Former home to Alan Jones rebrands under US network Newsmax

Right-wing American cable television network Newsmax has launched in Australia, with ADH TV — previously home to Alan Jones and currently home to former Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton and former Sky News host Chris Smith — rebranding its social media platforms as Newsmax Australia.

ADH TV’s website now redirects to a temporary landing page for Newsmax, with an Australian Digital Holdings logo at the bottom of the website. The shift has been in the works for some time and was first reported on last year by The Australian Financial Review. 

CEO Jack Bulfin, a 24-year-old who still works as an urban planner by trade, founded ADH TV. He was contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.

In a previous statement, ADH TV said “Newsmax Australia represents the pinnacle of cross-border collaboration, with a focus on creating local content while appealing to global viewers. This is not just a name change; it’s a reinvention of how we engage, entertain, and inspire.”

ADH TV platformed Jones prior to his being charged with dozens of historical sexual offences. He has pleaded not guilty, with the matter still before the courts. ADH TV retained Jones on the face of its website after he was arrested on the charges, despite the former radio host having been on hiatus from the broadcaster for the better part of a year. 

Newsmax is known in the United States as a right-wing outlet that broadcasts conspiracy theories, including about the 2020 presidential election and claims by Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud. It was founded by former New York Post journalist Christopher Ruddy in 1998 and became known for anti-Clinton content at the time. 

Newsmax promoted false and baseless claims that electronic voting systems using machines made by Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems had rigged votes in favour of the eventual winner, Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Following legal notices made by those companies, Newsmax issued clarifications stating there was no evidence of claims made to those ends. 

The channel is reported to have already signed up former Sky News Australia host Erin Molan, who the Daily Mail reports could not justify her salary at News Corp.

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