Gun shops facing stricter cable spot regulations

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Time Warner CableThe nationwide gun debate is moving to local gun shop advertising as well: Time Warner Cable is placing more stringent controls on commercials advertising guns, says The Gaston, NC Gazette. A new Time Warner Cable rule won’t allow any mention of guns in ads except in relation to hunting or gun safety.


Several regional gun dealers said they responded by canceling thousands of dollars each in annual advertising with the cable company.

But a Shelby, NC businessman said he won’t cancel commercials just yet, even though the change means he can’t promote his best-selling product, the AR-15 rifle, on a local news channel.

Tim Wright, co-owner of American Tactical and Pawn in Shelby can’t shake the feeling the company he’s turned to for TV advertising is making him the bad guy in the gun debate. He thinks being part of the gun industry makes him an easy target.

Wright said he will cautiously go forward with his cable ads, most of which were already running after 9 p.m. during TV shows such as “Pawn Stars” or “Sons of Guns.”

He liked having a spot between local news segments but with those gone the dealer says he needs to maintain the shop’s television presence as much as possible.

“I think Time Warner Cable is wrong,” he said, “but I can’t hurt my business standing on principle all the time.”

Sam Mitchem at Sam’s Jewelry & Pawn said he has been running cable ads for about eight years. Usually, he began promoting his guns around Christmas.

Mitchem got word earlier this month the ad wouldn’t air again. “That affects a big percentage of my business,” he said.

See the Gaston Gazette story here

RBR-TVBR observation: Needless to say, TWC can choose to accept ads or not based on content. But at least for that market, it looks like the citizens are not much in agreement with the move. Here were just a few comments in a row pulled from the story: I wish I had Time Warner just so I could tell them why I cancelled my service!…Once again proof that the media is the liberal’s most lethal weapon. Who would have thought 20 years ago that the biggest villians in America today would be Christians, successful wealthy people and law abiding gun owners. Hitler would be jealous…If gun ads are cancelled all ads like movies with guns should be banned long with alcohol which are much more dangerous.