Verizon Drops Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, From TV Offerings

Sporting Classics Daily reports that Verizon has dropped the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel from its television line-up blaming low viewership and high costs as the reason.  But according to Sporting Classics Daily, that reasoning has some wondering if other issues are really the cause of the decision:

...While other niche channels like Al-Jazeera America continue to be broadcast, outdoor viewers are being told they don't make up a large enough audience to justify contract renewals between the telecom giant and the channels' provider, Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks.

The owner of Outdoor Channel/Sportsman Channel has enlisted the head of the AFL-CIO to their cause:

“We have more than 6.5 million members who make the outdoors an important part of their lives,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said on the group's website. “We are disappointed that Verizon has chosen to take these actions against Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel. Working people can’t be silenced by big corporate interests and will stand up to fight back against this unfair move by Verizon.”  

Trumka, Chairman of the Union Sportsmen's Alliance as well, sent Verizon's Ceo and Chairman Lowell C. McAdam a letter expressing his and the unions' concerns.

The Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks is encouraging sportsmen to contact Verizon and urge them to begin carrying the channels again or to outright cancel their service.

Arlington Residents Seek to Stop Gun Shop from Opening

Saturday a week ago the Washington Post had this article about a group of residents in the city of Arlington, Virginia, attempting to stop NOVA Firearms owner James Gates from opening a location on Lee Highway in the city. Gates wants to open the shop because he has out grown his store in McLean and needs a second location.  The malcontent residents have started an online petition and the Post notes that it has already collected 17,000 signatures at the time of the article. The Post didn't report that not everyone who has signed the petition is against the store opening.  Signing the petition is the only way you can leave a comment, and some of those comments are in support of NOVA.   It should also be noted that Gates has already signed the lease with the owner of the strip mall so this is a bit late to try and stop the store from opening.

It's not like Lee Highway is a quiet neighborhood street - it is a bustling major thoroughfare and as the Post article points out, there is already a pawn shop that sells firearms less than 10 blocks from where Gates wants to open his business:

We’re not trying to make anybody mad or upset. We want to be part of the community,” he said in a telephone interview from his store in McLean. “We’ll have security and classes on safe handling of firearms, and safe carry. People who have questions should give us a call and give us a chance.”

They might also take a look fewer than 10 blocks east on Lee Highway, where National Pawnbrokers has been selling firearms for years. The manager there, who identified himself as David, said gun sales are a steady and uncontroversial part of the business.

The story continues to get a lot of media attention with NBC 4 in Washington picking up the story on Thursday night.

It's not just the residents in the area but Gates' future business neighbors are also joining those opposed to the store opening.

Jane Winter, who works at the flower shop next door to the vacant storefront, said NOVA doesn't fit in to the strip mall that includes a restaurant, hair salon and nail salon.

There is a reason some refer to the city as "The Peoples Republic of Arlington." It's about the closest thing to San Francisco that you will find in Virginia.

Cam Edwards of Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company spoke with Gates on Thursday to get his side of the story.

UPS Moves to Stop Shipping Suppressors

Earlier this week, Guns.com reported that UPS is moving to stop carrying shipments of firearms suppressors due to what they referred to as compliance issues:

“NSSF, in coordination with NRA and the American Suppressor Association, are in discussions with UPS to address their compliance concerns,” Lawrence Keane, National Shooting Sports Foundation senior vice president and general counsel told Guns.com. “Vermont and Minnesota will likely soon join 39 other states that allow the possession of suppressors. In light of this, we hope to be able to have UPS reconsider its policy.”

Keane advised caution in allowing the industry to do its work, saying, “We strongly urge all Second Amendment advocates not to jump to conclusions about UPS.”

It appears to be a policy that was on UPS' books for years, but they just decided to enforce it.

Cam Edwards spoke with Knox Williams, president and executive director of the American Suppressor Association during Monday's Sportsman Channel's Cam and Company program.

This happens at a time when suppressor legalization legislation is increasing.
Hat tip to Guns.com and Shall Not Be Questioned.

Legislative Update

With just a couple days left until the end of the 2015 Session of the Virginia General Assembly, six bills have made their way to the desk of Governor Terry McAuliffe.  A few bills have gotten stalled and are likely dead for the session.  I spoke with Cam Edwards of Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company earlier this week about the bills that passed and what bogged down other legislation in the final days.

Number of Young Competitive Shooters Skyrocketing

During his NRANews program yesterday, Cam Edwards mentioned this article that appeared over the weekend in the Boston Globe.  The article, titled "Gun Controversy Lost on New Shooters" is a pretty balanced article that discusses the rise in the number of young competitive shooters at a time when some adult policy makers want to restrict our gun rights.

Participation in the nationwide 4-H Shooting Sports Program, which includes archery, hunting, pistol, rifle, and other firearms, has nearly tripled since 2009 and last year drew 336,558 program participants nationally. The actual number of youths involved is doubtless somewhat different than that, as some sign up for more than one offering and not all states report, but the trend is clear.

Also, after a long decline, participation in hunting in the US increased by 9 percent between 2006 and 2011, and one of the main reasons appears to be an array of youth recruitment and retention programs sponsored by local clubs and national youth organizations, according to a recent study funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

No surprise to those of us who have children who enjoy the shooting sports, parents interviewed for the article mentioned target practice and competition has increased their child's focus and sense of responsibility.

During Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company, Edwards spoke with world champion shooter and captain of Team Smith and Wesson Julie Golob about the article and the positive impact the shooting sports have on young shooters.

How Friends of NRA Helps the Shooting Sports in Virginia

NRA Field Director David Wells was on Sportsman Channel's NRANews Cam and Company yesterday talking about how the Friends of NRA program helps the shooting sports in Virginia.



You can find out about FNRA events near you by clicking here.

More on McAuliffe and Gun Control

VSSA's conversation with Cam Edwards on NRANews Cam and Company on the Sportsman Channel yesterday.

Robert Zimmerman on Armed American Radio

Besides several very good firearm and pro-rights related blogs, a good source of 2nd Amendment information is available from longtime radio programs like NRANews's Cam and Company, which is on satellite radio as well as the Internet and Sportsman Channel, Tom Gresham's syndicated radio program Gun Talk, and Mark Walters' syndicated radio program Armed American Radio.   The great thing about all three is they podcast their broadcasts so if you can't listen live, you can listen at your convenience.  This past Sunday's Armed American Radio featured the Robert Zimmerman and his attorney in the first two hours, talking about his brother George and sharing information about the case that you haven't heard in the mainstream media.  It was very apparent why Robert Zimmerman was the family spokesman throughout this ordeal.  You can hear the mostly untold story here and here.

Dave Kopel on MSNBC Assertion that NRA is Fringe Organization

Kopel appeared by phone on a recent edition of Cam and Company on the Sportsman Channel