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The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority board of directors voted unanimously Wednesday to accept Paramount Stations Group's $23.5 million cash bid to buy KTLC-43.
OETA will use the proceeds to help fund its transition to a digital signal and to establish an endowment for funding any additional costs involved in the transition, as well as the costs of maintaining the station.
The board determined the offer was the "highest and best" from among 10 bids by eight different organizations.
The bid by the unit of Los Angeles-based Viacom included several noncash offers:
* Paramount will continue to air KTLC programs from 9 a.m.-noon weekdays for five years.
* It will provide OETA with $100,000 of promotion time annually on KTLC-43 for five years.
* It will provide OETA access to Paramount Stations Group multistation digital equipment pricing for equipment purchases.
* It will offer continuing employment of KLTC-43's current employees.
* It will donate any equipment it disposes of to OETA.
* It will simulcast eight hours of one fund-raising drive annually for five years.
The bid also stipulates Paramount will pay the legal and regulatory...