"AT&T is allegedly One America News Network’s biggest backer," 6 Oct. 2021

AT&T allegedly played a pivotal role in the creation of One America News Network (OAN), a right-wing outlet frequently criticized for spreading false news stories, according to a Reuters report. Based on court documents and other sources, Reuters recounts the telecom giant’s executives telling OAN creator Robert Herring Sr. that they wanted a conservative outlet that could sit alongside Fox News and balance out more liberal channels.

... In a statement to The Verge, AT&T objected to the reports. “DirecTV offers its customers a wide variety of programming, including many news channels that offer viewpoints across the political spectrum, but does not dictate or control programming on the channels. Any suggestion otherwise is wrong,” a spokesperson said.

AT&T later posted a longer statement on Twitter. “AT&T has never had a financial interest in OAN’s success and does not ‘fund’ OAN,” it reads in part. “When AT&T acquired DirecTV, we refused to carry OAN on that platform, and OAN sued DirecTV as a result. Four years ago, DirecTV reached a commercial carriage agreement with OAN, as it has with hundreds of other channels.”