DirecTV To Add Conservative Outlet The First After Dropping Newsmax
27.01.2023 - 00:23
/ deadline.com
DirecTV said that it was adding the conservative channel The First to its lineup, after it dropped Newsmax from its lineup in a dispute that stirred the ire of Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The First, which features personalities including Bill O’Reilly and Dana Loesch, will be available on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse at no extra fees for subscribers. Up to now, it has been available only through streaming distribution, including on FAST networks.
The announcement comes as Newsmax went dark on DirecTV. The satellite service owned by AT&T and private equity firm TPG blamed the removal on Newsmax’s insistence on its demands for “significant fees” from DirecTV at a time when the conservative network already is available for free on streaming platforms and online. Those fees, according to DirecTV, would have to be passed on to consumers.
Newsmax, however, claims that it is being censored, while noting that the free streaming will end later this year. “DirecTV believes Newsmax should receive ZERO cable fees even though it is the fourth-highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, according to Nielsen,” the company said in a statement.
In a statement, Newsmax said: While we are glad AT&T DirecTV is adding a conservative commentary channel, it is a pathetic attempt to deal with millions of angry viewers who still want Newsmax for our top-rated shows, personalities, and in-depth news coverage. You can’t replace a Cadillac with a Honda.”
A group of lawmakers fired off a letter to DirecTV, AT&T and TPG officials to protest the move, and Rep. Mary Miller (R-TX), in a segment on Newsmax on Thursday, blamed the move on the size of tech companies. Newsmax also has noted that DirecTV dropped One America News