The Newsmax vs DirecTV debate continues to rage on, with podcaster Keith Olbermann lambasting the cable news outlet for its demands of a carriage fee in the millions from the satellite provider.
During his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast, the former cable news host admonished DirecTV for failing to publicly address the situation until recently, while also noting — in his opinion — Newmax was unworthy of a licensing fee.
“We now have confirmation that this is a business dispute that the Republicans are exploiting to score points with the vast ’18 to stupid’ voting demographic,” Olbermann said. “DirecTV has finally gotten on the stick and issued a press release about this.”
“Our differences with Newsmax are economic, not political or ideological,” the statement from DirecTV read. “Newsmax made unreasonable demands that would cause DirecTV customers to fund the network’s shift from a free nationwide streaming service to one that would require a pay-TV subscription. Since we would not agree with Newsmax’s demands to pay them tens of millions of dollars in licensing fees, DirecTV was no longer permitted by Newsmax to air its content. DirecTV is disappointed by Newsmax’s position, and we prefer Newsmax never left, and remain interested in bringing Newsmax back for the right financial terms.”
“The Daily Beast is reporting that ‘tens of millions of dollars’ figure is actually $13 million per year that Newsmax wanted on a multi-year arrangement,” Olbermann continued. “For that crap?”
During an interview with Mark Simone on 710 WOR, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy called the licensing fee they asked DirecTV for “tiny” saying it amounted to “about a dollar per year” from subscribers. Ruddy called DirecTV “very obstinate” in the situation “because they knew that it was a way of cleverly trying to shut us down as a news channel.”
