Bob Sands

Manager of Network News

Bob Sands is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings more than thirty years of experience in radio, television and journalism education to the OETA newsroom.

Prior to joining OETA, he was News Director of KOKC (formerly KOMA) Radio in Oklahoma City. During his career Bob has worked as a radio news director, anchor or reporter at WKY-AM, KEBC-FM, KOMA-AM, KOMA-FM, KAFG-FM, KKNG-FM and KTOK-AM in Oklahoma City; KAKC-AM and KAKC-FM in Tulsa; and has been a television investigative producer for KWTV and KTVY in Oklahoma City, ABC News Primetime Live, NBC Nightly News, and CNN.

Bob has covered U.S. Presidents, the Oklahoma City Bombing, and thousands of stories affecting the lives of Oklahomans. As an investigative reporter, he has investigated organized criminal activity in Oklahoma, exposed consumer frauds and scams in Oklahoma and nationwide, and, uncovered illegal activity involving law enforcement. He was also instrumental in writing and promoting passage of the Oklahoma Open Records Law.

Bob has taught broadcast writing, audio production and radio news as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma. He is Past-President of the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters and the Oklahoma City News Broadcasters Association, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, Inc.

The Oklahoma professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored Bob with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual banquet Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tulsa.

In April of 2007, Bob was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony Sands told the crowd of 250 people at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, "If not for the support and help of many friends, fellow reporters and my family, this would never have happened".

Lis Exon

Tulsa News Manager

She has worked as anchor/reporter for KJRH-TV in Tulsa and KUSA-TV in Denver and served as lead police and investigative reporter for KTRK-TV in Houston. Lis has also worked as writer and producer for Williams Energy News Live. Lis has won numerous awards for her investigative and “breaking news” reporting.

Dick Pryor

Deputy Director, Managing Editor

Dick Pryor is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who serves as Deputy Director and Managing Editor for OETA-The Oklahoma Network. He began anchoring the Oklahoma News Report in 1990 and served as OETA News and Public Affairs Manager from 2002 to 2007. Dick was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame on April 3, 2009.

During his tenure at OETA, Dick has anchored OETA's statewide election coverage every two years, served as legislative reporter, and has been on-camera and voice-over talent for numerous OETA productions including the Western Heritage Awards and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Awards and Banquet. He has also hosted or moderated a variety of public affairs programs, including Oklahoma Forum, Legislative Week, Oklahomans Against Fraud, The State Question Debate, A Conversation With..., Prescriptions for Healthcare Reform, The People's Business, Ask a Lawyer, and debates involving candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

He has also narrated documentaries, "Oklahoma's Carl Albert" and "Oklahoma Newsreel Photographer," and was producer/reporter of the highly-acclaimed 14-part series and documentary, Oklahoma World War II Stories in 2007. The Oklahoma World War II Stories documentary was the highest-rated prime-time program in the entire PBS system on December 6, 2007, and was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Dick received an Emmy Award in 2008 from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Heartland Regional Chapter for his work on OETA's World War II Veterans project. In his role as talen,t he hosted two pre-screening events of Ken Burns' documentary, "The War," hosted an interview program about the project, reported and produced the Oklahoma World War II Stories news series and documentary, covered the dedication of the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 2007, and hosted a live educational webcast from Pearl Harbor for more than 200 Oklahoma schools.

Dick received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Radio-TV Journalism and Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Oklahoma. A native of Norman, he worked as Sports Director at KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas, and sports anchor/reporter at KJRH-TV in Tulsa and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City prior to joining OETA. He also served as Public Relations Director and play-by-play announcer for the Oklahoma City 89ers Baseball Club for two seasons and served as sports play-by-play announcer and talk show host for radio stations in Oklahoma and Texas. He has received awards for his work from the Associated Press, United Press International, Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

Dick is active in a variety of community and professional organizations, including the Radio-Television News Directors Association, and is a past-President of the Norman Sooner Rotary Club, the Oklahoma Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the University of Oklahoma College of Journalism Alumni Association. In 1997, he traveled to Russia to advise Russian radio and television broadcasters about American journalism.

