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DirecTV to drop far-right channel OAN from its service

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US satellite broadcaster DirecTV said on Friday it will drop far-right channel One America News (OAN) from its service when its contract expires, in a blow to the popular news network.

OAN, which rose to prominence amid the triumph and tumult of the administration of then-President Donald Trump, has been criticized for spreading conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election.

“We informed Herring Networks that, following a routine internal review, we do not plan to enter into a new contract when our current agreement expires,” a DirecTV spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

AT&T has a 70% stake in DirecTV, after last year spinning off the satellite service, now an independently managed company. The US telecommunications company entered into a deal with Herring Networks Inc in 2017, which included OAN and a little-watched lifestyle channel, AWE. DirecTV began carrying the networks in April that year.

OAN and Herring Networks could not immediately be reached for comment outside business hours.

AT&T has been a crucial source of funds for OAN, providing tens of millions of dollars in revenue, a Reuters investigation found last year. Ninety percent of OAN’s revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.

DirecTV’s contract expires in early April, according to Bloomberg News, which earlier reported the development.

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