One America News Network (OAN) and lifestyle channel A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE) have signed long-term carriage agreements with Buckeye Broadband and MaxxSouth Broadband.

“We appreciate our partnership with Buckeye and MaxxSouth and are thrilled that Buckeye and MaxxSouth Broadband customers will have continued access to OAN and AWE," said Ann Schick, executive VP for content distribution at parent company, Herring Networks.  

Herring Networks said that for the week of Aug. 24, OAN was the fourth-ranked news network. It has gotten a boost from President Donald Trump, who has tweeted that it could be his new favorite network. He also routinely calls on OAN during press conferences.

OAN launched July 4, 2013. AWE was formerly WealthTV.

Starkville, Miss.-based operator MaxxSouth Broadband has launched a regional sports network built around athletics in local high schools, colleges and community sports leagues.

MaxxSouth Sports will cover events in the northern and central parts of the state, the company said. The operator serves 44,600 cable customers.

The channel already has an aggressive lineup that will include full coverage of at least eight games per week, MaxxSouth Broadband said. Its production units will deliver full, high-definition picture quality and live transmission, an ambitious move for a local cable provider.

"This sports network would not be possible without the help of the area's school districts, coaches and athletic directors," said Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband's president and CEO. "It's an incredible accomplishment to be able to showcase student athletes from across MaxxSouth's service territory."

The company also announced it has deployed advanced fiber-to-the-home 1 Gig Internet service in Starkville, increasing bandwidth and capacity for advanced video, Internet and phone services. The new fiber-to-the-home network is expected to come online within the next few weeks, MaxxSouth said.

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"Our fiber-optic infrastructure in Starkville is also what we call 'future proof,'" Rick Ferrall, regional general manager for MaxxSouth Broadband, said. "Upgrades and improvements can be implemented on the system without changing the actual fiber wires."

Starkville marks the second city where MaxxSouth now operates a fiber-optic network after launching one in Carthage last year.

MaxxSouth Broadband, which serves 60 Mississippi communities, was formed last November from the group of cable systems formerly serviced by MetroCast Mississippi.