NBC Sponsors The Largest Gun Show In America: The SHOT Show Begins In Las Vegas Next Week
The NBC News Network is listed as the primary sponsor for the SHOT Show, the largest gun show held annually in Las Vegas. The Nevada gun show routinely attracts more than 30,000 patrons and 1,600 visitors. Companies sponsor events all the time, so why is this news? Multiple media outlets have jumped on the NBC SHOT Show sponsorship because the network’s on-air personality heavy heaters have been extremely vocal about both gun control and their opposition to gun shows.
The Shooting Hunting Outdoor Tradeshow (SHOT) is promoted as the “world’s premier exposition of combined firearms” and will be held in Las Vegas January 15-18.
NBC Sports journalist Bob Costas created quite a stir recently with what was perceived as an anti-gun rant after the death of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, the Washington Free Beacon notes. MSNBC Hardball political commentator Chris Matthews recently had this to about gun shows, according to broadcast excerpts republished by The Blaze:
“Why do we have gun shows? What’s a gun ‘show’?”
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough called the National Rifle Association (NRA) liars and poked fun at so-called survivalists who were allegedly fearful that harm would come to their “chickens and their wives.” Scarborough had this to say about the gun show ills:
“It’s just ridiculous what you can do in Virginia. Go to gun shows – the loopholes.”
MSNBC journalist Toure had this to say about gun shows during a recent broadcast:
“So many criminals get guns this way that some people call gun shows Tupperware parties for thugs.”
During a Bloomberg interview NBC spokesman Greg Hughes noted that the news organization had sponsored the SHOT Show in Las Vegas for several years. Hughes also stated that NBC sponsors the gun show as part of the company’s commitment to their “outdoor-programming block.”
Comcast is the parent company of NBC Universal and affiliate networks. Comcast lobbying chief David Cohen met with Vice President Joe Biden during the gun violence task force meetings on Thursday. The New York Times reports that Cohen was a “bundler” for donations to President Barack Obama. The Sunlight Foundation notes that Comcast spent approximately $28.1 million lobbying Congress during its last session.
News organizations, and companies in general, are fully entitled to sponsor gun shows, fishing tournaments, cheerleading competitions and any other type of legal activity or event. Considering the gun show stances uttered by some of the network’s top talent, do you the NBC SHOT Show sponsorship will strike a sour note with loyal viewers?
