The day after dropping Newsmax from its line-up after failed negotiations to renew the right-wing network’s contract, DirecTV announced The First will fill channel 349 vacated by Newsmax. …

The statement noted that The First launched originally as a streaming network and that DirecTV will be the first to bring the network into people’s homes on cable.

“The First initially launched on Paramount’s Pluto TV in October 2019 and boasts a current lineup of four primary hosts with significant followings gleaned from popular nationally syndicated radio shows and online presence,” DirecTV explained, adding:

Daily programs include the afternoon “The Dana Show,” featuring popular radio and social media personality Dana Loesch; and primetime series “The Liz Wheeler Show,” “No Spin News with Bill O’Reilly,” and “I’m Right with Jesse Kelly,” hosted by the former Marine and combat veteran.

[Dana’s a friend, so congratulations to her and her colleagues. Whether this was a deliberate strategic strategy or not, it does make the dispute with Newsmax look related to business rather than ideology. — Ed]