Politics - News Analysis

Bombshell Report: The Idea for OAN Came From AT&T and They Almost Entirely Fund the Network

This is stunning and should lead to a sea change in who uses AT&T from this point on. Normally, when we think about someone founding a far-right network or website, we assume it’s some billionaire like Rupert Murdoch, someone who wants a microphone for his/her radical beliefs and the desire to get in on some of that Right-Wing cash that’s easy to be had.

But with respect to OAN, AT&T played the biggest role in floating the idea and then funding the roll out. We would hope that independents and Democrats respond immediately and change services if using AT&T.

According to Reuters:

OAN founder and chief executive Robert Herring Sr. has testified that the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives.

“They told us they wanted a conservative network,” Herring said during a 2019 deposition seen by Reuters. “They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [leftwing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built one.”

We have no idea how they got to seven on the left. We will admit that MSNBC’s evening lineup is liberal, other than that, it is ridiculous. Of course, these are the viewers who call FOX News liberal.

Since then, AT&T has been a crucial source of funds flowing into OAN, providing tens of millions of dollars in revenue, court records show. Ninety percent of OAN’s revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.

There is nothing to add. We suspect many people will be changing services within the next month.

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