The long national nightmare for the Republican Party has come to an unexpected end: A conservative cable network will once again be included in the lineup of a prominent content provider. CNBC reported:
DirecTV said Wednesday it reached a deal with Newsmax Media to once again carry the right wing network in its satellite-TV and streaming packages. DirecTV had not carried Newsmax on its services since late January, when carriage negotiations broke down between the two companies. Newsmax had earlier alleged at the core of the dispute was “political discrimination,” with some politicians getting involved along the way, while DirecTV said it came down to economic differences.
At this point, it’s not altogether clear how the two companies resolved their differences — the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed — but the relevant players are saying nice things about one another.
“Newsmax recognizes and appreciates that DirecTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones,” Christopher Ruddy, Newsmax chief executive, said in a statement. “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.”
DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow added, “This 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.”
The reference to an “all-too-common carriage dispute” was unsubtle: In the telecommunications industry, these financial disagreements are not unusual. Just as importantly, such corporate conflicts are not evidence of an elaborate conspiracy to silence conservative voices.
But in recent months, too many Republicans nevertheless characterized this business dispute as a matter of great national significance.
As we discussed a couple of months ago, Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois characterized DirecTV’s…
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