New York taxi passengers are speaking out against a push by Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal to remove Newsmax programming from taxi screens across the city, calling the effort unnecessary censorship and saying the content they have seen appears neutral and informative.
"I think it's useful that you can watch while you're having your trip," one rider told Newsmax correspondent Sarah Williamson on Saturday.
"Everything seemed pretty aboveboard to me," he added. "There was no bias that I could see."
Newsmax recently partnered with Curb to provide news updates on taxi televisions in about 15,000 cabs nationwide, including roughly 9,000 vehicles in New York City.
Hoylman has urged mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the Taxi and Limousine Commission to end the contract, writing that Newsmax is "politically charged content" and not a credible news source.
Another passenger said removing the network would go too far.
"I think that we should not censor any type of news, and it should all be out there for the public to see, no matter what it is," the rider said.
Curb defended the partnership, saying all content aired on Taxi TV consists of standard news segments and contains no opinion or editorial material. The company said programming is reviewed to ensure it complies with content standards.
Newsmax also pushed back against the call to remove its programming, calling the move "a pure act of censorship" against a network that reaches more than 50 million Americans.
The issue drew reaction later on Newsmax's "The Count" from conservative commentator Chris Coles, host of the Mr. Reagan Podcast, who said the effort reflects an attempt to control information rather than counter it.
"When you report things in a neutral manner like Newsmax does, they don't really have a good way of fighting against that," Coles said. "So what do they do? They censor you."
Coles added that Newsmax represents journalism that challenges dominant political narratives, which he said frustrates those seeking to control public messaging.
Media host Kim Klasik of Kim Classic Live said the request to remove Newsmax reflects broader political ambitions, noting that Hoylman’s letter signals confidence that Mamdani would be receptive to the demand.
"For him to feel comfortable asking Mamdani to have Newsmax removed, that's where the key is," Klasik said. "They want to control what is being said. They want to control the dialog."
Newsmax said it has contacted City Hall for clarification on whether any executive action is being considered, but has not yet received a response.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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