home," Reams said. "Heritage is made up of businessmen first and broadcasters second."
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