RESEARCHER’S UPDATE: I ADDED THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION (FCC).
AT&T's DirecTV Cancels NEWSMAX in Censorship Move (Connecting the Dots: DirecTV, AT&T, K. Rupert Murdoch, FEC, Newsmax’s Mark Halperin, His Father Morton H. Halperin, Open Society Foundations & Soros Funding, All Networking To Shut Down Conservative News, Newsmax)
By Newsmax
| Wednesday, 25 January 2023
08:18 AM EST
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/newsmax-at-t-directv/2023/01/24/id/1105756/
At midnight Tuesday, AT&T's DirecTV cut
Newsmax's signal, immediately shutting the network off from more than 13
million customers of the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.
This is the second time in the past year AT&T has
moved to cancel a conservative channel, with DirecTV deplatforming OAN in
April.
Despite Newsmax being the 4th highest-rated cable news
channel in the nation, a top 20 cable news channel overall, and watched by 25
million Americans on cable alone, according to Nielsen, DirecTV said it was
taking the step as a "cost-cutting" measure and would never pay
Newsmax a cable license fee.
DirecTV pays cable license fees to all top 75 cable
channels and to all 22 liberal news and information channels it carries. Almost
all of these channels are paid hefty license fees significantly more than
Newsmax was seeking — and despite the fact that most of the channels have much
lower ratings than Newsmax.
"This is a blatant act of political discrimination
and censorship against Newsmax," Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax said.
"The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny
ratings, get fees from AT&T's DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN need to be
deplatformed," Ruddy added.
Last week, as news spread in Congress that AT&T
DirecTV was moving to deplatform Newsmax, 41 Republican congressmen led by Rep.
Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, sent a letter to the CEOs of AT&T, DirecTV, and hedge
fund TPG Capital, the minority operator of the satellite system, warning of
hearings.
The members of Congress also demanded to know why
conservative media was being targeted for censorship, with the letter noting
the House is "deeply concerned about this undemocratic assault on free
speech."
"If Newsmax is removed from DirecTV, in less than a
year House Republicans will have lost two of the three cable news channels that
reach conservative voters on a platform that primarily serves
conservative-leaning areas of the country," Hunt stated in his letter.
The letter was signed by some of the most significant
members of the House, including the GOP conference chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik,
R-N.Y., House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Ways and Means Chair
Jason Smith, R-Mo.
Hunt's letter claims that DirecTV is "moving to
deplatform Newsmax by denying it cable fees on a fair and equitable
basis."
AT&T DirecTV's decision to drop OAN and Newsmax comes
on the heels of a February 2021 letter written by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.,
and then-Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., demanding that cable and satellite TV
providers explain their alleged role in the "spread of dangerous
misinformation" by carrying conservative networks.
After the Eshoo and McNerney letter, in April 2022,
AT&T removed OAN from DirecTV.
About the same time, the Biden administration speedily
approved AT&T's proposed $43 billion merger of its WarnerMedia division
with Discovery.
AT&T continues to own 70% of DirecTV, but in 2021
added TPG Capital as its partner with a 30% stake in 2021.
TPG, a Texas-based financial firm and hedge fund, is known for its liberal
politics. FEC documents
show that since 1993, 90% of its donations have gone to Democrat candidates and
committees.
Hunt's letter added: "Newsmax is one of the most watched cable news
channels in America; millions of people turn to Newsmax as a source of trusted
information. Now more than ever, the American people need access to a free and
fair press."
As news reports indicated the likelihood of a Newsmax
deplatforming Tuesday night, DirecTV representatives made false claims to the
media about Newsmax and its negotiations.
DirecTV falsely claimed to media outlets that Newsmax is
asking for a fee but still wants to keep a free stream on OTT platforms
(over-the-top service is a type of service offered directly to viewers).
But this is false; no operator pays a fee while Newsmax
streams free and DirecTV was fully aware the free stream will end this year.
"We've discussed with Newsmax on several occasions
that we'd like to offer their programming, however, the network is now seeking
significant fees that we cannot pass on to our broad customer base," a
DirecTV representative claimed in a statement.
But an analysis shows that Newsmax was seeking a fee with
a 75% discount to its market value, and compared to fees currently paid by
DirecTV, almost all 50 channels below Newsmax in ratings get higher fees.
Last year, three major cable operators renewed with
Newsmax and agreed to the modest fee.
Newsmax is urging its supporters to move their pay TV,
cellphone, and other services from AT&T and DirecTV to other companies that
do not engage in political discrimination.
Newsmax is also encouraging viewers and readers to
contact their members of Congress and senators to oppose censorship of Newsmax
and demand support for fairness and equity for conservative media.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Halperin
Comeback attempts
In 2020, Halperin began appearing on Newsmax TV as a contributor and as the host of its
weekly Sunday show, Mark Halperin's
Focus Group.
Connecting the Dots:
Mark Halperin is a contributor and host on
Newsmax TV’s Sunday show, Mark Halperin's Focus Group and Morton
H. Halperin’s son.
Morton H. Halperin is Mark
Halperin’s father and a senior adviser for George
Soros
Open Society Foundations.
George Soros is the founder & chairman for
the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was
a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Haim
Saban is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution
(think tank), a benefactor at the Saban Center for Middle East
Policy, and was a director at DIRECTV.
Saban
Center for Middle East Policy is a policy center at the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
John L. Thornton is
the chair for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a
director at DIRECTV.
Robert A. Helman was
an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
is a partner at Mayer Brown.
