Oct. 11, 2025
Christopher Ruddy: Building a Media Empire and the Rise of Newsmax
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In this special episode of Stories Worth Hearing, host John Quick—who also writes his own national column for Newsmax—sits down with Christopher Ruddy, the founder and CEO behind one of America’s most impactful media success stories.
Founded in 1998, Newsmax began as a small digital publication with a bold mission: to bring trustworthy, engaging journalism to the American people. Today, it has grown into a mainstream media powerhouse, reaching over 60 million homes across the United States and broadcasting in more than 100 countries worldwide. Under Christopher Ruddy’s visionary leadership, Newsmax has become one of the nation’s top networks, known for its dynamic programming, fair reporting, and deep connection with everyday Americans.
As both a proud Newsmax contributor and a longtime media professional, John Quick dives deep into what makes this organization great — its relentless commitment to truth, innovation, and service to its audience. Together, John and Christopher explore the story behind Newsmax’s rise, the principles that have guided its success, and the future of journalism in a rapidly changing world.
From humble beginnings to a global platform, Christopher shares lessons on leadership, perseverance, and staying grounded in purpose. This conversation is a behind-the-scenes look at how Newsmax became a trusted voice for millions and continues to shape the national conversation every day.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or simply someone who believes in vision-driven work, this is more than an interview — it’s a story worth hearing.
Check Newsmax out here: https://www.newsmax.com/
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Welcome to Stories Worth
Hearing.
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I'm your host, John Quick, and
today's guest is a man who built
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one of the most powerful news
organizations in America from
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the ground up, Christopher
Ruddy, The founder and chief
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executive officer of Newsmax,
Christopher Ruddy is one of the
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most influential figures in
modern media.
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In 1998, he founded Newsmax with
a clear and ambitious mission to
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deliver credible, engaging and
balanced journalism that
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connects with everyday
Americans.
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What started as a small online
News magazine from his apartment
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has grown into a mainstream
media network, reaching over 40
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million households nationwide.
Ranking among the top cable news
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channels in the United States,
Newsmax is now a fixture on
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television, digital and print
platforms, producing breaking
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news, in depth analysis and
original programming that rivals
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any major network.
Under Ruddy's leadership,
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Newsmax has become known for its
dynamic programming and
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commitment to covering the
stories that matter most to the
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nation's future.
The network's lineup of anchors
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and commentators features
respected voices from across the
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country, combining serious
journalism with open, thoughtful
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debate.
Beyond television, newsmax.com
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ranks among the most visited
political news websites in
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America, continuing the
company's tradition of digital
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innovation and direct engagement
with its audience.
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Before launching Newsmax,
Christopher worked as an
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investigative journalist for the
New York Post and Pittsburgh
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Tribune Review, where his
groundbreaking reporting gained
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national attention.
His first hand experience in
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journalism, combined with his
entrepreneurial Dr. helped him
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build a media company that has
transformed how millions of
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Americans consume news today.
In this conversation, we'll talk
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about how he built Newsmax from
an idea into a household name,
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the principles that shaped his
leadership, the lessons he's
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learned along the way, and his
vision for the future of media
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in America.
This is a story about courage,
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conviction, and the power of
believing in a mission, and it's
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definitely a story worth
hearing.
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Let's dive in.
Chris, thank you so much for
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joining us.
I'm excited to have you on the
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show.
Don, thank you for having me.
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Well, this would be fun.
I think it'll be fun for my
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listeners to hear a little bit
about the secret salsa behind
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the scenes of starting Newsmax.
So take me.
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Back.
I want you to know that I'm
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going to be quick today.
I like, no pun intended.
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Well, take me back to what first
inspired you to start Newsmax.
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I know, I know that there's a
lot of work that's put into it.
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You seem to be getting more and
more popular every single month.
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Tell me about what it looked
like when you first started it.
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Why'd you start it?
Well, I would say that, you
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know, we had the same problem we
had 25 years ago, 27 years ago
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when I started Newsmax, although
it's worse today than it was
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then.
The extreme bias in the quote UN
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quote mainstream media,
establishment media was serious
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then.
Now it's severe.
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Now it's off the charts, but
when I started, I felt I was a
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journalist.
I had covered the Clinton White
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House, I had done other other
work at the New York Post, the
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Pittsburgh paper, the Hoover
Institution, and I felt that
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there was a need for another
media.
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When I saw that when the
Internet started in the 90s,
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there were a lot of liberal
sites, but not a many
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conservatives.
Very impressed by a number of
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websites that came up.
So I started Newsmax and as a
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digital media company.
So that's 1998 and I raised
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about $15 million to build the
company and I lost about 13 1/2
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before I turned a profit.
Never need any money for another
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15 years until I started this TV
channel called Newsmax.
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And now we're one of the leading
cable news channels in the
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United States.
We've overcome amazing
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obstacles.
When you first launched, did you
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ever imagine that it would grow
into what it is today?
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It seems to be 1 of, if not the
ME, the premier conservative
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news channels in America.
