As of midnight Tuesday, DirecTV subscribers could no longer watch Newsmax in their living rooms after NewsMax demanded the Satellite provider start paying it for programming like it does other networks.
Explaining the dispute further, Curtis Houck of Media Research Center says Newsmax viewed itself as an up-and-coming news network that has grown to be a more influential source for TV viewers. So it wanted money.
“DirectTV wants to maintain the status quo. Newsmax says no,” Houck explains. “DirectTV says, ‘Okay, fine, because it's the end of our current contract, the contract will lapse and without a contract you won't be on the air.'"
What appears to be a contract dispute is complicated by the right-wing Newsmax being dropped by AT&T-owned DirecTV, which dropped One America News almost one year ago this month. That is one reason why Republicans in Congress are demanding answers.
“OAN was ceremoniously, unceremoniously axed by DirectTV because of what it deemed were false claims about the 2020 election,” Houck points out.
At the time, DirecTV announced it was refusing to renew the ONN contract after it conducted a “routine internal review.”
No matter the reason behind the controversy, Houck says many conservatives who want truthful news are the losers after ONN, and now Newsmax, are no longer available through DirectTV.
