OAN founder claims Verizon declined to air channels for free, promises network will spread conspiracy theories “for a long time”
Robert Herring blames Verizon's decision to drop OAN on a secret conspiracy to censor his network, defends ivermectin coverage
Published
Citation From the July 26, 2022, edition of OAN's Breaking News Live
PEARSON SHARP (REPORTER): As One America News fights against fake news, the fake news fights back. On July 30, the telecommunications giant Verizon decides that it will terminate its contract with One America News, shutting the door on over 17 years of history together. Now, apparently, Verizon has been telling their customers that OAN refused to cooperate and we just wouldn't work with them on a deal, basically blaming us for not renewing the contract. But that is a flat-out lie. And here to explain what really happened is the founder and owner of One America News, Robert Herring. Robert, thank you for coming on the show with us today.
ROBERT HERRING: My pleasure again.
SHARP: All right. So, Verizon is telling everyone that we refused to work with them, that they just couldn't come to a deal with our contract. Is that what really happened?
HERRING: Not at all. I remember when they first started, we [unintelligible] companies that went to them because a lot of the places didn't want to go. We signed up a contract with them about 2005, I think it is. The contract that we have now is very similar.
SHARP: So it hasn't changed very much.
HERRING: Hasn't changed much. OK. We've been having a great, I guess what you'd call it, relationship, and at this time it was kind of a surprise when they came up and said that we're going to be cut off.
SHARP: So until now, you expected us to be carried again?
HERRING: I did, yes. And the thing about that was that we've offered them quite a few things to see if we could stay on. One of them, we offered it for free.
SHARP: We offered it --
HERRING: We offered both of our channels for free.
SHARP: And they wouldn't take it and they.
HERRING Wouldn't take it. OK. So now you're telling people something a little different which came here today and maybe say what's really true. And we haven't at this point pulled anything that wouldn't have been very well to all the people that were listening. So it's up to them to make a change now.
SHARP: So why do you think -- what do you think the real reason is that companies like Verizon don't want to carry us or decided to terminate our contract?
HERRING: Personally, I really don't know. But I know there's somebody on top that I'm pretty sure we know who it is that's directing this. But because I've got too many people suing me right now, I don't think I want to go in and say a name.
SHARP: Going to start another one?
HERRING: Yeah, I mean, we get sued for about 1.6 billion or some number like that, and I'm working every job I can. I'm starting to look at the dogs and stuff like this so I can go back to where I started, right?
SHARP: Yeah, pinching pennies, trying to bring them together.
HERRING: Well, that would do it. Yeah. But anyway, we're having fun.
SHARP: So what do you think about the Democrats and Big Tech like Verizon and AT&T. What do you think about them trying to censor independent news organizations like One America News?
HERRING: First of all, we're not the only one. They're taking Fox and some other people and trying to knock them out. And I think what they're trying to do is knock out anybody that basically is a Trump supporter, number one. OK. And then people that don't have the same --
SHARP: Viewpoints.
HERRING: Viewpoints, or whatever that they have. Yes. So they're trying hard. They'll be taking out people like Elon Musk and people like like I said, Fox News.
SHARP: So anybody, they just -- they don't want news organizations like One American News. They just want a news organization that that says whatever they want them to say.
HERRING: Exactly right.
SHARP: And we won't do that.
HERRING: That's true. We're going to fight until the very end. As you know, we're having too much fun. So at this point, we'll be there. Hopefully, Fox News will be there when this thing ends.
SHARP: So it seems like we are one of the only news networks out there left that still just tells the truth. We report the truth, and all of our reports so far have ended up being backed up and proven as factual. Do you think that's why the left wants to silence us?
HERRING: Well, first of all, you're the one that puts out most of the reports.
SHARP: Well, I'm trying to keep out of trouble.
HERRING: Yeah, and you're doing very well. As you know, from the things that you've brought up we've never had a problem with, from the ivermectin and stuff like this that they've been after us on.
SHARP: Well, I did get us kicked off of YouTube. Now that happened.
HERRING: Now we would have been kicked off -- and people are kicked off of YouTube for almost nothing, so, as you know.
SHARP: Yeah, it doesn't take much these days.
HERRING: Yeah, but the things that we've been doing, I don't think that we've had anything that was false. Now, we have 10 or 15 people every day telling us that was false or there's just false. Ivermectin was made for horses.
SHARP: Horses.
HERRING: Yeah, well, we know that isn't. I take it.
SHARP: I've taken it.
HERRING: Yeah. So at this point, you know, I haven't had a chance to jump anything, so I think I'm OK.
....
SHARP: One America News will no longer be on Verizon FioS. So if our loyal viewers want to go on and see One American News, want to watch the only credible news network left, where can they go? What can they do?
HERRING: Well, One America News, we're giving it away for free for the next 90 days. So you just turn it on and go to it.
SHARP: Where can they go? Is that on our website?
HERRING: It's on the website and it's on your TV all day long. You're going to have to put up with that for a while. Yes. But we want everybody to know that. Second thing is, remember I told you last time about something for an 80-year-old?
SHARP: Right. You want to keep it simple?
HERRING: Well, we have that now. OK. Which is coming out and basically plug this in and it will bring you One America News no matter what you want to watch.
SHARP: That's all you do, you just plug that into your TV and you got OAN.
HERRING: We'll have this out. It's actually finally finished by now. But it isn't finally coming over from where it's being made. So I won't tell you where, but --
SHARP: So we're still testing it a little bit, but that's just about ready?
HERRING: Still have some testing, but this works well.
SHARP: Awesome. So that's great news.
HERRING: Pretty hard for an 80-year-old to do all the other stuff they have to do.
...
HERRING: But anyway, this is, for me, a miracle because I can plug it in and not have to mess around with everything. So hopefully we'll have it shortly. And One America News will be going for a long time. You'll be seeing Pearson come on.
SHARP: Sorry about that.
HERRING: We need you, OK.
SHARP: So. And you were telling me before that customers can, right now they can get OAN Live free.
HERRING: They can get OAN Live free.
SHARP: Until October, until the end of October.