DirecTV, a satellite TV company, has confirmed that it has dropped Newsmax from its lineup, citing the network’s “demands for rate increases” as the reason for the decision. The network is no longer being broadcast on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, or U-Verse.
In a statement, a DirecTV spokesperson said, “On multiple occasions, we made it clear to Newsmax that we wanted to continue to offer the network, but ultimately Newsmax’s demands for rate increases would have led to significantly higher costs that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base. Anyone, including our customers, can watch the network for free via NewsmaxTV.com, YouTube.com and on multiple streaming platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Google Play. We continually evaluate the most relevant programming to provide our customers and expect to fill this available channel with new content.”
Newsmax CEO Responds
However, the heads of Newsmax are firing back at the move, saying it was “censorship” against the network. “This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax,” Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, said in a statement.
“The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN need to be de-platformed,” Ruddy added.
Republican Lawmakers Speak Out
This comes after Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to the CEO of DirecTV, as well as the CEOs of AT&T and private equity firm TPG Capital, owners of the company, on Jan. 20 expressing concern about the removal of Newsmax in light of its decision to remove One America News, another conservative network, from its lineup last year.
“It is our understanding that DirecTV — still majority-owned by AT&T and minority-owned and managed by TPG Capital — is moving to de-platform Newsmax by denying it cable fees on a fair and equitable basis,” the letter from the Congress members reads.
The lawmakers alleged that DirecTV carries 11 “liberal” news channels, including Vice Media, a company with which it shares several board members and which the members of Congress allege commands higher fees.
DirecTV Denies Allegations
DirecTV responded to the letter Jan. 23, saying that the company had been trying to continue carrying Newsmax at the same terms.
“Let me begin by assuring you in no way is DIRECTV working to limit conservative viewpoints. DIRECTV’s fundamental value proposition to its customers is to offer a wide variety of programming options at prices that match our customers’ pocketbooks. That applies to our offerings of news channels as well,” the letter reads.
“We are not trying to de-platform Newsmax. To the contrary, we want to continue our carriage of Newsmax on the same terms as at present, and we have made that clear to Newsmax. We have been negotiating with Newsmax for months and, faced with an expiration of our current agreement, initiated a short-term extension to allow the parties additional time to come to an agreement. We continue to have discussions with Newsmax and are working in good faith to get to an agreement that we consider to be in the best interests of DIRECTV subscribers,” it continues.
TVPromise.com and Newsmax TV: A Look into Conservative News Outlets
TVPromise.com and Newsmax TV are two popular conservative news outlets that have gained significant attention in recent years. Both platforms offer a wide range of news and commentary on political and cultural issues, with a particular focus on conservative and right-wing perspectives.
TVPromise.com, which was launched in 2020, is a streaming platform that features live news and talk shows from a variety of conservative and right-wing sources. The platform’s programming includes shows hosted by well-known conservative commentators such as Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. In addition to live news and talk shows, TVPromise.com also offers on-demand content and a library of past episodes.
Newsmax TV, on the other hand, is a cable and satellite news channel that was launched in 2014. The channel features news and analysis from a conservative perspective, with programming that includes live news shows, documentaries, and talk shows. Newsmax TV is known for its coverage of political and cultural issues, as well as its coverage of the conservative movement.
Both TVPromise.com and Newsmax TV have been criticized by some for their conservative bias, however, they remain popular among viewers who are looking for an alternative to mainstream news outlets.