He was a member of Leadership Norman in 1997 and currently serves on the Board of Directors for FOI, Oklahoma, Inc., the Board of Visitors for the University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences, the Advisory Council for the Julian P. Kanter Political Commercial Archive at the University of Oklahoma, and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association Communications Committee and Law Day Committee.

Dick's wife, Lisa, is a former public school teacher who serves as Assistant Superintendent for Innovation, Support, and Alternative Education at the State Department of Education.

George Tomek

Anchor

National award-winning reporter and television news anchor George Tomek was born and grew up in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. He was awarded an athletic scholarship (baseball) by the University of Tulsa where he received a Bachelor Degree in Journalism-Major Advertising in 1960.

Tomek has been a familiar face and voice to Oklahoma viewers as a TV anchor and reporter at WKY-TV/KTVY/KFOR-TV and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma for nearly 30 years. During the KTVY period, he also served four years as News Director. Tomek began his distinguished career at KOTV, Tulsa after graduation from TU. He has also anchored and reported the news at KMOX-TV in St. Louis .and KDFW-TV in Dallas.

Tomek earned an Iris Award for "The Gospel According to TV" an investigative news series on the TV ministries. He received James Scripps Awards for the series "Bitter Harvest" that focused on the plight of family farmers and "Fix or Fail" which examined how various states have used corporate innovation and streamlining through public policy to spur business and economic development. Two other feature series, "Storm Chasers" and "Mission of Faith" were nominated for Heartland Emmy Awards. He also earned numerous state and local awards for reporting. One such project was "Cults: To Save or Enslave? " which was an investigative series that showed the kidnapping and deprogramming of a cult member...He has reported on six national political conventions, including the explosive 1968 Democratic meeting in Chicago.

The Vietnam War build up interrupted Tomek's civilian professional career. After being commissioned an Ensign at Officer Candidate School in December, 1962 he was assigned to three years of active duty as Combat Information Officer aboard the destroyer USS HULL (DD-945) separating from active duty in December, 1965. He remained in the Navy Reserve another 27 years as a public affairs specialist holding numerous command and staff billets. During his reserve service, Tomek co-produced and hosted a series of information programs for the NBC Television Network called "The Navy Now. " He also was a consultant to the Department of Defense on the formation of the media pool concept and the Navy Department for broadcasting. Tomek is retired at the rank of Captain, USNR.

Tomek's industrial and commercial video and film credits include projects for Upjohn Home Health Care, Hallmark, Oklahoma DHS and other Oklahoma state agencies, the U.S. Department of State and Environmental Protection Agency. He co-hosted "Listen to the Children ", a UNICEF-funded documentary showing how children were especially traumatized by the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Tomek has participated in the Children's Miracle Network Telethon and co-hosted "Oklahoma 2007", a live statewide town meeting facilitated and carried by OETA. He also hosts and narrates the educational video for Oklahoma's Amber Alert Program implemented to rescue kidnapped children. In 2004, Tomek was cast as the lead (major American city news anchor George Corliss) in "Tube Poker. " The short film, produced by Therapy Films, London, U.K. has won awards in several international film festivals and is in negotiations as a feature production.

George and his wife Marilee are the parents of four grown sons. They are authors of "My Galaxy of Memories, Feelings and Dreams" a published writing journal for children, teens and their families. They are members of the United Methodist Church of the Servant of Oklahoma City.

Ross Dixon

Meteorologist

Ross was born in Muskogee in 1942. He moved to Oklahoma City in the early 50's. Upon graduation from High School, he entered the US Navy and served aboard the USS Coral Sea CVA and USS Bennington CVS. After the Navy, Ross attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1966 with a degree in Math and Meteorology.

