A reporter with One America News Network works at a campaign rally with President Donald Trump at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Virginia on September 25, 2020. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Oct 06, 2021
A Wednesday Reuters report based on court records revealed the role that telecommunications giant AT&T played in creating and funding One America News, a far-right network infamous for peddling lies and conspiracy theories on crucial topics, from the 2020 U.S. election to Covid-19.
"AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
The network, known as OAN, thrived thanks to former President Donald Trump, who directed his Twitter followers there at least 120 times, according to the report. OAN--which began covering Trump rallies in 2015 before some outlets treated his White House run seriously--saw its audience spike in November, after Fox New declared then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential contest.
OAN is owned and operated by Robert Herring Sr. and his sons--who declined Reuters' interview requests--as a subsidiary of their San Diego-based Herring Networks. Herring said in a 2019 deposition for a labor suit that he launched OAN six years earlier "to make money, number one... But number two, is that AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
\u201cSo, @ATT and @ATTPublicPolicy are supporting:\n- anti-abortion extremists\n- right-wing conspiracy theorists\n- people who try to overturn elections\n\nhttps://t.co/1XU49QeLvC\nhttps://t.co/BqDT8c6yha\nhttps://t.co/Xcs2nrWePy\u201d— Adam Smith (@Adam Smith) 1633527586
"They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [left-wing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built on," Herring, OAN's founder and chief executive, explained of Dallas-based AT&T, the world's largest communications company.
According to Reuters, which reviewed state and federal court records:
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.
Last year, when a labor lawsuit went to trial, OAN lawyer Patrick Nellies told the court that "if Herring Networks, for instance, was to lose or not be renewed on DirecTV, the company would go out of business tomorrow."
\u201cturns out AT&T virtually created OAN and provides it with nearly all its revenue https://t.co/9C0lz6UFDd\u201d— ryan cooper (@ryan cooper) 1633527045
The Federal Communications Commission, under former President Barack Obama, approved AT&T's takeover of DirecTV in July 2015. In an affidavit, Charles Herring swears he struck a deal with an AT&T executive that if the Herrings lobbied federal regulators about the acquisition, AT&T would air OAN and another network owned by the family on DirecTV and U-verse.
While AT&T denied in court filings such a deal was made and a spokesperson for the company told Reuters that "support for the merger was never a condition of or part of any content agreement," the Herrings sued the company over it in 2016. The next year, the case was settled on undisclosed terms and the two Herring networks began appearing on DirecTV.
In a series of tweets about the reporting on Wednesday, The Week's Ryan Cooper said that "at a minimum this news should prompt a review of the Obama [administration] decision to approve the AT&T/DirecTV merger, and in general aggressive media antitrust."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
A Wednesday Reuters report based on court records revealed the role that telecommunications giant AT&T played in creating and funding One America News, a far-right network infamous for peddling lies and conspiracy theories on crucial topics, from the 2020 U.S. election to Covid-19.
"AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
The network, known as OAN, thrived thanks to former President Donald Trump, who directed his Twitter followers there at least 120 times, according to the report. OAN--which began covering Trump rallies in 2015 before some outlets treated his White House run seriously--saw its audience spike in November, after Fox New declared then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential contest.
OAN is owned and operated by Robert Herring Sr. and his sons--who declined Reuters' interview requests--as a subsidiary of their San Diego-based Herring Networks. Herring said in a 2019 deposition for a labor suit that he launched OAN six years earlier "to make money, number one... But number two, is that AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
\u201cSo, @ATT and @ATTPublicPolicy are supporting:\n- anti-abortion extremists\n- right-wing conspiracy theorists\n- people who try to overturn elections\n\nhttps://t.co/1XU49QeLvC\nhttps://t.co/BqDT8c6yha\nhttps://t.co/Xcs2nrWePy\u201d— Adam Smith (@Adam Smith) 1633527586
"They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [left-wing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built on," Herring, OAN's founder and chief executive, explained of Dallas-based AT&T, the world's largest communications company.