You know, I think it's probably
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the most important shadow in a
way because we're we're the only
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one that's consistently true to
our principles.
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I think thoughts had been good
for a long time, but thoughts is
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changing.
I think you're going to continue
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to see changes as a network.
For instance, they've embraced
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climate change.
I mean, I think this is this is
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part of a whole woke.
You have to believe everything
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in the climate change ideology.
Now, if you're a Fox employee,
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they had a policy that anybody
that didn't do a COVID vaccine
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at Fox was fired.
I think that was wrong.
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I think people should and could
have conscientious objections.
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I think the vaccine was OK at
the time.
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It was a national emergency.
But you go through this long
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list of things, they don't like
Donald Trump, right?
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They opposed him in 16.
They opposed him in 20, They
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opposed him again in 24.
He keeps winning.
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And so, you know, the, the we're
more in tune, I think, with the
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populist base of the Republican
Party, the conservative base of
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the party.
So how?
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Have you kept that kind of
through line to not compromise
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the direction and integrity of
Newsmax when it seems like all
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the other channels just kind of
cave in eventually?
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Well, you have to stand for
something and you have to be
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willing to, you know, if we went
more woke, I guess we'd get more
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advertising, right?
But you say, look, there's,
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there's limits.
We're not going to just do
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something.
We're not going to sell out.
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We're going to stand for
something.
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I think we have a long history,
almost 30 years of standing for
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something.
So.
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And President Trump says he
likes Newsmax.
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I think it's his favorite now.
He talks about a lot.
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He tells me all the time.
I just spoke to him this past
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week how much he likes Rob
Finnerty, Rob Schmidt, Greg
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Kelly, Carl Higbee, that he's
watching all of our shows.
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He said openly people should be
watching.
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And Don Junior went public and
said Fox is bad.
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Fox had banned him.
Fox had banned the president,
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Fox and banned Charlie Kirk.
Yeah.
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What?
So what?
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Tell me your thoughts on Charlie
Kirk.
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We live in a day where you know
we can no longer.
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Seems like people lose their
minds based off conversation and
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people are being murdered for
having a difference of opinion
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that that sent shock waves kind
of through the conservative
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community.
What's been your thoughts on it?
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Charlie was a friend of mine.
I knew him well.
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I met him almost 10 years ago at
the Trump Hotel when he was
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starting with the Trump
administrator, working closely
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with the president and Don
Junior, he had started a few
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years earlier.
I was very impressed with him.
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And basically Newsmax was his
platform.
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And when he was banned, he's
told me many times how much he
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appreciated Newsmax that when he
was bandwidth from Fox that he
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could go on Newsmax and get get
turning points news on it.
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Look, Charlie was an amazing man
And you know, he didn't go to
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college.
He did briefly.
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He went to college.
Somebody said, well, he didn't
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go to college.
He didn't go to college because
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he was a genius.
And he he obviously went to a
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small Midwestern school and felt
out of place, but he was
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brilliant.
He's smarter than most kids that
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ever graduated from college.
So, you know, he had an amazing,
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I liked his faith-based as a
Christian.
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I think it was tremendous that
he was open about his views on
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it.
And that to me, and I don't
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think gut defense Charlie felt
like he was trying to convert
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people to Christianity.
I think he was trying to say
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that America was was a great
country because of our
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judeo-christian ethics and
principles and the founding
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principles of the nation.
There's an effort by some
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libertarians, younger
conservative secularists to get
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away from that.
I think it's a dangerous thing
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because our freedoms came out of
the Crucible of faith and now
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that it's under siege in so many
ways.
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So I really admire that.
We've done a two books, 1 was
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Pagan threat.
Believe it or not, Newsmax is a
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publishing house.
We've had a whole bunch of New
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York Times bestsellers and
Charlie wrote the foreword for
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our last book by Pastor Lucas
Miles called Pagan and Charlie's
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forward.
It's very an ominous because he
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talks about the terrifying
dangers that we all face and
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that the secularism was going to
destroy locism, would destroy
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America if it wasn't stopped.
And that book is available on
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Amazon, Pagan Threat or on a
website calledpaganthreat.com.
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Dick Morris, who worked closely
with Charlie and the Trump
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campaign, has a book detailing
how they work together to help
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get from elected called The Real
Charlie Kirk.
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That's on Amazon right now.
Great book.
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Dick Morrison famous and that's
a that's I got a website
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calledcharlie411.com.
So check out those books.
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They're really good and I think
they really give you a sense of
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what Charlie was all about.
Nice.
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I'll put all the links in the to
the podcast description.
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Your friends with Donald Trump,
President Trump, why do you
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think he relates to
conservatives so quickly or just
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the average, the average
American you've, you know, you
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get a talk to him, spend time
with them.
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Most people don't ever get to do
that.
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Give us a little behind the
scenes on why you think Donald
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Trump's can kind of cut through
all the BS and make people feel
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like they want to root for him
no matter what.
