Fox News Allegedly Breaches Antitrust Regulations, Accusations Levied by Newsmax

In a recent development, Newsmax, a conservative news outlet, has filed a lawsuit against Fox News in the U.S. District Court in Miami, alleging an "exclusionary scheme" by Fox News. The lawsuit claims that this alleged scheme aims to create a near-monopoly in right-leaning pay-TV news.

According to the lawsuit, Fox News has pursued a coordinated, behind-the-scenes campaign to suppress Newsmax from reaching more viewers. Newsmax argues that Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, have created a financial penalty for cable and satellite distributors that want to carry Newsmax on their basic, entry-level tier of channels.

The alleged penalty involves Fox News charging extra fees for distributors that wish to include Newsmax on their basic tier and carry Fox-owned networks, such as Fox Business. Fox News is reportedly using "bare-knuckle tactics" to block competitors, according to Newsmax.

Christopher Ruddy, the owner of Newsmax, stated that it's bad for democracy to have only one major media network on the center-right on television. He believes that the alleged exclusionary scheme by Fox News is detrimental to the diversity of opinion in the media landscape.

The lawsuit does not specify the exact financial penalty imposed by Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, on cable and satellite distributors. However, Newsmax argues that this penalty makes it economically unfeasible for distributors to carry Newsmax on their basic tier, thus limiting its reach.

The lawsuit is currently ongoing, with no resolution announced as of the article's publication date. This is a significant legal battle in the conservative Pay-TV news market, and its outcome could have far-reaching implications for the future of media competition.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.