House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., on Tuesday said his onetime bill calling for binding arbitration to settle broadcast disputes did not apply to the current situation between Newsmax and AT&T DirecTV, and said the cancellation should concern all Americans.
AT&T DirecTV last week abruptly removed Newsmax, the 4th highest-rated cable news channel, watched by 25 million Americans, from its channel lineup citing "cost-cutting."
During the weekly GOP leadership press conference, Scalise was asked about the call for binding arbitration in a bipartisan bill he co-sponsored in March 2021 as a then-member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The Modern Television Act of 2021, with co-sponsor Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., attempted to repeal outdated regulations of the 1992 Cable Act.
Scalise explained that H.R. 1856 focused on fee structures and protecting consumers from TV blackouts.
"What I want is a more free market in video regulation, in content because the problem you have there right now is the rules are very different for over-the-top, whether you get cable," Scalise told reporters.
"A lot of cable monopolies at the local level are negotiated differently than satellite, or than fiber, or than internet-provided services. And so, you have different federal rules for all the different forms of content."
Scalise said AT&T's decision to cancel Newsmax should concern all Americans.
"I'm very concerned about political bias in all media," Scalise told reporters. "We've seen it with social media. We're seeing it with some of the traditional media, whether it's over-the-top, whether it's broadcast.
"The idea that you would have some people pressuring, whether it's AT&T or any other company, to stop carrying a news source because they don't agree with the message, they don't agree with a fair set of content is concerning, you know. We should all be promoting free speech.
"You've seen this of course with social media. Elon Musk, I think, has exposed a lot of what's going on behind the scenes. In fact, the most alarming part, is that there were federal agencies involved before Elon Musk purchased Twitter in trying to get Twitter to take certain things down that went against their pro-[President Joe] Biden narrative."
Actions to Take Now
1. DirecTV customers: Call them toll free at 877-763-9762 and demand they bring NEWSMAX back on air. President Trump urges you CANCEL!
- Important: If DirecTV tells you we’re still negotiating, that is a lie! They have told NEWSMAX we will never be on a regular cable channel. DirecTV also replaced NEWSMAX with a channel that has no news and no ratings. Also, NEWSMAX's livestream is ending soon on other platforms, so unless you get it on DirecTV you will have to cancel their service.
2. AT&T customers: Call toll free at 888-855-2338, for any of their cellphones, wireless products, or services, and demand they end their censorship of NEWSMAX. President Trump has urged you to cancel their services.
3. 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!
4. Go to our online petition and get more info at: iWantNewsmax.com.
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