His career in meteorology involved specialized forecasts for the transportation, aviation, insurance and construction industries. In addition, he as been associated with KOCO-TV as an on air weatherman, KOKH-TV as a backup meteorologist as well as various radio stations. Since 1984, his primary broadcast affiliation has been with OETA as the chief meteorologist.

During the day, Ross is a partner in Weather Affirmation, LLC. This firm provides a forensic meteorology service that involves reconstruction of past weather events and providing expert witness testimony in Oklahoma and other states. Other services of the firm includes, nationwide paging of weather information and site specific weather instrumentation for major construction sites.

Some of Ross' professional achievements are the Radio and Television Seal of Approval, a Regional Emmy award for severe weather coverage and the American Meteorological Society's Certified Consulting Meteorologist designation. He has earned a private pilot license.

Ross resides in Oklahoma City and has raised four children and entertains three grandsons.

Gerry Bonds

Anchor

In February of 1996, Bonds joined the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority(OETA) as the co-anchor of the nightly Oklahoma News Report, Oklahoma's only statewide newscast. She also began hosting a weekly interview program called Oklahoma City Metro, which has received awards from the Oklahoma Business Circle for Arts Education and the Oklahoma City Chapter of the United Nations Association, as well as two regional Emmy nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2007, Oklahoma City Metro was awarded the Heartland Emmy for its set design from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

She has a Bachelor's Degree in English/Education from City University of New York and a Master's Degree in English/Education from Western Connecticut State University. She has also completed some coursework toward her Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma.

Early in her career, Bonds taught English, Speech and Drama to high school students in New York and Connecticut. She then became a television news anchor with WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut for eight years. During her tenure at WTNH, she received 14 state and national awards for her "Thursday's Child" segment, which helped place children for adoption.

Bonds moved to Oklahoma City in 1984, where she worked as the prime time news anchor with KOCO-TV for nine years. She was also the spokesperson for "Oklahoma Pride," which involved travel to all parts of the state, promoting the image and heritage of Oklahoma.

During that period, she earned awards from the State Tourism Department, the High Noon Executive Woman of the Year Award, the National American Legion Auxiliary Golden Mike Award, the Oklahoma 4-H Partners Award, and the Paragon Award for Volunteer Leadership. In addition, she has been honored with awards from the Oklahoma City chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Girl Scout Woman of the Year Award. In 1999, Bonds was the recipient of the Sweet Success Award from Oklahoma State University/Oklahoma City. And in 2004, she was honored with the Trustee of the Year Award from the Omniplex Science Museum, the Notable Woman of the Year Award from the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, and the Journal Record Best Dressed Award.

From 1992 to 1994, Bonds served as Vice President of Corporate Communications for a large regional investment banking firm. And in 1995 she served as a corporate communications consultant for a local investment firm, in addition to teaching as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University, both in the Mass Communications Department and in the Master of Liberal Arts Program.

In 2006 Bonds received the Governors Arts Award for media, and in 2008, was honored with the Byliners Award for Communications from Women in Communications, Inc. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bonds serves on the Board of Trustees for the Myriad Gardens Foundation, and is President of the Board of Directors of the Harn Homestead Museum. She is also a founding member of the Juliette Low Society in support of the Redlands Council of Girl Scouts, and a volunteer reader for the children at Positive Tomorrows. She is a Class V alumna of Leadership Oklahoma City and a graduate of the Master Gardeners of Oklahoma.

Bonds and her husband, Ken, a longtime bank executive and civic leader, reside in Oklahoma City and are members of the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. They are also members of Mayflower Congregational Church.

Jason Doyle

Reporter/Producer

Jason Doyle is a native Oklahoman who grew up in Union City. He got his start in music radio at Oklahoma City's KJ-103 FM. Jason's career has led him to work for music, talk and news radio stations in Oklahoma City and Kansas City in many different capacities. He's also the Saturday anchor for Oklahoma City's KTOK-AM and the Oklahoma News Network. Before joining OETA, he worked as an assignment desk editor for KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City.

