Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday applauded DirecTV’s decision to replatform Newsmax, calling the move a “victory for free speech over powerful corporations that want to put their thumbs on the scale of the national conversation.”
DirecTV and Newsmax reached a deal that will bring the conservative channel back to some 13 million customers this week, marking the end of a lengthy battle that hinged on carrier fees.
“This outcome speaks to the power of citizens and their elected representatives working to stop viewpoint discrimination,” Cruz added.
Cruz led efforts in the Senate, joining with other Republican lawmakers, to call for a return of Newsmax to the satellite service. Cruz and key senators wrote to DirecTV requesting an explanation for dropping Newsmax.
“I'm grateful to my colleagues, Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, and Tom Cotton, for joining me in this fight. Our democracy’s health depends on free speech, which is why I will keep using my perch as the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee to stop the silencing of conservatives, whether it occurs with Big Media or Big Tech.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy in a statement said his company “recognizes and appreciates that DirecTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones.
“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,” he added.
DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said the 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."
“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.
See the full Newsmax-DirecTV statement here.