Democrats Furious Newsmax Pulled Move Straight From CNN’s Playbook
It only became a problem once the tables turned.
This article originally appeared on the Daily Caller News Foundation and was republished with permission.
Guest post by Ashley Brasfield
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal is pushing Mayor Zohran Mamdani to yank Newsmax from Taxi TV screens in the backseats of New York City’s yellow cabs, according to the New York Post.
In a Jan. 21 letter to Mamdani and Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Chair Midori Valdivia, Hoylman-Sigal called Newsmax “not a credible news source” and demanded its removal over what he described as “politically charged content,” singling out the network’s immigration coverage, the Post reported. He urged the city to pressure Curb — the TLC-authorized provider that streams Newsmax in cabs — by threatening to revoke or suspend its licensing agreement.
Hoylman-Sigal argued in a video he posted to X, that New Yorkers should not be exposed to Newsmax through Taxi TV, criticizing what he described as the network’s commentary on immigration. He called on the mayor and the Taxi and Limousine Commission to apply pressure on Curb, including the possibility of revoking or suspending the company’s city licensing agreement, to force Newsmax off the platform.
Newsmax streams national news programming content in taxis in a partnership with Curb, one of the TLC’s authorized technology screen providers.
TLC defended Curb’s partnership with Newsmax, saying it reviews the content and enforces clear standards, and noted that the current Newsmax ads do not violate those rules, in a statement to the Post.
“We take seriously what New Yorkers are shown on Taxi TV screens, and we regularly review that content,” TLC spokesman Jason Kersten said. “There are clear rules in place that prohibit material that disparages or demeans people or communities. Based on those rules, the Newsmax ads currently running on some NYC taxis do not violate TLC standards. “It’s also important to note that riders are required to have the ability to mute or turn off the screens. We will continue to closely monitor all content to ensure it meets our guidelines.”
Hoylman-Sigal also urged Mamdani to suspend the commission’s partnership that allows Newsmax to stream national news programming in taxis through Curb, one of the TLC’s authorized in-cab screen providers.
“I urge you to summarily suspend the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission’s partnership with Curb … and demand that Curb cease its collaboration with Newsmax as a condition of licensure given the platform’s history of misinformation and disingenuous reporting,” Hoylman-Sigal said in the letter.
In response to the letter, Newsmax shot back at the Manhattan Borough President calling his actions a “pure act of censorship” and that they play “straight.”
“This is a pure act of censorship targeting a news organization reaching over 50 million Americans regularly,” Newsmax said in a statement. “Newsmax plays it straight, and that drives the far left crazy.”
“Since the launch of our Newsmax partnership, no opinion or editorial content has aired on TaxiTV. All programming has consisted solely of standard news segments reviewed to ensure compliance with our content standards,” a Curb spokesperson said in a statement to the Post.
Curb also noted that it regularly airs public service announcements from the Mamdani administration and other public agencies, “reinforcing our role as a neutral distribution platform for important civic and safety-related information.”
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
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