News and Public Affairs | Bios - Dick Pryor

DICK PRYOR

Deputy Director, Managing Editor

Dick Pryor is Deputy Director and Managing Editor for OETA-The Oklahoma Network. He anchored the Oklahoma News Report from 1990 to 2007, and served as OETA News and Public Affairs Manager from 2002 to 2007. Dick

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.

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.

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.