I assume a paid cellular service plan for the hotspot is required for it to connect to a cell tower?

1. yes, this is how interviewers must conduct interviews in order to have guests agree to be interviewed, to some extent

2. Did you see his latest interview with Bill O’Reilly though? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qZE4C_neo

Or famously, Jon Stewart on Crossfire? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE

EDIT Also in the Crossfire one your exact concern is addressed by Jon directly

EDIT again, also his “both-sidesism” seems to be being critical of both MAGA right wing nonsense and neoliberal capitalist nonsense, but I have not seen much criticism from him of progressives. If you have some examples, I’d watch them. So I don’t see how that he is “steeped in neoliberalism” because he is often critcal of it.