A group of Republican Senators is demanding answers from streaming cable TV provider DirecTV after it dropped conservative news outlet Newsmax from its lineup. DirectTV claimed it dropped the news outlets to cut costs and avoid paying Newsmax the license fee it demanded.
AT&T's DirecTV has REMOVED @Newsmax from its lineup.
This is blatant content-based censorship. Congress, the Antitrust Division of the DOJ, and the FCC need to investigate @ATT's decision immediately.
Americans should not be denied their right to access diverse viewpoints. pic.twitter.com/gWr4euXYLa
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 31, 2023
Senate Republicans are, however, not buying into the explanation over fears that DirectTV dropped the media outlet in an act of political censorship. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tom Cotton (R-AK) wrote a letter to DirectTV saying that the decision appeared to be the latest example of big business censoring politically disfavored speech at the request of liberal Democrats.
I have serious concerns about DirecTV’s decision to drop Newsmax. It’s time for answers.
https://t.co/uHGwcUcKqh— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 1, 2023
“Congress and the public have a right to know the extent to which DirecTV’s decision to drop Newsmax was politically motivated, including whether the company succumbed to pressure from administration officials or Democrats in Congress,” the GOP senators wrote in the letter.
‘TAKE OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH BACK!’: Jon Voight Blasts DirectTV for Dropping Newsmax https://t.co/8CohitLoPZ
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 2, 2023
The senators took aim at DirectTV’s claims of cutting costs while pointing out that the cable TV provider allegedly pays substantial sums to numerous channels that are “politically left-of-center” even when they have far lower ratings than Newsmax.
I would cancel @DIRECTV for censoring @NEWSMAX but I already cancelled them for cancelling @OANN. I guess @DIRECTV doesn’t want conservative viewers so maybe we should all just quit their services and go elsewhere. https://t.co/KI4RWXJXsU
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 26, 2023
“… It has been alleged that DirecTV refused to pay any net sums whatsoever to Newsmax — and expressly stated that it never would pay any net sums to Newsmax — even though explicitly liberal stations with substantially fewer viewers were receiving millions of dollars from DirecTV,” the senator said.
The senators also addressed the letter to AT&T and TPG, which owns 70% and 30%, respectively.
According to the Washington Times, the senators are demanding that DirecTV, TPG, and AT&T turn over any communications their employees had with federal, state or local government officials, President Joe Biden’s White House, and the campaign arms of the Democratic Party regarding Newsmax, and One America News Network (OANN), another conservative outlet dropped by News max in 2022.
NEWSMAX viewers are saying goodbye to DirecTV, taking a stand against censorship by making the switch to another TV provider.
Share your own DirecTV breakup photos at https://t.co/x0mHP5Zv8l.
Call @DIRECTV at 877-763-9762 to cancel today, or to demand they bring back @NEWSMAX! pic.twitter.com/ThD65rjw2U
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 2, 2023
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy described the move as “a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship.”