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Yeah, well, I've known him for
almost 30 years, probably talk
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to him once a week for every
week for 25 years.
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So I know the guy pretty well,
very well.
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I was there with the good times.
I was there in the bad times.
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And I think he's a very amazing
guy.
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He's superhuman in his
capabilities and abilities.
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So, you know, not everybody is.
I think that's a gift from God.
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So not everybody has that and
can ever perform.
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You can't read the book and be
Donald Trump.
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Read the book and mimic some of
the things Trump does and try to
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do that.
And some of them you can be very
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good for your career in business
and success.
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You know the the word integrity
means you're integral.
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You know, if somebody is nice at
the office but mean at home,
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they don't have real integrity.
In my mind, integrity means
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you're the same person pretty
much wherever you go, whatever
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your circumstances.
Now, you may be angry at some
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points and happy at others, but
you're a similar person and you
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show those similar emotions in
different in different venues.
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And I think Trump has that type
of emotional integrity where and
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that's what resonates with
people.
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He's very real.
And he's not a phony, you know,
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And he talks to me just like he
talks to the public.
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Now, sometimes when you capture
on TV the way the camera is and
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the stage and the comments,
people think he's hard hitting,
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he's mean, he's this and that.
When they meet him in person,
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they realize some of it's quite
theatrical.
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And I've never had a person that
met Trump.
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I've introduced him to many
people, supporters, non
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supporters.
You know, I'm one of the few
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people bring over somebody he
doesn't like just just so I can
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see his reaction.
But every person I've ever
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brought over to see him, they've
always said to me, wow, he's
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nicer than I thought.
He's he's such a nice man.
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He's so interesting.
He's so charming.
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Not necessarily something you
get watching, you know, White
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House press conference.
He's in a very combative mode in
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those situations.
He still feels like he's like a
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a corner in the White House or
by the press and he's hitting
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back.
So I think bad about him and
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he's just, he comes from his
family.
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We're very wealthy real estate
people from Queens, NY, but they
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came from middle class roots.
They came from humble
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beginnings.
His father's family were
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immigrants to the country and
his mother was an immigrant.
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So I think he appreciates the
American dream in a way that
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most people don't.
What do you?
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Think, you know, looking back,
Newsmax went public.
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It's like a, you know, you've
spent 30 years of your life
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building this thing that is now
a ginormous media company.
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What are some of the things that
you look back on and are those
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pivotal moments that helped
propel you to get to where
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you're at now?
I don't do a lot of looking
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back, I think the toughest time
we had, we were taken off
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DIRECTV.
Yeah.
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And everybody knows about that
battle.
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And I think, you know, we we
have a good relationship with
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DIRECTV now.
I think they're in a better
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place.
We're in a better place after
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all of that.
And we like DIRECTV, but it was,
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it was at the time a bit of a
battle.
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And I think that was a turning
point for us in a way and showed
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our resolve and our supporters
and viewers really stuck with
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us.
We're probably two or three
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times larger than we were at
that time.
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And in fact, we've gotten on
every major cable system.
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So if you can't find us, look
for us.
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Hulu just added us this past
summer.
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We're on YouTube TV, we're on
Google, we're on Comcast,
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Spectrum DIRECTV, Dish, all
those systems.
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And you can, we have a free app
where you can watch us on the
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streaming channel anywhere in
the world.
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You just download the Newsmax
app and you can just watch it.
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And then if you want, you can
upgrade to get the cable channel
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as well at a very small fee.
So we're excited about that.
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We have a lot of subscribers to
that.
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And again, the audience has been
growing very significantly.
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The Reuters Institute did a
study job last year and they
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asked Americans what are the top
media brands that you go to for
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news and they said there were 12
major news brands in the United
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States and one of them was
Newsmax.
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That's.
Great.
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It's amazing.
Because we're relatively new,
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you know, it's the New York
Times and ABC News.
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These guys have been around for
150 years, whatever.
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And we didn't have the billions
of dollars, you know, you know
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what we had?
We had people power.
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We had you and people in Alaska
and people across the country
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that were tuning into Newsmax
and they go to newsmax.com and
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they go, wow, I like this.
They go to our podcasts or, or,
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or to our app and go to our
channel and it's addictive.
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And so the audience numbers have
been growing.
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And I think it's really
important because there's not,
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there's not more conservative
media.
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There's less conservative media
as a result of all of this
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censorship and Big Tech
consolidate.
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It's really incumbent on us to
continue what we're doing.
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So what's?
Next for Newsmax, you'd like to
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00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,280
look forward.
You're a visionary leader.
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What's the big dream for Newsmax
in the next 5-10 years?
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00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,280
Well, we still.
Want to just, we're, we always
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say we're all things to old
people.
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We're on all platforms and we're
on podcast, word radio to a
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degree.
We're in TV, we're streaming,
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we're in print.
I have a print magazine, Newsmax
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magazine, which is very popular.
We have so many things going on.
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We really developed this idea
that a media company is really a
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media station that emanates on
different platforms.
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And I think we were the leaders
in that.
