DirecTV says Newsmax will return to lineup, months after network claimed "censorship"

DirecTV said it has resolved its contract dispute with conservative television network Newsmax, which will return to its lineup on March 23. The agreement comes two months after Newsmax was booted from the satellite-TV provider's network, prompting the network to allege anti-conservative bias and "censorship."

In a Wednesday statement, DirecTV didn't disclose the terms of its new contract. It noted that the dispute stemmed from the two sides "initially unable to agree on financial terms to extend their carriage agreement."

Such carriage disputes are common in the cable- and satellite-TV industry, with the providers typically paying networks and cable channels for their content. When a contract ends, the two sides must renegotiate the terms, which can lead to disputes and some networks getting booted from the lineup until a deal is reached. 

Support for "diverse voices"

But when Newsmax's contract with DirecTV was up in January and the sides couldn't resolve their negotiations, Newsmax portrayed its removal from satellite-TV provider's lineup as a  "censorship move" to silence the conservative network. 

On Wednesday, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said in the statement that DirecTV "clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones." He added that the agreement will last for "the next several years."

Newsmax will rejoin DirecTV's lineup of 7-day a week, 24-hour news programmers including CNN, MSNBC, NewsNation and conservative outlets Fox News and The First.