How OEC Fiber Amplifies a Sportscaster’s Game
Well-known radio personality Chris Plank wraps up his latest radio broadcast in a small, detached garage in Goldsby, OK. Surrounded by shelves brimming with sports memorabilia and championship rings, he sits in his in-home studio, where his OEC Fiber connection reigns as a crucial element in the success of each broadcast.
As the voice of Oklahoma Sooner Softball, Chris Plank has earned widespread recognition for his work. A native of St. Louis, MO, Plank moved to Oklahoma in 1993 to study at the University of Tulsa with the hope of turning his love of sports into a career.
“I always wanted to be a sports broadcaster because I love sports,” said Plank.
That love of sports has served him well. After 18 years in sports radio in Tulsa, Plank pounced at the opportunity to further his career by coming to Norman in 2015.
“I had the opportunity of a lifetime to come down here and work at the University of Oklahoma and be a part of the greatest broadcast with the best play-by-play guy on the planet,” Plank said.
This decision opened some incredible doors. In 2016, he became the voice of Oklahoma Sooner Softball, making the call for several historic, record-breaking runs, including four consecutive national championships.
When he and his family decided to relocate to Goldsby, he turned to OEC Fiber to provide a fast, reliable connection to keep him on the air when broadcasting from his in-home studio.
“In radio, if you lose connection, you’re off the air,” Plank said.
That is a death sentence for any broadcaster. While driving to the station for his local KREF show solves the problem for local broadcasts, it’s when it’s time to do a national show that he relies on his OEC Fiber connection the most.
“Every single time I go to turn on the mic or connect to a radio station, I know that I’m going to have a solid connection (with OEC Fiber),” Plank said. “I don’t have to worry about my router imploding and seeing that red light of death. I don’t want the red light. I need it to be green and ready to go. And that’s what OEC has given me.”
It’s not only his broadcasts that have been impacted for the better. He jokes that his family holds the record for data usage, but it’s not the ability to have tablets and cell phones connected that he has been most impressed with. The work he sees OEC Fiber doing in the community is what sets them apart in his eyes.
“OEC Fiber has made things incredible for my family because of the things they do that nobody talks about,” Plank said.
The Plank family is highly involved in their community. With two active young daughters, they regularly attend community events for the activities the girls love. At these events, Plank sees the impact OEC Fiber has firsthand through its sponsorships and support of these organizations.
“I was almost in tears to see how much (OEC Fiber’s) involvement with the community and within the youth of your community means,” Plank said. “They give a lot. If it’s local, they commit to it.”
This commitment comes from one of the seven cooperative principles OEC Fiber was founded on, concern for the community. Every aspect of service, from education to speed and reliability, is done with excellence and a subscriber-first mentality.
“I wouldn’t put my name on anything subpar,” Plank said. “It’s elite. I don’t know if I could ever go back.”
Whether giving voice to Sooner Athletics or supporting his girls, Plank pours his passion into everything he does. OEC Fiber gives him more availability to do the work he loves without fear of his connection dropping the ball. Combined with OEC Fiber’s support for the community, Chris Plank and his family can say OEC Fiber has positively affected their lives and home.