Mayer Brown is
the lobby firm for AT&T Inc.
Laura D'Andrea
Tyson was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank),
is a director at AT&T Inc.
AT&T
Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for AT&T
Inc.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer &
Feld, LLP and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution
(think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a
benefactor for the Human Rights Watch and is the founder &
chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights
Watch and the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
John J.
Studzinski is a director at the Human Rights Watch, a director
at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and
a papal knighthood knight.
papal knighthood is
an honor conferred by pope for the Roman Catholic Church.
K. Rupert Murdoch is
a papal knighthood knight, the title of his biography is “The
Man Who Owns the News” and was a director at DIRECTV.
Samuel A.
DiPiazza Jr. is a director at DIRECTV and was a trustee at
the Committee for Economic Development.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for
Economic Development and the Center for American
Progress.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a
supporter for the Center for American Progress and is the founder
& chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for
American Progress (think tank).
Morton H. Halperin is
a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations, a senior fellow at
the Center for American Progress (think tank) and Newsmax Mark
Halperin’s father.
AT&T
Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.
Laura D'Andrea
Tyson is a fellow at the Center for American Progress, a
director at AT&T Inc. and was a trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was
a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Haim
Saban is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution
(think tank), a benefactor at the Saban Center for Middle East
Policy, and was a director at DIRECTV.
Saban
Center for Middle East Policy is a policy center at the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
John L. Thornton is
the chair for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a
director at DIRECTV.
Robert A. Helman was
an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
is a partner at Mayer Brown.
Mayer Brown is
the lobby firm for AT&T Inc.
Laura D'Andrea
Tyson was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank)
and is a director at AT&T Inc.
AT&T
Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is
the lobby firm for AT&T Inc.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is
a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and
an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Trevor Potter was a
fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a chairman for
the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
William Oldaker
was a general counsel for the Federal Election Commission (FEC),
a fundraiser for Joseph R. Biden Jr. and is a
co-founder of the Oldaker Law Group.
R. Hunter Biden is
a co-founder of predecessor company Oldaker Law Group and is Joseph
R. Biden Jr’s son.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. William
Oldaker was his fundraiser, is R. Hunter Biden’s father and a
regent at the Smithsonian Institution.
David M.
Rubenstein is a regent at the Smithsonian Institution and a
co-chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Shirley Ann
Jackson is a regent at the Smithsonian Institution and a
trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was
a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
John L. Thornton is
the chair for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a
director at DIRECTV.
Robert A. Helman was
an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and
is a partner at Mayer Brown.
Mayer Brown is
the lobby firm for AT&T Inc.
Laura D'Andrea
Tyson was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank)
and is a director at AT&T Inc.
AT&T
Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank) and the Center for American Progress.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and
a supporter for the Center for American Progress
and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a
funder for the Center for American Progress (think tank).
Morton H. Halperin is
a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations, a senior fellow at
the Center for American Progress (think tank) and Newsmax Mark
Halperin’s father.
AT&T
Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.
Laura D'Andrea
Tyson is a fellow at the Center for American Progress and a
director at AT&T Inc.
Tom
Daschle is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, Jonathan
S. Adelstein was his senior aide, and the nominee for health and human
services secretary for the Barack Obama administration.
Jonathan S.
Adelstein was Tom Daschle’s senior aide and the
chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Amy L. Nathan is a
senior counsel, strategic planning & policy analysis for the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) and was an attorney at Akin, Gump,
Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.
Kathleen Q.
Abernathy was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer &
Feld, LLP and a commissioner for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for AT&T
Inc.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer &
Feld, LLP and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution
(think tank).
James W. Cicconi was
a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, an
honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is
a senior EVP for AT&T Inc.
Trevor Potter was
a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a chairman
for the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank) and the
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Cameron F. Kerry is
a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), John F.
Kerry’s brother and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack
Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was
a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Mark D. Schneider is
a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and was an associate general counsel
for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Julius
Genachowski was the chairman for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), a law school friend of Barack Obama and is a
senior fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute
(think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Michael K. Powell is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), Colin L. Powell’s son
and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Resources: Past Research
The Weather Channel
Begs Congress to Intervene in Negotiations with DirecTV (Past Research on DIRECTV)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-weather-channel-begs-congress-to.html
AT&T CEO Vows
‘Independence’ for CNN in Merger With Time Warner (Past
Research on AT&T)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/10/at-ceo-vows-independence-for-cnn-in.html
Federal Election
Commission (FEC) (Past Research on the FEC)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/12/federal-election-commission-fec.html
Morning Joe and Mika:
‘Our Hearts Break’ for Disgraced Mark Halperin (Past
Research on Newsmax Mark Halperin & his father Morton H. Halperin)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/10/morning-joe-and-mika-our-hearts-break.html
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commission
The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent
agency of the United States
federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite,
and cable across the
United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency
use, media responsibility,
public safety, and homeland
security.
FCC Chairman Joins
Obama to Control Internet (Past Research on the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC))
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/01/fcc-chairman-joins-obama-to-control.html
Hours After John Kerry
Demands Green Transition Accelerated – His Emissions Closet Swings Wide Open
(Connecting the Dots: Cameron Kerry, John Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Soros, the
Climate Reality Project, the Brookings Institution (think tank), the EPA and
onto the FDA, Pfizer & Johnson & Johnson. It’s the Network That Never
Ends. One Project (Climate Change) Just bleeds into the Next (Covid Project)) (Past Research on Cameron Kerry & Sidley Austin LLP)
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022
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