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And I think there's battles
ahead.
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Even though the Trump
administration, the Trump FCC
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00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,960
under Brendan Carr, is moving to
give the major networks and big
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00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,840
station groups the right to
reach 100% of the US market,
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00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,720
it's a very dangerous thing
they're doing because the big
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00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,960
media companies are almost all
opposed to Trump and all opposed
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00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,640
to conservatives.
And local news is where most
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people get their 10 news.
They don't get it from the
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Internet because there's no
newspapers left really anymore.
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They're very few.
And So what Reagan did in the
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90s was, I'm sorry, in the 80s
Reagan said, look, we'll let
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these TV networks like ABC and
CBS go out, but they can't own
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the stations in more than 25% of
US homes, reaching 25% of US
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homes.
And he knew intuitively, if you
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let those big networks from New
York, the balance of power will
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be all left wing in the country.
And so over time, that cap from
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25 to 39 now, Brendan, and the
FCC is trying to move it to
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100%.
Dang.
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00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,360
It these.
Guys all opposed President
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00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,320
Trump.
They're all bad actors, pretty
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00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,600
much.
The one group now seeking A
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00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,520
merger to go to 80% is is Next
Star.
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00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,440
Next Star owns News Nation,
which is a left wing news
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00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,440
network with Chris Cuomo and
Ashley Banfield and Elizabeth
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00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,440
Vargas, Dan Abrams, all
liberals.
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00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:48,160
They've been bashing Trump and
Newsmax for four years and now
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00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,640
they want to get 100% reach for
their for their TV station
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00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:53,560
group.
It's a very dangerous move.
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00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,040
We're encouraging people to call
their congressmen and senators
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00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:03,360
telling them not to oppose the
FCC cap lift and and not allow
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00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:08,359
these networks to get to merge.
Yeah, well, I want to be mindful
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00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,319
your time.
You're you're busy, man.
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00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:13,839
And you know, I'm a huge fan of
Newsmax, obviously.
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00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:16,160
I have a column there.
And I think that you guys are
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00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,720
doing amazing things.
You know, I think when I think
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00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,680
about everyday, you know, I live
up here in Alaska just everyday,
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00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,480
normal people, most everyday
normal person that I know
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00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,520
watches Newsmax.
And I think there's something to
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00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,640
be said about that.
Last question before we head
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00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,160
off.
Do you have any advice for folks
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00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,200
that are just starting out?
I mean, you hustled and grinded
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00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,720
and started this company.
I think I read you started it
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00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:46,720
with 25,000 bucks and an idea.
And So what kind of advice would
330
00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,560
you give folks that are maybe
just starting out?
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00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,360
Maybe they've got a couple 1000
followers on Instagram or
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00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:54,560
they're going to start their own
podcast or you know, it's tough
333
00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:57,320
out there and you got it, you
did it.
334
00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,000
What's advice you give to
someone?
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00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,200
I think.
The race is typically won not by
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00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,640
the fastest run or the slowest
runner, but the runner that
337
00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,480
never gives up, right?
So you have to don't give in too
338
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,840
early.
Know that there's a there's the
339
00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,280
light, the sunrise is just
around the corner.
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00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,440
And so, you know, I think most
businesses don't succeed because
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00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,720
people give up too early.
And then if you finding you're
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00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,640
not thinking things are working,
innovate, do something
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00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:24,960
different.
Or give me an example.
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00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:27,720
We didn't see.
We can sell banner ads in the
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00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,160
early days of the Internet.
Even then, the liberals were
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00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,120
blocking us.
So we started a publication that
347
00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:34,400
made a lot of money called
Newsmax Magazine.
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00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,400
Nobody was doing it.
Now, some people started doing
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00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,840
magazines after we started doing
it with the mat with their
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00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,800
websites.
Now that's a small part of our
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00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,520
business, but at that time that
was a very critical part of our
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00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:48,440
business.
And TV, we're willing to
353
00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:49,960
innovate, you know, on the
streaming.
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00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,160
So don't give up and, and just
being honest in your business
355
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,200
dealings.
You know, when I was losing
356
00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:01,200
money as a businessman, I would
show people how I let you know
357
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,080
this is where we're losing.
But here's where the revenues
358
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,600
are rising and at some point we
will turn a profit.
359
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:09,760
Now we're a public company.
We're in the New York Stock
360
00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,240
Exchange, and I might add, if
you want to join our news
361
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,560
revolution, you can find out
more.
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00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,080
Just go talk to your stock
advisor or go to
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00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,400
newsmaxinvest.com.
And we think the share price is
364
00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:27,440
is a good price and that we
think the future of Newsmax is
365
00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,000
going to be very strong.
Nice.
366
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:31,400
Well, thank you so much for
joining us.
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00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,600
We wish you nothing but success,
my hat.
368
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,680
Is off to you through the years
you kept in very good contact
369
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,040
and you follow up on things and
I don't do a lot of podcasts,
370
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,000
but when you asked I said I'm
going to do John's well I.
