DirecTV continues to push back against claims from conservatives that it is actively “censoring” right-wing content by “de-platforming” Newsmax, this time telling a group of Republican senators that it’s actually the pro-Trump channel that “dropped” the pay-TV provider.
Over the past few weeks, Newsmax has accused DirecTV, and its corporate parents AT&T and TPG Capital, of engaging in “political discrimination and censorship” by dropping the channel after negotiations over a new deal fell apart last month. DirecTV, on the other hand, has insisted that this is merely a standard business dispute, noting that it balked at Newsmax’s demands for increased license fees to remain on its channel lineup.
Earlier this month, a group of four GOP senators—including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC)—sent the CEOs of DirecTV and its corporate partners a letter expressing how they were “deeply disturbed” over the cable carrier’s decision to remove Newsmax, claiming it “harms” millions of their constituents.
Asserting that “it appears that this decision may be the latest example of big business suppressing politically disfavored speech at the behest of liberal Democrats,” the lawmakers demanded “detailed and specific information” about the company’s actions. Echoing a similar letter sent by House Republicans days ahead of the expiration of Newsmax’s deal, the senators alleged DirecTV had previously colluded with Democrats to “censor” conservative speech, pointing to the...
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