CONCHO, Okla. – It was a late evening in August, 1992  on the Conley Ranch near San Antonio, Texas.

A group of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Members had just finished filming a major scene in the CBS Mini-Series “North & South” Part III (Heaven & Hell). Three of the elders, Moses Star, Leo Penn and Jesse Hamilton,  were visiting with cinematographer, Billy-Talako Williamson.  One of the elders commented how nice it would be if the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes had their own television and radio station back in Oklahoma.  Billy agreed and told them that he would try to help that come about someday.    This had never been done by any of the tribes in Oklahoma.  In 2005, Billy began working with the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes’ Department of Education to develop a media production studio and teaching media classes for the department.  The idea of a Cheyenne & Arapaho Television station came up again in a meeting with Quinton Roman Nose and Margaret Anquoe.  Billy began working on development of a television station broadcast license and station for the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes.
According to Billy, there were  two key people that were instrumental in helping with this project.      “In the early stages it was very difficult to find out who to talk to about a Tribal Television Station.  I knew that the  Navajo Nation had a tribal television station so I started there, asking questions.  I was introduced to Mr. Jim Gale who is the Chief Engineer for the PBS affiliate KNME in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I traveled to Washington, D.C. and met with Congresswoman Mary Fallin.  She was a great help in finding the right offices and people to provide the information I needed about the Federal Communications Commission.   Jim Gale was the technical advisor for the Navajo Nations Television Station and he was kind enough to offer his experience and help.  Jim came to Oklahoma and visited the C&A Department of Education and Tribal Complex and decided to help the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes Television Station Project.  He even attended the Tribal Council Meeting in Weatherford, Oklahoma on November 15, 2008 when the Television Station Resolution was passed.    During 2009 and 2010 we researched and completed a grant application with the United States Department of Commerce Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, PTFP that is administered by the NTIA, National Telecommunications and Information Administration in Washington, D.C.   The Federal Communications Commission issued an experimental license to the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes and on September 27th, 2010 the tribes received notice that they had been awarded a grant for construction of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Television Station.”   This historic event is the first Native American Educational Television Station in Oklahoma.  The  grant was accepted by Governor Boswell on behalf of the Tribes on September 29, 2010 at Concho, Oklahoma.  Construction of the station is scheduled to begin and be completed in 2011 at Concho, Oklahoma and it is expected that the station will go on the air in late 2011 or early 2012 and become the first Tribal Educational Television Station in Oklahoma.
The purpose of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes Department of Education Media and Television Studio is to give students training with most modern digital media equipment, to preserve a progressive history for tribal members, enhance employment opportunities for Cheyenne and Arapaho people and assist tribal members with educational opportunities.  The Media and Television Studio is an important part of the educational process for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Department of Education.  Most recognize that a new language has emerged in the world, one that has grown to reach all nations with equal effect and understanding,… it is the language of  Mass Communications.
The average parent spends about 38 minutes a week in quality conversation with their kids, while the average kid spends 3 to 4 hours a day watching television.  The American Medical Association recently reported that 60% of the information children receive comes from television. Mass media has become the second language of our children.   The secondary mission of the studios is to provide video services to the various departments of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and also to provide documentation of tribal history and language. Perhaps the bedrock purpose of the Media Production Department lies with one principal question: Ask yourself; “How important it would be to be able to play a DVD and listen to your Great Grandfather or Great Grandmother speaks their wisdom and to see them as they speak?”   It is “priceless”.  Cultural and language education is the necessary backbone for the preservation of history and Tribal Sovereignty.