371
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:49,600
Am a huge fan of you and Newsmax
and and it's been fun to see you
372
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,840
continue to grow every year.
I mean, I feel like Newsmax, the
373
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,480
Sky's the limit for it because
you've kept your guys's through
374
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,000
line.
You have a compromised on who
375
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:04,480
you are and what you are try and
you haven't tried to sway what
376
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,240
you, you know, your beliefs in
being a conservative in America.
377
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,040
So I appreciate what you do and
we hope you have a great rest of
378
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,720
your day and I'll send you all
the links in.
379
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,360
My regards to the great people
of Alaska.
380
00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,480
You're at the front lines of
freedom.
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00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,440
Awesome.
Thanks so much and appreciate
382
00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:23,720
you coming on.
Thank you.
383
00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:24,960
John, God bless.
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,520
Welcome to Stories Worth
Hearing.
2
00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:05,040
I'm your host, John Quick, and
today's guest is a man who built
3
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,119
one of the most powerful news
organizations in America from
4
00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,120
the ground up, Christopher
Ruddy, The founder and chief
5
00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:14,600
executive officer of Newsmax,
Christopher Ruddy is one of the
6
00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,720
most influential figures in
modern media.
7
00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,480
In 1998, he founded Newsmax with
a clear and ambitious mission to
8
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,920
deliver credible, engaging and
balanced journalism that
9
00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:26,520
connects with everyday
Americans.
10
00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,160
What started as a small online
News magazine from his apartment
11
00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,880
has grown into a mainstream
media network, reaching over 40
12
00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,600
million households nationwide.
Ranking among the top cable news
13
00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,320
channels in the United States,
Newsmax is now a fixture on
14
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,880
television, digital and print
platforms, producing breaking
15
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,560
news, in depth analysis and
original programming that rivals
16
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,040
any major network.
Under Ruddy's leadership,
17
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,480
Newsmax has become known for its
dynamic programming and
18
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,280
commitment to covering the
stories that matter most to the
19
00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,240
nation's future.
The network's lineup of anchors
20
00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,360
and commentators features
respected voices from across the
21
00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,280
country, combining serious
journalism with open, thoughtful
22
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,480
debate.
Beyond television, newsmax.com
23
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,560
ranks among the most visited
political news websites in
24
00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,720
America, continuing the
company's tradition of digital
25
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,240
innovation and direct engagement
with its audience.
26
00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,400
Before launching Newsmax,
Christopher worked as an
27
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,360
investigative journalist for the
New York Post and Pittsburgh
28
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,520
Tribune Review, where his
groundbreaking reporting gained
29
00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,360
national attention.
His first hand experience in
30
00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,840
journalism, combined with his
entrepreneurial Dr. helped him
31
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,880
build a media company that has
transformed how millions of
32
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,000
Americans consume news today.
In this conversation, we'll talk
33
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,360
about how he built Newsmax from
an idea into a household name,
34
00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,040
the principles that shaped his
leadership, the lessons he's
35
00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,320
learned along the way, and his
vision for the future of media
36
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,320
in America.
This is a story about courage,
37
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,080
conviction, and the power of
believing in a mission, and it's
38
00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:00,640
definitely a story worth
hearing.
39
00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,360
Let's dive in.
Chris, thank you so much for
40
00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:04,640
joining us.
I'm excited to have you on the
41
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,960
show.
Don, thank you for having me.
42
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,080
Well, this would be fun.
I think it'll be fun for my
43
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,440
listeners to hear a little bit
about the secret salsa behind
44
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,200
the scenes of starting Newsmax.
So take me.
45
00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:16,960
Back.
I want you to know that I'm
46
00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,480
going to be quick today.
I like, no pun intended.
47
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:26,240
Well, take me back to what first
inspired you to start Newsmax.
48
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,120
I know, I know that there's a
lot of work that's put into it.
49
00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,920
You seem to be getting more and
more popular every single month.
50
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,480
Tell me about what it looked
like when you first started it.
51
00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,080
Why'd you start it?
Well, I would say that, you
52
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,600
know, we had the same problem we
had 25 years ago, 27 years ago
53
00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,840
when I started Newsmax, although
it's worse today than it was
54
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,180
then.
The extreme bias in the quote UN
55
00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:56,120
quote mainstream media,
establishment media was serious
56
00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:57,720
then.
Now it's severe.
57
00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,840
Now it's off the charts, but
when I started, I felt I was a
58
00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,680
journalist.
I had covered the Clinton White
59
00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,080
House, I had done other other
work at the New York Post, the
60
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:12,800
Pittsburgh paper, the Hoover
Institution, and I felt that
61
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,160
there was a need for another
media.
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When I saw that when the
Internet started in the 90s,
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00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,480
there were a lot of liberal
sites, but not a many
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conservatives.
Very impressed by a number of
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websites that came up.
So I started Newsmax and as a
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digital media company.
So that's 1998 and I raised
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about $15 million to build the
company and I lost about 13 1/2
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before I turned a profit.
