OAN host complains to Rep. Buddy Carter that people “all of a sudden kind of forgot us” after three carriers dropped OAN in less than a year
Dan Ball: “Members on the Hill, large social media influencers, people that have benefited by coming on this program and this network for several years all of a sudden kind of forgot us after we got canceled, and I'm wondering, why?”
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From the January 19, 2023, edition of OAN's Real America
DAN BALL (HOST): Joining us now, he represents Georgia's 1st Congressional District, let's welcome to the program for the first time and hopefully a new friend of ours, Buddy Carter. Congressman, first and foremost, thank you for speaking up for OAN. We feel like we've been left out a little bit, I would say, when it comes to members on the Hill, large social media influencers, people that have benefited by coming on this program and this network for several years all of a sudden kind of forgot us after we got canceled, and I'm wondering, why? But I'm glad to see that you are a being a voice.
REP. BUDDY CARTER (R-GA): Well, I will never stop standing up for free speech. I've always believed that more speech, not less speech, is the opponent of bad speech and that's why we need more free speech. Let's face it. What you just went over and what you just described with the federal government having influence over these platforms, and members of Congress sending letters and sending inquiries into some of these platforms as to the conservative voices that are later dropped — I mean, come on. I was born at night but I wasn't born last night.
BALL: Let's talk about your colleagues from California that sent the original letter in February of 2021. And then the following year when our contract renewal date comes up — I think it was in March, March, I believe, because April 5 was our last day, and this is Direct[TV]; I'll get to the Verizon and Frontier with you in a minute — all of a sudden, poof. They don't want to negotiate.
We offered them — I spoke with the owners here — we offered them the sweetest deal ever. They turned around and told folks that we were holding out for more cash and that's why the negotiations fell apart, and that's not what happened with them or Verizon or Frontier, with anyone. We offered it next to nothing because we want to get the messaging out there, the facts, the truth about what's happening in this country. And they all said no. And then they tell us that they did internal reviews and say we full of misinformation.
I'm looking at this letter, Buddy, and I'm sure you've seen it — if we can bring it back up on the air here. This is the one from your colleagues on the Democrat side of the House. And they're mentioning misinformation, disinformation — they mention three networks. Why do you think only one got canceled, Buddy?
REP. CARTER: And that's where the problem is. That's where I find the problem. Look, as a member of Congress, I don't want to get into business decisions. I don't feel like we ought to be dictating, as these two members of Congress dictated to platforms who they're gonna carry and who they're not gonna carry — that's private business. I was in business for 32 years. I get it. I understand. However, I do think it raises serious questions when a member of Congress, or two members of Congress in this case, send a letter and then later on you find that a conservative news outlet has been dropped. And you know, again, this is something that raises all of our concern. I get it. I understand negotiations are private. But then again, you know, I also understand that, you know, you look and you see that the liberal voices, the liberal programs, they're retaining those but they're not retaining the conservative programs.
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BALL: Can I point out the fact, Buddy, too, that those liberal networks reported misinformation for years. I'll give you one story: Russia hoax, the Russian collusion hoax of President Trump. CNN, MSNBC, the big three — ABC, NBC, CBS — they're all guilty of reporting misinformation since 2016. They're not off the air. And can I point out too, Buddy, It wasn't just Direct. It was Verizon and Frontier. Three cables and satellites in one year, in a span of 10 months? From March to November? Three? Now do you wonder why we got canceled and the other two don't?