Rep. McCormick to Newsmax: Conservatives Must Impact DirecTV Finances

Rep. Richard McCormick, R-Ga., told Newsmax on Thursday that conservatives need to "punish" DirecTV financially for its decision to drop Newsmax because companies "pay attention to that."

"Right now we have a fight on our hands," McCormick said during an appearance on Newsmax's "American Agenda." "We need to, as conservatives, make sure we punish those people who are coming after conservatives, whether they be ... DirecTV or anybody else."

"That we're openly speaking about it, and that we punish them financially, because they pay attention to that," he continued. "Coca-Cola has paid attention to that because we have punished them financially. Conservatives have a voice and it starts with your checkbook."

AT&T's DirecTV cut Newsmax's signal Jan. 24, blocking the network from more than 13 million subscribers of the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.

Newsmax is America's fourth highest-rated news network in the cable landscape and a top-20 overall channel that reaches 25 million Americans weekly, according to the Nielsen ratings.

While DirecTV said it dropped the popular network due to "cost-cutting" measures, it also carries 22 left-leaning news channels, many of which draw considerably lower ratings than Newsmax, and all of which get paid license fees.

DirecTV has claimed Newsmax was demanding "excessive fees" that would amount to "tens of millions" of dollars. Newsmax has denied that, saying it is seeking an approximate fee of $1 per cable subscriber per year, which is among the lowest requested fees in cable.

"This was never about the fees being excessive," Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, said. "DirecTV's position has always been that Newsmax, of all cable news channels, should never get any cable fee whatsoever, not one penny."

McCormick said DirecTV's decision to drop Newsmax was "a political decision" and he thinks "it should be addressed more publicly and also through politics."

"I think we should be able to talk about it openly because I think we are being discriminated against in media over and over and over again, and it's going to shift the balance of power in politics," the Georgia Republican said.

"The fate of our nation is hinged on our first two amendments. The First Amendment, which is being attacked openly by stifling conservative news agencies like yourself, and then they're attacking the Second Amendment by defunding us through banking.

"It's going to come to a crux in this Congress and in the following election cycle when we, hopefully, take back the Senate and the White House," he added.

1. DirecTV customers call toll free at 877-763-9762 to complain, demand Newsmax is back on air!

2. Call your congressman or senator at 202-224-3121 and demand they stop AT&T/DirecTV's censorship of NEWSMAX — ask them to give you a date on the hearings!

3. Go to our online petition and get more info: iWantNewsmax.com.

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