Never need any money for another
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15 years until I started this TV
channel called Newsmax.
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And now we're one of the leading
cable news channels in the
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United States.
We've overcome amazing
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obstacles.
When you first launched, did you
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ever imagine that it would grow
into what it is today?
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It seems to be 1 of, if not the
ME, the premier conservative
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news channels in America.
You know, I think it's probably
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the most important shadow in a
way because we're we're the only
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one that's consistently true to
our principles.
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I think thoughts had been good
for a long time, but thoughts is
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changing.
I think you're going to continue
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to see changes as a network.
For instance, they've embraced
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climate change.
I mean, I think this is this is
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part of a whole woke.
You have to believe everything
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in the climate change ideology.
Now, if you're a Fox employee,
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they had a policy that anybody
that didn't do a COVID vaccine
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at Fox was fired.
I think that was wrong.
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I think people should and could
have conscientious objections.
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I think the vaccine was OK at
the time.
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It was a national emergency.
But you go through this long
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list of things, they don't like
Donald Trump, right?
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They opposed him in 16.
They opposed him in 20, They
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opposed him again in 24.
He keeps winning.
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And so, you know, the, the we're
more in tune, I think, with the
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populist base of the Republican
Party, the conservative base of
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the party.
So how?
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Have you kept that kind of
through line to not compromise
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the direction and integrity of
Newsmax when it seems like all
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the other channels just kind of
cave in eventually?
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Well, you have to stand for
something and you have to be
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willing to, you know, if we went
more woke, I guess we'd get more
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advertising, right?
But you say, look, there's,
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there's limits.
We're not going to just do
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something.
We're not going to sell out.
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We're going to stand for
something.
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I think we have a long history,
almost 30 years of standing for
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something.
So.
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And President Trump says he
likes Newsmax.
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I think it's his favorite now.
He talks about a lot.
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He tells me all the time.
I just spoke to him this past
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week how much he likes Rob
Finnerty, Rob Schmidt, Greg
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Kelly, Carl Higbee, that he's
watching all of our shows.
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He said openly people should be
watching.
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And Don Junior went public and
said Fox is bad.
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Fox had banned him.
Fox had banned the president,
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Fox and banned Charlie Kirk.
Yeah.
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What?
So what?
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Tell me your thoughts on Charlie
Kirk.
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We live in a day where you know
we can no longer.
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Seems like people lose their
minds based off conversation and
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people are being murdered for
having a difference of opinion
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that that sent shock waves kind
of through the conservative
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community.
What's been your thoughts on it?
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Charlie was a friend of mine.
I knew him well.
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I met him almost 10 years ago at
the Trump Hotel when he was
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starting with the Trump
administrator, working closely
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with the president and Don
Junior, he had started a few
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years earlier.
I was very impressed with him.
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And basically Newsmax was his
platform.
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And when he was banned, he's
told me many times how much he
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appreciated Newsmax that when he
was bandwidth from Fox that he
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could go on Newsmax and get get
turning points news on it.
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Look, Charlie was an amazing man
And you know, he didn't go to
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college.
He did briefly.
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He went to college.
Somebody said, well, he didn't
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go to college.
He didn't go to college because
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he was a genius.
And he he obviously went to a
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small Midwestern school and felt
out of place, but he was
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brilliant.
He's smarter than most kids that
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ever graduated from college.
So, you know, he had an amazing,
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I liked his faith-based as a
Christian.
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I think it was tremendous that
he was open about his views on
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it.
And that to me, and I don't
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think gut defense Charlie felt
like he was trying to convert
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people to Christianity.
I think he was trying to say
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that America was was a great
country because of our
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judeo-christian ethics and
principles and the founding
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principles of the nation.
There's an effort by some
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libertarians, younger
conservative secularists to get
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away from that.
I think it's a dangerous thing
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because our freedoms came out of
the Crucible of faith and now
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that it's under siege in so many
ways.
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So I really admire that.
We've done a two books, 1 was
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Pagan threat.
Believe it or not, Newsmax is a
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publishing house.
We've had a whole bunch of New
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York Times bestsellers and
Charlie wrote the foreword for
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our last book by Pastor Lucas
Miles called Pagan and Charlie's
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forward.
It's very an ominous because he
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talks about the terrifying
dangers that we all face and
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that the secularism was going to
destroy locism, would destroy
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America if it wasn't stopped.
And that book is available on
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Amazon, Pagan Threat or on a
website calledpaganthreat.com.
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Dick Morris, who worked closely
with Charlie and the Trump
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campaign, has a book detailing
how they work together to help
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get from elected called The Real
Charlie Kirk.
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That's on Amazon right now.
Great book.
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Dick Morrison famous and that's
a that's I got a website
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calledcharlie411.com.
So check out those books.
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They're really good and I think
they really give you a sense of
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what Charlie was all about.
Nice.
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I'll put all the links in the to
the podcast description.
