One America News might have to shut down because of the decision of DirecTV to drop the right-wing network from its channel lineup, according to a lawsuit.
OAN will be dropped by DirecTV after their carriage contract expires. The Daily Beast reported on Friday that a lawsuit had been filed by Herring Networks, which owns OAN and AWE.
As a result of the conduct of AT&T, AT&T Services, DirecTV, and Kennard, OAN and AWE might be forced off the air. If the nonrenewal is not reversed, it will cause damage to Herring of more than $1 billion. The complaint was filed in California Superior Court in San Diego County.
The action was taken to correct the power that Defendants have wielded in an attempt to destroy an independent, family-run business and impede the right of American television viewers to watch the news media channels and programs of their choice.
The deal with AT&T and DirecTV provides OAN with most, according to a previous court case.
OAN was in panic mode in January after DirecTV said it would drop the network. OAN host Dan Ball urged viewers to dig up dirt on Kennard, a Democrat who was the Federal Communications Commission chairman during the Clinton administration and US Ambassador to the European Union under President Barack Obama. Find it for me. We will air it if you bring it.
AdvertisementAT&T still owns 70 percent of DirecTV despite a recent spinoff. Advocacy groups pointed out that OAN is a supporter of the Stop the Steal movement and that's why the satellite TV provider decided to drop it.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and five other state attorneys general urged AT&T and DirecTV to reverse their decision to drop OAN.
AT&T decided not to sign a new carriage contract after the current one expired, which is a big problem for the lawsuit. Herring has a separate advertising deal with AT&T subsidiary Xandr that runs until July 2024 and he claims it is proof that the carriage agreement will be renewed.
Herring reasonably believed that the Advertising Agreement was proof of a commitment to a long-term carriage relationship by AT&T, AT&T Services, and DirecTV. This belief was solidified by the fact that the Advertising Agreement was set to expire more than two years after the Affiliation Agreement was set to expire. Herring did not take issue with the term of the Advertising Agreement because Herring had a reasonable belief that the Affiliation Agreement would be renewed.
It would not make sense for AT&T Services to be the exclusive advertiser for OAN and AWE if DirecTV did not carry OAN and AWE.
The exclusive right to sell ad space on the networks was given to AT&T by the ad deal struck in 2019. AT&T is selling Xandr to Microsoft, but the pending sale will not include the portion of the company that sells commercials for DirecTV or OAN.
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