ThinkCivics News
An educated citizenry is a vital requisite
for our survival as a free people.
Join ThinkCivics+
  • Culture & Society
  • Economy
  • Health
  • US News
  • Faith
  • Science & Tech
  • World News
No Result
View All Result
ThinkCivics News
  • Culture & Society
  • Economy
  • Health
  • US News
  • Faith
  • Science & Tech
  • World News
Join ThinkCivics+
No Result
View All Result
ThinkCivics News
Join TC+
Home Culture & Society

OANN Gets Behind Biden’s Radically Progressive FCC Nominee

ThinkCivics Newswire by ThinkCivics Newswire
November 17, 2021
in Culture & Society
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
0
OANN Gets Behind Biden’s Radically Progressive FCC Nominee

Gigi Sohn (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

One of the most right-wing channels on TV is throwing its weight behind a radically progressive Biden nominee who has called conservative news outlets threats to democracy.

One America News Network (OANN) is working behind the scenes to rally conservative support for Gigi Sohn, President Joe Biden’s latest pick to serve on the Federal Communications Commission. Conservative political operative Bradley Blakeman told the Washington Free Beacon that OANN’s president personally arranged for him to appear in a pro-Sohn segment on the network and that OANN executives believe Sohn will be an ally in the network’s fight to wrest market share away from Fox News.

The belief is rooted in Sohn’s criticism of Fox News. Sohn has questioned whether Fox News should be investigated for being “state-sponsored propaganda with few if any opposing viewpoints.” Fox News and OANN compete for many of the same viewers, and former president Donald Trump encouraged his voters to leave Fox News for OANN or right-wing outlet Newsmax.

Sohn has called for the FCC to intervene in disputes between major cable companies and smaller content providers like OANN. In 2018, OANN, Newsmax, and Sohn found themselves fighting on the same side against the more powerful conservative network Sinclair. According to Blakeman, OANN executives believe that, if confirmed, Sohn will support them in “carriage disputes” with carriers like AT&T and Comcast.

OANN president Charles Herring endorsed Sohn in a letter last week, praising her “strong belief and advocacy for diversity in the programming lineup.” A source with knowledge of the situation said Herring is meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill to advance Sohn’s nomination. He also arranged for Blakeman, a former adviser to George W. Bush, to praise Sohn on the air.

In an interview that aired Friday on OANN, Blakeman noted approvingly that Sohn “disagrees with” cancel culture and touted her regulatory credentials.

Blakeman told the Free Beacon that OANN’s endorsement of Sohn has everything to do with business and that Herring personally encouraged him to come on OANN.

“Anytime a business makes a statement, you have to attribute some of that statement, all of that statement sometimes, to selfish business interests,” Blakeman said.

But OANN and others insist Sohn would be an ally to conservatives. A friend and adviser to Sohn backing her nomination told the Free Beacon that the support from OANN shows conservatives want someone to stand up to large media outlets. Former Mississippi Republican congressman Chip Pickering is also expected to publicly endorse Sohn, the adviser said. Blakeman said he was not aware of other Republicans expected to come out in support.

A Republican source familiar with the issue called OANN’s belief that Sohn will support the company in its carriage disputes “farcical” and “a hail mary.”

Republican senators have criticized Sohn for her criticism of Fox News as “propaganda.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said he “will do everything in [his] power” to block her nomination and called her “unqualified” and “a hack.” Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.), John Thune (R., S.D.), and Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) also expressed concern.

Sohn was initially scheduled to appear this week in a confirmation hearing alongside moderate FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel, whom Biden nominated for an additional term on the commission. A Senate staffer with knowledge of the nomination process said Republican opposition to Sohn prompted Commerce Committee chairwoman Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.) to postpone Sohn’s hearing to December. The friend and adviser to Sohn blamed the Biden administration for taking almost a year to announce the nominations, calling the delay “shameful.”

Even as OANN has backed Sohn, groups affiliated with Sohn have blasted conservative media. The day before Herring endorsed Sohn, a nonprofit she founded published a piece titled “Why Cable and Satellite Providers Should Drop One America News Network.” The piece called OANN “a peddler of toxic lies.”

Blakeman and Sohn worked together on the Sports Fans Coalition, which works to “protect fans from the wave of sports betting legalization.” Blakeman met Sohn through former Bill Clinton aide David Goodfriend, whom a former FCC official said has been working behind the scenes to rally conservative support for her nomination.

Sohn and OANN did not respond to requests for comment.