Jason's interests include outdoor grilling and smoking meats, football, baseball, theater and movies. He's also a bit of a history buff, political junkie and pop culture addict.

Jason is married to the most wonderful woman in the world, Pamela, and is the proud step-father of three beautiful children, Ashley, Nick and Paige. His pets include three dogs and a cat with a snooty attitude.

Jason attended Oklahoma City Community College and the University of Oklahoma as a radio/television production major.

Lori Rasmussen

Reporter/Producer

A native Oklahoman, Lori grew up in Edmond and Enid. Her first broadcast journalism job was as an associate producer at Oklahoma City's KOCO while still in college. Her career has included writing and editing for the Oklahoma Bar Journal as well as coordinating Oklahoma's Law Day activities for the Oklahoma Bar Association. She has also co-produced the "Ask A Lawyer" television show, airing in conjunction with Law Day each spring on OETA.

Lori holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and also attended Oklahoma City Community College as a theatre major. Her hobbies and interests include her children's activities, writing, movies, art, music and college football. She especially enjoys travel, particularly visiting new cities and learning about different cultures.

She and her husband, Greg, have two beautiful children, Colin and Sophie, as well as two wonderful dogs.

Cathy Tatom

Reporter/Producer

Cathy Tatom began her career at KOVR in Sacramento, CA while still in high school. Her one semester internship quickly extended into a decade-long full time job as a news producer.

She rose through the ranks adding special projects to her responsibilities. While at KOVR she covered everything from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to the Pope's 1987 visit to America. That assignment included taking five viewers to the Vatican to meet the Pope.

In 1989, Cathy moved to Oklahoma City as 10 p.m. News Producer for KWTV. There, she met and married KWTV helicopter pilot, Leroy Tatom, and earned an Emmy nomination for best newscast.

From late 1990 to early 1995 Cathy traveled the globe reporting on the effects of poverty and natural disasters for Feed The Children. Overseas assignments included trips to Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Honduras.

The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing brought Cathy back to working full-time in local news, first as a 10 p.m. producer for Tulsa's KTUL-TV, then as investigative reporter for KJRH-TV.
Cathy joined OETA as a reporter in Oklahoma City in 1997.

Her stories for the "Oklahoma News Report" have won numerous awards for political, enterprise and education reporting. In 2000, she moved to OETA's Tulsa Office. Cathy's "Oklahoma News Report" stories primarily focus on the people and events in Eastern Oklahoma.

On Saturdays she co-hosts and provides investigative and feature reports for "Tulsa Times."

Angela Rosecrans

Reporter/Producer

 Angela Rosecrans is a reporter for the Oklahoma News Report. She also co-hosts and produces "Tulsa Times".

The Nebraska native moved to Oklahoma as a teenager and earned her Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications at Northeastern State University.

Angela began her career in news radio and has won several awards for her work. Prior to working for OETA, she was a Morning News Anchor for KRMG Newstalk 740. She was part of the team that won a national Edward R. Murrow award for "Best Morning Newscast". It was the first national award in the station's history. She also received awards from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

As a reporter for OETA, Angela travels the state to tell stories that impact the lives of Oklahomans. She reports on issues concerning Oklahoma's government, economy and has done numerous "Going Green" segments. She has reported on proposed methamphetamine legislation and has even accompanied the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics on a helicopter marijuana eradication sting.

Angela is passionate about health and fitness, and has been involved in spreading the word about the Health4Life Fitness challenge for the last four years. It's a 12-week fitness challenge designed to help Oklahoman's get healthy. To do her part, she likes to stay healthy with running and Pilates. She's participated in the Route 66 Marathon and the Tulsa Run.

If you have any story ideas for Angela or would just like to drop a note...

