Newsmax TV managed a huge victory for fans and followers of the network.
“DirecTV’s dispute with conservative network Newsmax — which turned bitter when the small channel enlisted support from Republican politicians — is ending with Newsmax returning to programming lineups of satellite TV customers,” the Los Angeles Times reported somewhat snarkily.
After a public feud over carrier fees, Newsmax and Comcast have reached a deal, ending their lengthy and bitter public relations battle. Newsmax’s leadership had accused the cable provider of political bias.
“Newsmax recognizes and appreciates that DirecTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said in a statement celebrating the agreement. “As a standalone company, DirecTV helped give Newsmax its start nearly a decade ago as it continues to do with upcoming news networks, which is why we are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will deliver our network to DirecTV, DirecTV STREAM and U-verse customers over the next several years.”
The dispute between Newsmax and DirecTV centered on carrier fees. Under the previous agreement, DirecTV did not pay anything to carry Newsmax. The new deal between the two companies will not result in any additional costs for DirecTV subscribers, indicating that Newsmax’s demand for rate increases was not met. However, neither company has disclosed the terms of the new deal, reports noted.
At one point earlier this year, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suggested that he may hold congressional hearings on DirecTV’s decision to drop Newsmax.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement on Wednesday, in which he applauded the resolution of the dispute between DirecTV and Newsmax. Earlier this year, Cruz had written to DirecTV requesting an explanation for dropping Newsmax and suggested political bias was a factor.
“Having Newsmax back on the air is a victory for free speech over powerful corporations that want to put their thumbs on the scale of the national conversation,” Cruz said. “This outcome speaks to the power of citizens and their elected representatives working to stop viewpoint discrimination.”
Bill Morrow, CEO of DirecTV, looked to describe the disagreement as routine in a statement on Wednesday.
“This resolution with Newsmax, resolving an all-too-common carriage dispute, underscores our dedication to delivering a wide array of programming and perspectives to our customers,” he wrote.
“Through our persistent negotiations, we reached a resolution under mutually-agreeable business terms allowing us to deliver the conservative news network at the right value – a reflection of the free market at work,” he added.
