OAB EXCHANGE 2026 SCHEDULE

Please note that times and sessions are subject to change.

Detailed Schedule

Tuesday, Oct. 13

5pm | Welcome Reception

Wednesday, Oct. 14

8am | Registration and Breakfast
sponsored by Broadcast Depot and Tieline

9am | Welcome
sponsored by Collette

Opening Keynote - Panel Discussion - The Future of Sports Broadcasting
Panel hosted by Nicole Shearin, Sports Reporter/Anchor, WBNS 10TV

For broadcasters, sports are more than just entertainment or content – they energize and connect our communities, drawing engaged, passionate audiences across television, radio, streaming platforms, and social media. And that connection means sports can be an important business for local TV and radio stations.

From your local high school to the pros, this panel will examine the current state of sports broadcasting and offer insights into what the future may bring. We’ll discuss the status of state and federal legislation with the potential to impact sports broadcasting, audience expectations, potential sales and revenue opportunities, and the technical advancements and challenges that lay ahead.

10:15am | Breakout Sessions

Value Engineering the Broadcast Operation
Albert Brown, Chief Engineer, WOSU Public Media

Modern capability doesn’t require a capital request. This session shows how to repurpose hardware you already own and leverage free, open-source software to build secure connectivity, consolidated monitoring, and remote control across your operation — from the studio to the transmitter site.

Leverage AI as a virtual Elmer at your bench that guides you through the process while helping you build it, and put smarter watchdogs at your sites that catch exceptions and escalate to a human operator.

Practical AI for Broadcast Sales
Ken Pease, AI Instructor, AI Owl

This fast-paced session showcases practical AI tools that give you an immediate edge at every stage of the sales pipeline. Through live, real-time demos, you’ll learn how to prospect, do client research, generate compelling spec spots, and draft proposals. This isn’t another session that just talks about how AI is changing the industry, instead we will show you the actual tools, prompts, and clicks that save time and build better pitches. You’ll leave with ready-to-use tactics you can put to work on your very next sales call.

Broadcasting from the Cloud: The New Frequency of Cybersecurity
Nate Mumford, Director of Sales Engineering, RCS

In today’s cloud driven world, every organization operates like a live broadcast constantly transmitting data, identities, and workloads across distributed environments. Relying on old perimeter-based defenses leaves your station vulnerable, cybersecurity must evolve toward real-time signal control. We’ll discuss real-life solutions, learn practical strategies, and introduce important considerations to protecting critical assets and maintaining reliable broadcast operations.

ATSC 3.0 Status Update
James Willis, Nextgen Deployment Manager, One Media Technologies
Robert Maas, System Engineer, Heartland Video Systems

As ATSC 3.0 deployments mature, the industry’s focus is shifting from building infrastructure to delivering compelling consumer experiences and scaling operations. Join Sinclair Broadcast Group and Heartland Video Services for an update on the current state of NextGen TV, featuring deployment lessons learned, BEST channels, HDR, Dolby Atmos, dynamic event channels, and strategies for accelerating deployment into additional U.S. markets.

11:10am | Breakout Sessions

HLS Streaming for Studio-to-Transmitter Links
Kirk Harnack, Strategic Consultant, MaxxKonnect

HTTP Live Streaming, commonly known as HLS, is best known as a technology for delivering audio and video over the public internet. However, broadcasters are increasingly exploring HLS as a practical and resilient method of transporting program audio from the studio to the transmitter site. This presentation will examine the advantages and tradeoffs of using HLS for studio-to-transmitter links.

Site Safety - Because We Frequently Work Alone, Even When We Shouldn't!
Jeff Welton, Regional Sales Manager, Eastern U.S., Nautel

Safety is a concern that should be at the top of mind as we go about our daily routines. Whether at home, in the office, or at the transmitter site, most injuries and accidents are preventable. As we cover more responsibilities with fewer resources and lower budgets, it becomes even more critical. This session will discuss some of the concerns, show areas where safety can be easily improved and provide thoughts on how to get through our days while minimizing risk. There will be some war stories and some, “been there, done that” examples included.

