Calls to Remove Newsmax from Taxi TV in NYC
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Segal has asked Mayor Zoran Mamdani to deactivate the right-leaning media outlet Newsmax from taxi TVs installed in numerous yellow cabs.
In a letter dated January 21, addressed to both Mamdani and Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Midori Valdivia, Hoylman-Segal stated that Newsmax “is not a trusted news source for New Yorkers.”
Newsmax has collaborated with Curbed, one of the TLC’s approved technology screen providers, to stream national news programming in cabs.
Hoylman-Segal expressed that New Yorkers deserve a more reliable news source than the currently featured Newsmax. He raised concerns over comments made by some hosts of the conservative network regarding immigration.
He urged the mayor and the Taxi and Limousine Commission to exert pressure on Curb to either remove Newsmax or suspend its licensing agreement with the city.
“We urge you to immediately end Curb’s partnership with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission…and, given Newsmax’s history of misinformation, we request that Curb discontinue its partnership with Newsmax as a condition of its license,” the letter stated.
Critics have accused Hoylman-Segal of promoting censorship, labeling his demands as a manifestation of unchecked cancel culture.
“This is cancel culture in the free market,” remarked Stefano Forte, president of the New York Republican Club. “I understand that socialists want to control everything, but this is absurd. I doubt anyone in the back of a taxi is being brainwashed by right-wing politics.”
A recent “News Minute” segment on Taxi TV by host Alex Kramer covered various topics, including Congress’s discussions over the War Powers Resolution pertaining to Venezuela, immigration measures by the Trump administration, and the case of a missing former Giants football player.
A representative from Curbed emphasized that since partnering with Newsmax, no opinion or editorial content has aired on Taxi TV. All programming consists solely of standard news segments that have undergone review for compliance with their content standards.
Additionally, Curbed noted that it regularly broadcasts public service announcements from Mamdani’s office and other public entities, positioning itself as a neutral platform for essential citizen information.
Newsmax’s content is streamed across 15,000 screens in 65 U.S. markets, including 9,000 in New York City.
As of now, Newsmax has not issued any statements regarding the situation. Neither Mamdani’s office nor the Taxi and Limousine Commission has responded to requests for comments.