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Your friends with Donald Trump,
President Trump, why do you
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think he relates to
conservatives so quickly or just
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the average, the average
American you've, you know, you
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get a talk to him, spend time
with them.
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Most people don't ever get to do
that.
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Give us a little behind the
scenes on why you think Donald
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Trump's can kind of cut through
all the BS and make people feel
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like they want to root for him
no matter what.
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Yeah, well, I've known him for
almost 30 years, probably talk
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to him once a week for every
week for 25 years.
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So I know the guy pretty well,
very well.
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I was there with the good times.
I was there in the bad times.
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And I think he's a very amazing
guy.
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He's superhuman in his
capabilities and abilities.
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So, you know, not everybody is.
I think that's a gift from God.
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So not everybody has that and
can ever perform.
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You can't read the book and be
Donald Trump.
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Read the book and mimic some of
the things Trump does and try to
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do that.
And some of them you can be very
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good for your career in business
and success.
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You know the the word integrity
means you're integral.
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You know, if somebody is nice at
the office but mean at home,
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they don't have real integrity.
In my mind, integrity means
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you're the same person pretty
much wherever you go, whatever
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your circumstances.
Now, you may be angry at some
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points and happy at others, but
you're a similar person and you
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show those similar emotions in
different in different venues.
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And I think Trump has that type
of emotional integrity where and
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that's what resonates with
people.
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He's very real.
And he's not a phony, you know,
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And he talks to me just like he
talks to the public.
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Now, sometimes when you capture
on TV the way the camera is and
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the stage and the comments,
people think he's hard hitting,
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he's mean, he's this and that.
When they meet him in person,
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they realize some of it's quite
theatrical.
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And I've never had a person that
met Trump.
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I've introduced him to many
people, supporters, non
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supporters.
You know, I'm one of the few
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people bring over somebody he
doesn't like just just so I can
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see his reaction.
But every person I've ever
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brought over to see him, they've
always said to me, wow, he's
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nicer than I thought.
He's he's such a nice man.
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He's so interesting.
He's so charming.
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Not necessarily something you
get watching, you know, White
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House press conference.
He's in a very combative mode in
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those situations.
He still feels like he's like a
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a corner in the White House or
by the press and he's hitting
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back.
So I think bad about him and
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he's just, he comes from his
family.
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We're very wealthy real estate
people from Queens, NY, but they
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came from middle class roots.
They came from humble
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beginnings.
His father's family were
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immigrants to the country and
his mother was an immigrant.
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So I think he appreciates the
American dream in a way that
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most people don't.
What do you?
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Think, you know, looking back,
Newsmax went public.
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It's like a, you know, you've
spent 30 years of your life
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building this thing that is now
a ginormous media company.
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What are some of the things that
you look back on and are those
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pivotal moments that helped
propel you to get to where
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you're at now?
I don't do a lot of looking
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back, I think the toughest time
we had, we were taken off
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DIRECTV.
Yeah.
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And everybody knows about that
battle.
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And I think, you know, we we
have a good relationship with
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DIRECTV now.
I think they're in a better
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place.
We're in a better place after
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all of that.
And we like DIRECTV, but it was,
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it was at the time a bit of a
battle.
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And I think that was a turning
point for us in a way and showed
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our resolve and our supporters
and viewers really stuck with
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us.
We're probably two or three
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times larger than we were at
that time.
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And in fact, we've gotten on
every major cable system.
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So if you can't find us, look
for us.
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Hulu just added us this past
summer.
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We're on YouTube TV, we're on
Google, we're on Comcast,
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Spectrum DIRECTV, Dish, all
those systems.
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And you can, we have a free app
where you can watch us on the
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streaming channel anywhere in
the world.
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You just download the Newsmax
app and you can just watch it.
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And then if you want, you can
upgrade to get the cable channel
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as well at a very small fee.
So we're excited about that.
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We have a lot of subscribers to
that.
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And again, the audience has been
growing very significantly.
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The Reuters Institute did a
study job last year and they
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asked Americans what are the top
media brands that you go to for
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news and they said there were 12
major news brands in the United
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States and one of them was
Newsmax.
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That's.
Great.
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It's amazing.
Because we're relatively new,
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you know, it's the New York
Times and ABC News.
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These guys have been around for
150 years, whatever.
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And we didn't have the billions
of dollars, you know, you know
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what we had?
We had people power.
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We had you and people in Alaska
and people across the country
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that were tuning into Newsmax
and they go to newsmax.com and
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they go, wow, I like this.
They go to our podcasts or, or,
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or to our app and go to our
channel and it's addictive.
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And so the audience numbers have
been growing.
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And I think it's really
important because there's not,
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there's not more conservative
media.
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There's less conservative media
as a result of all of this
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censorship and Big Tech
consolidate.
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It's really incumbent on us to
continue what we're doing.
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So what's?
Next for Newsmax, you'd like to
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look forward.
You're a visionary leader.
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What's the big dream for Newsmax
in the next 5-10 years?
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Well, we still.
Want to just, we're, we always
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say we're all things to old
people.
