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