DirecTV has announced that it will be adding the conservative television network, Newsmax, back to its roster. This took place on March 23 and we’re letting everyone know in case they missed the announcement. The move comes after a two-month contract dispute that resulted in Newsmax being removed from DirecTV’s network.
Newsmax accused the satellite television provider of censorship and anti-conservative bias. The parties reportedly had a disagreement over the terms of an extension to their carriage agreement, leading to initial difficulties in reaching an agreement.
In the world of cable and satellite TV, such conflicts are not rare, and providers usually pay networks for their content. But when the contract runs out, the parties have to negotiate new terms, and that can cause disagreements and even kicks some networks off the air until new terms are agreed upon, said the report on CBS News.
When Newsmax’s contract with DirecTV ended in January and the negotiations fell through, Newsmax claimed it was removed from the provider’s lineup as an act of censorship to silence the conservative network. However, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy has since stated that DirecTV supports diverse voices, including conservative ones, and the two parties have reached an agreement that will last for several years.
In a recent development, Newsmax has announced its re-entry into DirecTV’s lineup of 24-hour news programmers, which includes CNN, MSNBC, NewsNation, Fox News, and The First. This move indicates Newsmax’s growing influence in the news sector and the network’s commitment to providing a diverse range of viewpoints to its audience.