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We're on all platforms and we're
on podcast, word radio to a
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degree.
We're in TV, we're streaming,
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we're in print.
I have a print magazine, Newsmax
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magazine, which is very popular.
We have so many things going on.
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We really developed this idea
that a media company is really a
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media station that emanates on
different platforms.
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And I think we were the leaders
in that.
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And I think there's battles
ahead.
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Even though the Trump
administration, the Trump FCC
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under Brendan Carr, is moving to
give the major networks and big
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station groups the right to
reach 100% of the US market,
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it's a very dangerous thing
they're doing because the big
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media companies are almost all
opposed to Trump and all opposed
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to conservatives.
And local news is where most
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people get their 10 news.
They don't get it from the
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Internet because there's no
newspapers left really anymore.
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They're very few.
And So what Reagan did in the
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90s was, I'm sorry, in the 80s
Reagan said, look, we'll let
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these TV networks like ABC and
CBS go out, but they can't own
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the stations in more than 25% of
US homes, reaching 25% of US
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homes.
And he knew intuitively, if you
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let those big networks from New
York, the balance of power will
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be all left wing in the country.
And so over time, that cap from
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25 to 39 now, Brendan, and the
FCC is trying to move it to
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100%.
Dang.
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It these.
Guys all opposed President
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Trump.
They're all bad actors, pretty
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much.
The one group now seeking A
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merger to go to 80% is is Next
Star.
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Next Star owns News Nation,
which is a left wing news
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network with Chris Cuomo and
Ashley Banfield and Elizabeth
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Vargas, Dan Abrams, all
liberals.
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They've been bashing Trump and
Newsmax for four years and now
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they want to get 100% reach for
their for their TV station
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group.
It's a very dangerous move.
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We're encouraging people to call
their congressmen and senators
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telling them not to oppose the
FCC cap lift and and not allow
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these networks to get to merge.
Yeah, well, I want to be mindful
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your time.
You're you're busy, man.
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And you know, I'm a huge fan of
Newsmax, obviously.
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I have a column there.
And I think that you guys are
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doing amazing things.
You know, I think when I think
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about everyday, you know, I live
up here in Alaska just everyday,
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normal people, most everyday
normal person that I know
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watches Newsmax.
And I think there's something to
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be said about that.
Last question before we head
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off.
Do you have any advice for folks
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that are just starting out?
I mean, you hustled and grinded
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and started this company.
I think I read you started it
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with 25,000 bucks and an idea.
And So what kind of advice would
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you give folks that are maybe
just starting out?
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Maybe they've got a couple 1000
followers on Instagram or
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they're going to start their own
podcast or you know, it's tough
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out there and you got it, you
did it.
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What's advice you give to
someone?
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I think.
The race is typically won not by
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the fastest run or the slowest
runner, but the runner that
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never gives up, right?
So you have to don't give in too
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early.
Know that there's a there's the
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light, the sunrise is just
around the corner.
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And so, you know, I think most
businesses don't succeed because
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people give up too early.
And then if you finding you're
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not thinking things are working,
innovate, do something
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different.
Or give me an example.
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We didn't see.
We can sell banner ads in the
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early days of the Internet.
Even then, the liberals were
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blocking us.
So we started a publication that
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made a lot of money called
Newsmax Magazine.
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Nobody was doing it.
Now, some people started doing
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magazines after we started doing
it with the mat with their
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websites.
Now that's a small part of our
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business, but at that time that
was a very critical part of our
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business.
And TV, we're willing to
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innovate, you know, on the
streaming.
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So don't give up and, and just
being honest in your business
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dealings.
You know, when I was losing
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money as a businessman, I would
show people how I let you know
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this is where we're losing.
But here's where the revenues
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are rising and at some point we
will turn a profit.
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Now we're a public company.
We're in the New York Stock
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Exchange, and I might add, if
you want to join our news
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00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,560
revolution, you can find out
more.
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Just go talk to your stock
advisor or go to
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newsmaxinvest.com.
And we think the share price is
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is a good price and that we
think the future of Newsmax is
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going to be very strong.
Nice.
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Well, thank you so much for
joining us.
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We wish you nothing but success,
my hat.
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Is off to you through the years
you kept in very good contact
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and you follow up on things and
I don't do a lot of podcasts,
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00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,000
but when you asked I said I'm
going to do John's well I.
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Am a huge fan of you and Newsmax
and and it's been fun to see you
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00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,840
continue to grow every year.
I mean, I feel like Newsmax, the
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Sky's the limit for it because
you've kept your guys's through
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line.
You have a compromised on who
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00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:04,480
you are and what you are try and
you haven't tried to sway what
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00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,240
you, you know, your beliefs in
being a conservative in America.
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So I appreciate what you do and
we hope you have a great rest of
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your day and I'll send you all
the links in.
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My regards to the great people
of Alaska.
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You're at the front lines of
freedom.
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Awesome.
Thanks so much and appreciate
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you coming on.
Thank you.
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John, God bless.