Change Leadership
Jennifer Gardner, Founder and CEO, Jen Gardner Leadership, LLC

Change is constant — but leading people through change successfully is what sets exceptional leaders apart. In this interactive and practical session, you’ll learn why people respond to change the way they do, how to navigate resistance with confidence and empathy, and the leadership strategies that build trust, resilience, and commitment. You’ll leave with actionable tools and strategies that you can immediately apply to help your team embrace change and achieve lasting results.

The Tech-Assisted, Human-Driven Salesperson
Mike Sherry, President, MTS Media Consultant

While AI and modern tools speed up the sales process, humans still close the deal. In this session, we walk through the modern sales workflow and highlight useful new tools, but keep the core focus on the non-negotiable human element of marketing and sales. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies for clearer communication, stronger relationship-building, and a clear roadmap to advance prospects through every stage of your pipeline.

11:50am | Lunch, Networking, and Exhibitor Time
sponsored by Nautel

1:20pm | FCC and Regulatory Update

Legal & Regulatory Issues You Need To Know
Panel:
David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Noah Hock, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP

There is no shortage of federal policy impacting radio and television stations. Our panel will cover the latest legal regulatory issues of interest to broadcasters.

2:15pm | Breakout Sessions

Audio Processing and Listener Retention
Frank Foti, Executive Chairman, the Telos Alliance

In today’s world, over-the-air broadcast radio is fighting for every single listener available! Given the plethora of choices via streaming, personal devices, and alternative radio services, holding the attention of a listener is more than just exciting formatics. It also has to do with the subtleties of what may cause a listener to remain locked in, or tune away.
Aside from the station format, the other key element is how the station sounds. There is an annoyance factor that can occur with processing. This discussion will detail why that happens, and provide a new solution.

Broadcast Antenna System RF Checkout and Troubleshooting – Equipment and Techniques
Steve Wilde, President and CEO, American Amplifier Technologies/Shively Labs, Kathrein Broadcast-USA

This session provides a review of common RF equipment used to evaluate and troubleshoot broadcast antenna systems – including both frequency and time domain analysis.

What Your Advertisers Wish You Knew
Panel hosted by Mason Meyer, Senior Vice President, Rubber City Radio Group

Hear from a panel of advertisers and agencies as they give you a sneak peek into their buying thought process. Hear directly from the media buyers on the dos and don’ts that drive advertising buying decisions today. Discover what really catches a media buyer’s attention, what common mistakes immediately turn them off, and how to position yourself as a partner.

Ohio's Political Landscape
Panel hosted by Jimmy Wolf, Lobbyist, Statehouse Impact Group

With high-stakes battles underway for Ohio Governor, U.S. Senate, and statewide offices, a lot is up in the air. This panel offers a deep dive into various election outcomes and what they mean for Ohio’s economic and legislative future giving insights into how the results could impact your operations, sales, and newsroom.

Sports Broadcasting Roundtable Discussions
Chris Crump, Sr. Director of Sales & Marketing, Comrex Corporation
Tony Peterle, Radio Applications and Support Engineer, Lawo

Solutions for wireless mic and IFB frequency congestion at sports and large events
Join an interactive think-tank session tackling RF congestion, propagation limits, and sideline wireless challenges in packed sports stadiums and live arenas. Many of us remember the early days of Comrex used by the NFL and broadcasts across the country. A lot has changed. Attendees will share strategies to keep sideline reporting, IFBs, and venue audio reliable under heavy interference.

Broadcast Infrastructures for Sports
Join this interactive roundtable as attendees share field experiences, challenges, and practical solutions for deploying, troubleshooting, and scaling IP broadcast
networks. Covering stadiums and trucks and how the inherent scalability of ST2110 means that no gig is too large. Tony will be on hand facilitate and discuss examples from the University of Nebraska, Global soccer tournaments, and OB trucks.

3:10pm | Closing Session

Closing Keynote - Beyond Vanilla: Innovating to Stand Out
Jeni Britton, Founder, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

A pioneering entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author, Jeni Britton has been honored by Fast Company as one of the Most Creative People in Business and featured on Inc.’s 2025 Female Founders list. Join us as she shares business insights on innovation, the power of localism, leading through change, and building a brand that stands out in a crowded market.

4:15pm | Adjourn

 

Thank you to our partners