Who owns OAN? #ByeByeOAN trends after controversial network is dropped by Time Warner
One America News Network or OAN, the far-right network known for peddling conspiracy theories is losing another major cable provider. On March 14, Time Warner, the parent company of Comcast reportedly announced it would not be renewing OAN's contact, meaning the network will no longer be available to those on Comcast. Back in January, DirecTV announced it was dropping OAN, becoming the first carrier to do so.
The network since its inception in 2013 has become a darling of Donald Trump, more so in recent months after his failed attempt to retain the Presidency. As Fox News distanced itself from Trump's claims of the election being stolen, the former President began promoting OAN and Newsmax. In fact, the network has become so popular amongst Trump's loyalists, Rep. Matt Gaetz was rumored to be talking to them for a gig if he was forced out of Congress over sex trafficking.
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If there's one place where OAN is thriving, it's in the courts. The network is currently battling a lawsuit by Dominion over its election fraud claims, while also failing in its efforts to sue Rachel Maddow for defamation after the MSNBC host dubbed the network "paid Russian propaganda." The network is now in a battle for its very existence, as it revealed in a lawsuit against DirecTV.
Who owns OAN?
The channel is owned by Herring Networks, a San Diego-based company founded by Robert Herring in 2003. A high school dropout, Herring perhaps best encapsulates the American dream - someone who managed to come up from nothing, to become one of America's most powerful men. Long before OAN though, he founded a chain of pet shops, and a circuit board factory well before he turned to the TV business.
However, he's also been under the scrutiny of the courts for his business practices. In 1994, he fired an employee for tipping off the FBI about illegal pollution at his factory. Then in 2020, a jury found OAN guilty of firing a Black producer in retaliation for filing a racial discrimination complaint. That blatant disregard for the law isn't the only thing Herring shares in common with Trump.
Herring lives in an 11,000 square-foot Southern California mansion with his third wife, coincidentally a Russian immigrant. A vast majority of his wealth has also flown into the GOP's coffers, with an occasional bit flowing into that of Democrats. Notably, Herring voted for Barack Obama and gave $4,600 to Hillary Clinton in 2007, but those appear to be an outlier. He has largely been supporting Republican efforts, and the network spewing GOP talking points, earning the praise of Trump.
"I’ve seen enough that I know the election was taken by force," he claimed about the 2020 Presidential Election. One former producer summed up the situation by saying, "The Herrings run OAN on this McDonald's business model where you keep the customer happy and the business runs itself. If the customers happen to be crazy conspiracy consumers, then that’s what they’re selling. They are grifters in the outrage culture."
#ByeByeOAN
Given the network's penchant for lies and conspiracy theories, OAN found a home in many pro-Trump supporters' minds, but perhaps not for too long. The network claimed it may be forced to shut down if DirectTV didn't renew its deal, leading to a two-pronged attack on the company. OAN sued DirecTV and AT&T on March 7 in San Diego, while host Dan Ball urged viewers to dig up dirt on AT&T Board Chairman William Kennard.
Things then got worse on March 15 after it was reported that Comcast was following suit in dropping OAN. That led to Trump releasing a statement saying, "I believe the people of this Country should protest the decision to eliminate OAN, a very important voice. Demand that OAN be allowed to stay on the air. It is far bigger and more popular than anyone knows, and importantly, it represents the voice of a very large group of people!”
However, the internet was having none of it. Shortly after Trump's statement made its way to social media, #ByeByeOAN began trending as users celebrated the implosion of the network. Many mocked OAN and Trump, while others called on other cable providers to follow suit. KlowdTV, Verizon FiOS, and CenturyLink PRISM are some of the few national providers that are still carrying OAN in the US.