SOURCE

ThinkCivics Newswire

ThinkCivics researches, examines, and reports on issues that matter most. We deliver explanative, fearless, and insightful analysis for public consumption.

thinkcivics.com
Tags: FCCFox NewsOANNPresident Joe BidenTV News

Related Posts

Loudoun County Superintendent Accidentally Says the Quiet Part About “Indoctrination” Aloud

Loudoun County Superintendent Accidentally Says the Quiet Part About “Indoctrination” Aloud

July 2, 2022
‘Permanent Male Sterilization’: Vasectomies Soar After SCOTUS Overturns Roe

‘Permanent Male Sterilization’: Vasectomies Soar After SCOTUS Overturns Roe

July 1, 2022

19th Century Bank Adds Pronouns to Teller Name Tags, Invites Unwoke Customers to Close Their Accounts

June 30, 2022

California school board member calls to ‘boycott’ July 4th

June 30, 2022
Load More
Next Post
Liberal dark-money group linked to 2020 election donated more than $400M

Liberal dark-money group linked to 2020 election donated more than $400M

FDA Asks Federal Judge to Delay Until the Year 2076 to Fully Release Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Data

FDA Asks Federal Judge to Delay Until the Year 2076 to Fully Release Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Data

Build Back Better Plan Would Have Top Tax Rate To 57% In 8 States, Warn Budget Watchdogs

Build Back Better Plan Would Have Top Tax Rate To 57% In 8 States, Warn Budget Watchdogs

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

  • Watch As Angry Man Confronts Climate Activist For Blocking The Road

    Watch As Angry Man Confronts Climate Activist For Blocking The Road

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Viral video shows Portland man lashing out at liberal white woman over traffic incident

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • DeSantis Fires Back After Gavin Newsom’s Pathetic Anti-Florida Ad Is Revealed

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Loudoun County Superintendent Accidentally Says the Quiet Part About “Indoctrination” Aloud

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Protesters block, attack truck and horse trailer, driver runs them over

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

‘Zero Trust in Our Government’: Spouse of WNBA Player Jailed in Russia Blasts Biden Administration

by ThinkCivics Newswire
June 22, 2022
0
‘Zero Trust in Our Government’: Spouse of WNBA Player Jailed in Russia Blasts Biden Administration
National Security

Joe Biden's ineptitude knows no bounds. As Obama famously said, "Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*ck things up." So it's...

Read more

State Dept ‘racial equity’ czar said white colleagues too ‘protective of US, lack ‘humility, empathy’

by ThinkCivics Newswire
June 21, 2022
0
State Dept ‘racial equity’ czar said white colleagues too ‘protective of US, lack ‘humility, empathy’
National Security

A 2020 podcast episode with Desirée Cormier Smith resurfaced after the U.S. State Department appointed her on Friday to serve...

Read more

More countries looking at nuclear weapons programs because of Russia

by Hot Air
June 21, 2022
0
More countries looking at nuclear weapons programs because of Russia
National Security

Over the past year, we have seen multiple nations including the United States conducting tests of their nuclear-capable weapons delivery...

Read more

22 Democrats who voted against extra security for SCOTUS justices approved it for themselves after Jan 6

by ThinkCivics Newswire
June 15, 2022
0
22 Democrats who voted against extra security for SCOTUS justices approved it for themselves after Jan 6
National Security

Ahead of the highly anticipated decision that could overturn Roe v Wade, the House passed a bill on Tuesday to...

Read more
Karine Jean-Pierre Throws Hissy Fit at Jeff Bezos for Blasting Bidenomics
Economy

Karine Jean-Pierre Throws Hissy Fit at Jeff Bezos for Blasting Bidenomics

by RedState
July 3, 2022
0

Welp, this one started out bad — and quickly swirled down the White House personal-attack toilet. Zillionaire Amazon founder and...

Read more
“It Is Very Serious”: War And Weather Threaten To Send Food Prices Even Higher
Economy

“It Is Very Serious”: War And Weather Threaten To Send Food Prices Even Higher

by Zero Hedge
July 1, 2022
0

US agriculture executives are warning that war and extreme weather have put global food supplies in danger as skyrocketing food...

Read more
Report: Americans’ Retirement Accounts Have Lost Trillions – TRILLIONS – In 2022
Economy

Report: Americans’ Retirement Accounts Have Lost Trillions – TRILLIONS – In 2022

by The Political Insider
June 26, 2022
0

As if day-to-day living expenses weren’t depressing enough, a quick peek at your 401(k) statements might prove to be too...

Read more
Last year’s July 4th Tweet From The White House Doesn’t Age Well About Biden’s Policies
Economy

Last year’s July 4th Tweet From The White House Doesn’t Age Well About Biden’s Policies

by ThinkCivics News Staff
June 23, 2022
0

Last year, the White House tweeted one of the most famous tweets of all time. Prices for gas and groceries...

Read more
Facebook Twitter RSS

Brilliantly

SAFE!

thinkcivics.com

Content & Links

Verified by Sur.ly

2022

Recent News

  • The 2024 GOP Ticket That Will Win in Key Swing States
  • Karine Jean-Pierre Throws Hissy Fit at Jeff Bezos for Blasting Bidenomics
  • DeSantis Fires Back After Gavin Newsom’s Pathetic Anti-Florida Ad Is Revealed

Category

  • Culture & Society
  • Economy
  • Editorials
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Faith
  • Health
  • Immigration
  • Military
  • National Security
  • Politics
  • Science & Tech
  • US News
  • Videos
  • World News

© 2022 ThinkCivics Media. All Rights Reserved.

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • Join
  • Contribute

© 2022 ThinkCivics Media. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.