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One America News Network ‘failed to agree to fair terms’ with telecomms giant
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The far-right media outlet One America News Network will no longer be carried by the last major cable television provider that was still including the channel in its lineup
Verizon Fios, the largest subscription television platform that still includes OAN among its offerings, announced that it will be dropping the network, which has amplified Covid-19 and baseless election fraud conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump, broadcast attacks against LGBT+ people, and aired commentary suggesting that its political opponents should be executed.
A statement from Verizon to The Daily Beast, which first reported the fallout, said the telecommunication giant’s negotiations with the network have been “typical, business as usual carriage negotiation like those that routinely happen between content distributors and content providers” – but “OAN failed to agree to fair terms.”
“Since we were unable to reach an agreement … we will no longer have the rights to provide our customers with this programming, and it will be removed from the Fios TV lineup,” effective on 31 July, according to the statement.
The only cable provider in the US that still hosts the network is Alaska’s General Communication Inc, which is available to roughly 100,000 households. Otherwise, the network is available online and on limited streaming services.
Earlier this year, DirecTV – which is majority-owned by US telecoms giant AT&T and by far the network’s largest revenue stream at the time – dropped its contract with the network following a “routine internal review.”
An investigation from Reuters found that 90 per cent of the network’s revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned platforms, according to court documents obtained by the news agency.
Following DirecTV’s announcement, host Dan Ball said on-air that the network was “at war” with AT&T and aired a graphic with the company’s customer service phone number and a photograph of the company’s chair William Kennard.
“If you’ve got any dirt … I’d love to see it and put it on this program,” Mr Ball said in January. “You bring me concrete evidence of whatever it may be – cheating on his taxes, cheating on his wife, saying racial slurs towards white people, folks do that – whatever it may be, find it for me, bring it, and we’ll air it.”
Mr Trump also called on his supporters to cancel their subscriptions to DirecTV.
With the looming expiration of its Verizon contract, OAN segments and personalities have attacked the company, with one correspondent asking a member of Congress during an interview whether Republican lawmakers are putting “pressure” on Verizon.
The network also has refused to carry the House select committee hearings investigating the attack on the US Capitol, instead running commentary and defending people charged in connection with the assault in a documentary – Capitol Punishment – that has been aired at least 22 times within the last month, according to Media Matters.
The Independent has requested comment from the network.
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