Arosecrans@oeta.tv

Aaron Byrd

Photojournalist

Aaron Byrd joined OETA on March 9, 2005 as photojournalist in the Oklahoma City office. Before OETA, Aaron worked at KJRH-TV in Tulsa and KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City.

Aaron graduated from Berryhill High School and earned a Mass Communications Degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. Aaron likes heavy metal music, camping, fishing and playing the drums.

"The Byrdman" is also a BIG fan of OU sports.

Pius Mburu

Photographer

Pius Mburu joined OETA in December 2006 as a news photographer. Previous experience includes working as a news cameraman and field producer in different regions of Africa. Among news agencies that Pius worked for are CNN, Reuters and APTV.

As well as news, he has also participated in production of documentaries for various UN agencies and other international humanitarian agencies in subjects as varied as AIDS to national conflicts, TV magazine shows on wildlife - "Wild Things", for paramount pictures, etc.

Pius comes from Kenya, East Africa and is currently pursuing an MBA at Oklahoma City University.

Tim Carson

Photographer

Tim Carson joined OETA in October, 2008 after serving as Voter Voices photographer/producer during the first part of the 2008 election season.

Tim graduated from Midwest City (Oklahoma) High School in 1981 and from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Broadcasting in 1987. He moved to Tulsa in 1988 and took a job at KTUL-TV as a photojournalist. In May, 2006, Tim moved to KJRH-TV in Tulsa as general news photojournalist. In August, 2006, he took a position as morning photojournalist at Tulsa station KOTV. Tim joined OETA in August, 2008 as part-time photographer and went full-time on October 1.

Tim is married, his wife Maranda and he live in Broken Arrow, and enjoy playing golf and relaxing at home with their three dogs.

Steve Bennett

Producer

A native Tulsan, Steve Bennett has a news background that spans four decades. Steve began his career as anchor/reporter at KBIX in Muskogee, KOCY in Oklahoma City, and was news director for KOMA-FM and KRXO-FM in Oklahoma City. While he was news director, KOMA won numerous Associated Press awards through the years. Steve has also served on the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters Board of Directors.

He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a master's from OU as well, and taught broadcast writing and ethics classes at the university's Gaylord College of Journalism for five years.

Steve has covered some of the most pivotal events in recent Oklahoma history, including the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Building and the May 3, 1999 tornado, the largest twister in a metropolitan area ever recorded. Steve has also had extensive experience reporting on state elections, as well as breaking news stories.

Steve and his wife Malia have three children, including son Christopher and identical twin daughters, Laura and Rachel. Steve and his family are members of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Oklahoma City. He has also has been involved in a variety of public service projects in his community. An adult leader with The Last Frontier Council Boy Scout Troop 20, Steve is a member of the Order of the Arrow and the 2005 Friend of Scouting Campaign's honorary Chairman. He's also been a featured celebrity reader for the Metropolitan Library System's Week of the Young Child as well as volunteering his time to numerous other civic and educational organizations.

Edwin Wilson

Photojournalist

Edwin Wilson is a seasoned photojournalist who joined our team in April 2009, from Washington DC.  He spent 8 1/2 years working in the nation's capital covering everything from President Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009 to interviewing the future president at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia during the election campaign, the sniper attacks, and the attacks on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.  Before that, he was a helicopter photographer at WBNS-TV in Columbus Ohio, a photojournalist at WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Virginia, a photojournalist and reporter at WMDT-TV in Salisbury, Maryland, and he started his career at his hometown TV station, WTAP-TV in Parkersburg, West Virginia in 1990.

He has been nominated for 2 Emmy Awards, has won a Telly Award, a SPJ Award, and several AP awards for stories that he has covered in his career.  His hobbies include, photography (obviously!), science fiction movies (especially Star Wars), collecting autographs, cooking great food, biking, and his dog, "Peppie." He is very excited about making the 1,600+ mile move from Alexandria, Virginia to Tulsa and to OETA to begin a new chapter of his life.

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