According to Reuters, which reviewed state and federal court records:
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.
Last year, when a labor lawsuit went to trial, OAN lawyer Patrick Nellies told the court that "if Herring Networks, for instance, was to lose or not be renewed on DirecTV, the company would go out of business tomorrow."
\u201cturns out AT&T virtually created OAN and provides it with nearly all its revenue https://t.co/9C0lz6UFDd\u201d— ryan cooper (@ryan cooper) 1633527045
The Federal Communications Commission, under former President Barack Obama, approved AT&T's takeover of DirecTV in July 2015. In an affidavit, Charles Herring swears he struck a deal with an AT&T executive that if the Herrings lobbied federal regulators about the acquisition, AT&T would air OAN and another network owned by the family on DirecTV and U-verse.
While AT&T denied in court filings such a deal was made and a spokesperson for the company told Reuters that "support for the merger was never a condition of or part of any content agreement," the Herrings sued the company over it in 2016. The next year, the case was settled on undisclosed terms and the two Herring networks began appearing on DirecTV.
In a series of tweets about the reporting on Wednesday, The Week's Ryan Cooper said that "at a minimum this news should prompt a review of the Obama [administration] decision to approve the AT&T/DirecTV merger, and in general aggressive media antitrust."
A Wednesday Reuters report based on court records revealed the role that telecommunications giant AT&T played in creating and funding One America News, a far-right network infamous for peddling lies and conspiracy theories on crucial topics, from the 2020 U.S. election to Covid-19.
"AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
The network, known as OAN, thrived thanks to former President Donald Trump, who directed his Twitter followers there at least 120 times, according to the report. OAN--which began covering Trump rallies in 2015 before some outlets treated his White House run seriously--saw its audience spike in November, after Fox New declared then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential contest.
OAN is owned and operated by Robert Herring Sr. and his sons--who declined Reuters' interview requests--as a subsidiary of their San Diego-based Herring Networks. Herring said in a 2019 deposition for a labor suit that he launched OAN six years earlier "to make money, number one... But number two, is that AT&T told us... they wanted a conservative network."
\u201cSo, @ATT and @ATTPublicPolicy are supporting:\n- anti-abortion extremists\n- right-wing conspiracy theorists\n- people who try to overturn elections\n\nhttps://t.co/1XU49QeLvC\nhttps://t.co/BqDT8c6yha\nhttps://t.co/Xcs2nrWePy\u201d— Adam Smith (@Adam Smith) 1633527586
"They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [left-wing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built on," Herring, OAN's founder and chief executive, explained of Dallas-based AT&T, the world's largest communications company.
According to Reuters, which reviewed state and federal court records:
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.
Last year, when a labor lawsuit went to trial, OAN lawyer Patrick Nellies told the court that "if Herring Networks, for instance, was to lose or not be renewed on DirecTV, the company would go out of business tomorrow."
\u201cturns out AT&T virtually created OAN and provides it with nearly all its revenue https://t.co/9C0lz6UFDd\u201d— ryan cooper (@ryan cooper) 1633527045
The Federal Communications Commission, under former President Barack Obama, approved AT&T's takeover of DirecTV in July 2015. In an affidavit, Charles Herring swears he struck a deal with an AT&T executive that if the Herrings lobbied federal regulators about the acquisition, AT&T would air OAN and another network owned by the family on DirecTV and U-verse.
While AT&T denied in court filings such a deal was made and a spokesperson for the company told Reuters that "support for the merger was never a condition of or part of any content agreement," the Herrings sued the company over it in 2016. The next year, the case was settled on undisclosed terms and the two Herring networks began appearing on DirecTV.
In a series of tweets about the reporting on Wednesday, The Week's Ryan Cooper said that "at a minimum this news should prompt a review of the Obama [administration] decision to approve the AT&T/DirecTV merger, and in general aggressive media antitrust."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.