AT&T’s DirecTV Cancels Newsmax
AT&T’s DirecTV this week announced it would not renew a contract with Newsmax that expired at midnight on January 24th.
“The Radical Left seems to have taken over the mind and soul of AT&T,” argues former President Donald Trump, who vowed to ‘drop all association with AT&T and called on the public to boycott the cable provider. ”This is a big blow to the Republican party, and to America itself.”
AT&T, which reported profits of nearly $2.7 billion in 2022, claims the decision to cut Newsmax was a “cost-cutting measure.”
“DirectTV told Newsmax that we are not entitled to anything…They will pay us zero dollars,” argues Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy. “This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship…The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN need to be deplatformed?”
AT&T pays license fees to nearly 100 major channels but was paying Newsmax nothing despite the fact that it is the fourth highest-ranked cable news channel in the country and the 16th highest-ranked cable channel for daytime viewing. The amount of money Newsmax had asked for was minuscule compared to the amount paid to other channels – most of which have lower ratings than Newsmax.
Unfortunately, AT&T’s actions are consistent with the mainstream media’s ongoing shift to the Left and unlawful censorship of conservative voices. AT&T dropped One America News Network (OAN) last year after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asked all major cable and satellite providers to remove OAN, Newsmax, and Fox News in order to limit the spread of misinformation.
“This isn’t about Newsmax,” laments Ruddy. “This is a much larger issue about free speech, about censorship, political discrimination, and the future of the country…We’re seeing, basically, private companies acting to censor opposing points of view.”
Last week, 42 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the CEO of AT&T warning of possible hearings based on the cable provider’s efforts to limit conservative content. “I want some answers here,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “You don’t have to watch Newsmax; but if you want to watch it, you should be allowed to watch it. We will ask questions as to what’s going on here. There may be a good explanation; I don’t know.”
Newsmax also has support from Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who urged all Catholics using DirecTV to cancel their subscriptions immediately and find a new provider. As one of the few major conservative networks left, Newsmax is one of the only channels to provide unbiased commentary on issues important to the Catholic community.
Newsmax has decided to cancel its free streaming services, so the best way to access the channel will be through cable service. As of now, all major provides except DirecTV carry Newsmax.Click here to sign the petition to stop AT&T’s censorship of Newsmax.
Sources:
President Trump Calls for Canceling AT&T DirecTV After Newsmax Dropped
Newsmax CEO Ruddy: Stop DirecTV’s ‘Political Discrimination’
Bill Donohue: Catholics Should Drop DirecTV
Lindsey Graham: Senate May Mount Effort to Probe DirecTV’s Newsmax
DirecTV dumps Newsmax instead of paying new fee, drawing Republican outrage
These companies follow orders of whomever pays the most money and controls the strings. Dropped Direct-TV for Roku long time age. At ROKU I pay for certain Channels I want to watch. LOT less expensive than Cabel Carriers. Seems to me when the amount of people that cancel subscriptions, they would lose a lot more money. But the people who give orders pays them a lot more to make up for lost customers.
Wait a minute! The same people who want Newsmax also want a free market! In a free market the provider decides their product line, and if the consumer does not like it they go and shop elsewhere! When is the last time Alice Greene could write to her congressional representative to protest that Wallmart did not carry her brand of panty hose! Just go to Target, end of story. This is not an example of sensorship, it is an opportunity for free market to work. Find Newmax elsewhere. Or maybe bitch at Newsmax to start its online streaming again!
Cry me a river. This is more to do with money than politics. I got things to say, when can I get on DTV?
AT&T bought DTV in 2015, sold them in 2021 but retained 70% probably because they had to. DTV went private, probably because they had to. I don’t think DTV is doing that well, Newsmax is a nit to them, and they can raise money by charging for what people can get for free on the net.
DTV says it will charge on the net too soon.
Given that funding details were not released, I would gather it’s still in play and this is postering now with the House using politics for pecuniary purposes masked as free speech hidden inside a privately owned entity.
There is no DTC stock, it’s private, so book looks are guesses. ATT is depressed like all com companies post pandemic surges but industry started to turn the corner last quarter. Q earnings ought to be interesting but I doubt DTV will affect ATT stock capital, it’s one of the highest dividends on the DOW.
My guess is newsmax will fold and dtv will resign them. Meanwhile Bill Oreilly’s streaming channel will take their place filling that blogosphere void if free speech. .
I don’t care, I swing Verizon, so take em down and my stock value will rise. Dump DTV/ATT, Frank’s family needs new shoes! ❤️