On the OUTDOOR CHANNEL/InterMedia Squabble

[justbill]

Michael, best wishes for the new endeavor. I'm quite sure you'll do the subject justice. I'm equally sad to see Tom Gresham, Garry James, etc. at the short end of the corporate stick. I enjoyed their shows and wish them the best in all their future projects.

Like rich642z, I too hope you'll include Mas Ayoob as a regular guest. He has a tremendous amount of experience and insight in the subject, far too much to exclude.

[jugernaut]

<Jugernaut>Location:Southern California; Though I hate network politics,great shows seem to always change a lot even when things are perfect!! Best of luck, I await the new show with a pang in my heart,after all you guys are the best of the best !!           

[dlistello]

Special Note to the Gun Talk Truth Squad
May 20, 2008

Personal Defense TV, Outdoor Channel, Misinformation and Spin

Several members of the Truth Squad have contacted me about the "news" that the
Outdoor Channel has dropped Personal Defense TV. You'll note the quotation
marks around the word "news" because the simple fact is that this is not what
has happened.

Here's the skinny as it was told to me by a key participant.

Personal Defense TV is one of 10 television shows produced by Intermedia
Outdoors (IMO). This is the company which publishes Guns & Ammo, Shooting
Times, Petersen's Hunting, and a bunch of other magazines. IMO also purchased
The Sportsman Channel about a year ago. Over the last few months, IMO has been
in negotiations with the Outdoor Channel (OC) about the shows IMO produces, and
last Wednesday, according to my sources at IMO (and I get this from the very
top), they hit the wall. Increased prices and unrealistic demands from OC made
it impossible for IMO to continue. Wednesday night, a top IMO manager informed
OC that the company would not be renewing any of its shows with Outdoor
Channel. In other words, as each show's contract runs out, IMO was pulling its
top-rated shows.

TV shows from IMO consistently rate in the top 10 shows on the network.

Up to this point, it was just corporate negotiation and decisions, which are
usually out of sight of the public. Then it got ugly.

The Outdoor Channel then put out a news release which contained more than a
suggestion that the channel actually was removing the award-winning Intermedia
Outdoor shows (Guns & Ammo, Petersen's Hunting, In-Fisherman, Personal Defense
TV, etc., etc.) to improve the quality of programming. In other words, it was
dumping these crummy shows.

The reaction was quick, and interesting to watch. Jim Shepherd, a veteran
television manager and creator of the Outdoor Wire and Shooting Wire (highly
recommended) called BS on the OC release. At the NRA Annual Meetings in
Louisville, KY, last weekend, people in the firearms industry saw through the
spin. It was a case of "You didn't dump me. I'm dumping YOU," and everyone
recognized it for the silliness it was.
PDTV is NOT Going Away
So, what now for Personal Defense TV and other shows? Not to worry. Clearly,
they will appear on The Sportsman Channel. Now that IMO has cut the apron
strings to OC, it can get about its work to increase the distribution of
Sportsman Channel. Expect to see news releases on deals putting SC on cable
systems around the country, and possibly on one or both of the satellite
services. Click Here if you would like to contact your local network provider
and request The Sportsman Channel (or visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com and
click on "GET THE CHANNEL").  There's also the very real possibility that
you'll see some IMO shows, including PDTV, on other networks (in addition to
SC).

Personal Defense TV was my idea. It was tough to get the show on the air. Even
gun makers were nervous about it at first. Because I knew what people wanted to
talk about on Gun Talk Radio, though, I knew that personal defense is the
number one topic -- period. Nothing else even comes close. I'm proud to be able
to break ground with this show and it has been really well received.

We are almost finished shooting Season Three of PDTV, which will feature Massad
Ayoob, Clint Smith, the world-class instructors at Gunsite, Tiger McKee of
Shootrite (a new addition to PDTV), and a new weekly feature I think you'll
enjoy. That begins airing in October. You'll see Heidi Smith and Il Ling New on
the show this year, too. We bring the best instructors to you.

And...you didn't really think that after three years of bringing you the
ground-breaking instruction on PDTV we were going to leave it at that, did you?
Stay tuned for even more programs about the topics which you hear on "Tom
Gresham's Gun Talk" radio show every week.
HUGE ATTABOYS!
Just as Gun Talk Radio was ground-breaking, and PDTV was ground-breaking, so,
too, is the Gun Talk Truth Squad. You folks have really jumped on the "no
shrug" policy, and you are sending letters to newspapers all over the country,
and they are being printed.

Believe me when I tell you that this makes a difference. Just look at the
comments made online at newspaper web sites whenever a Truth Squad member gets
a "truth missile" printed. Others step forward with positive comments about
firearms ownership, the common sense reality of protecting yourself and your
family, and the need to protect (and take back) the Second Amendment. Keep it
up. It's working!

It's not me. It's you. And YOU are getting it done.

-- Tom Gresham

I hope my tivo knows to tape all personal defense TV shows. The most encouraging notion is who would have thought 2 different channels would be broadcasting shows of this caliber (no pun intended) 10 yrs ago. More is better, the word is getting out.


Dave

[tumblebug]

Looking foward to all the new show's for 09 .And old show's in new places or not.

[Marshal Halloway]

The more programs about shooting sports the better! It just means more people are joining us in the shooting sports, AIN'T IT GREAT.

From a viewer's perspective, this is exactly the bottom line and outcome of last week's maneuvers by the networks.
When one door closes because of corporate decisions, another opens up. In this case, we are talking about more than one door.

For us, being involved as hosts, producers and promoters, we deal with changes all the time and we adjust, adapt and move on. But we never lose sight of the main goal. That "main goal" NOT being, to take  the changes and make them a personal thing. But to continue marching on, promoting and preserving the shooting sports, hunting and the second amendment. When we are forced to make changes, we are also forced to think outside of the established mindset, and to be more creative.
There has been a whole lot of buzz -- negative and positive that has been created around this topic.
In my opinion, it has established positive new communication lines and  brought about new ideas, which will be beneficial for you as viewers.

Michael B, Tom G, , Jim S. and all the rest of us working on and behind the "sets" to deliver shows, videos and related campaigns from the industry, will keep moving on with a positive attitude, bringing to you the best information and entertainment that we can.

You as viewers will benefit from all of this no matter what. 



 
 

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