Far-right conspiratorial channel One America News is taking the loss of its last major pay-TV provider pretty hard.
In the wake of telecom giant Verizon revealing on Thursday that it will drop OAN from its Fios cable provider, the pro-Trump propaganda network has repeatedly run a segment from unhinged host Pearson Sharp absolutely raging over the decision.
Besides urging OAN viewers to cancel their Verizon subscriptions, Sharp also accused the tech company of pushing a “Marxist agenda.”
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“Over the last few years, we've watched as countless independent, freethinking, and conservative organizations were shut down and censored by the radical left. Regrettably, that toxic cancel culture is still alive and well, and it's coming after One America News,” Sharp groused at the top of the segment first flagged by liberal watchdog Media Matters.
While claiming that OAN had previously enjoyed a “great relationship” with Verizon and “never had any reason to suspect that wouldn't continue,” Sharp said “everything changed” when it came time for the network to renew its Fios deal.
“We offered them an incredible deal to carry our channel at a substantially discounted rate, and they flat-out refused to continue carriage,” he insisted. “More than that, Verizon decided that they wanted to tack on additional fees and make OAN an add-on service, costing their customers more money.”
Despite Verizon being its largest remaining carrier after satellite provider DirecTV dropped the network this past spring, OAN lobbed numerous attacks at the company as the network’s agreement neared expiration. Calling it “one of the largest and wokest companies to date,” the network’s hosts grumbled in recent weeks that Verizon was “silencing conservative voices” and “engaging in censorship” of OAN.
“We made multiple offers to try and come to an agreement and Verizon not only refused to budge, but they cut off negotiations prematurely. They'd already made their decision, because Verizon, like many radical Marxist corporations, has proven that it's more interested in discriminating against independent voices than being a diversity leader,” Sharp continued. “If our messaging, if our philosophy doesn't align with theirs, then Verizon is happy to censor us and shut us down. It's that simple.”
Sharp, who has previously called for executions over so-called “election fraud,” then spent several minutes decrying what he characterized as Verizon’s “Marxist agenda” and the “hatred and vitriol” that the left directs at OAN.
“Even members of Congress and the commander-in-thief himself, Joe Biden—members at the highest levels of our own government—are trying to censor and silence us,” he exclaimed.
Adding that “it isn’t easy being an independent news channel,” Sharp defended the network’s coverage, claiming “One America News has always been proven right.” It was just two months ago, however, that the network had to admit on-air that there was “no widespread voter fraud” by Georgia election workers after settling a defamation lawsuit.
Assuring viewers that “One America News isn’t going anywhere,” Sharp wrapped up his screed by offering viewers a once-in-a-lifetime deal. “And for our Verizon customers, you don’t need to worry: We’ll be giving you three months absolutely free to help make up for the harm and discrimination caused by Verizon,” he declared.
“So stand for the First Amendment and stand for One America News,” Sharp concluded. “Cancel your Verizon subscription and join us over on OAN live where the freedom of the press and not leftist cancel culture will always be alive and well.”
Before Sharp went scorched earth on Verizon, OAN primetime host Dan Ball was still imploring viewers to call up the carrier and demand they “keep OAN,” adding that “maybe Verizon will listen to the folks that pay the damn bills.” Ball, meanwhile, is the same anchor that urged his audience to dig up dirt on AT&T executives after DirecTV decided to ditch OAN.
One America News was already facing an existential crisis before losing its Fios contract. Following the loss of DirecTV, the network’s biggest revenue source by far, OAN has suffered a talent exodus, plummeting employee morale, and the specter of billion-dollar lawsuits over the network’s election lies.
