The National Rifle Association has reportedly terminated production on NRATV and has split with advertising firm Ackerman McQueen, which operates the NRA’s live broadcasting.
The New York Times reported that the channel will continue to air past content, but hosts like Dana Loesch will no longer represent the NRA.
“Many members expressed concern about the messaging on NRATV becoming too far removed from our core mission: defending the Second Amendment. So, after careful consideration, I am announcing that starting today, we are undergoing a significant change in our communications strategy. We are no longer airing ’live TV’ programming,” Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s chief executive, said in a memo likely being sent out to members Wednesday.
The announcement comes after months of the NRA and Ackerman’s relationship being strained, leading them to end their almost four-decade-long partnership last month.
Ackerman said in a statement it was “not surprised that the NRA is unwilling to honor its agreement to end our contract and our long-standing relationship in an orderly and amicable manner.”
“When given the opportunity to do the right thing, the NRA once again has taken action that we believe is intended to harm our company even at the expense of the NRA itself,” the company added, according to The Times. It added it “will continue to fight against the NRA’s repeated violations of its agreement with our company with every legal remedy available to us.”
The split comes as the N.Y. Attorney General Office has investigated and issued subpoenas into the NRA’s tax-exempt status and reports of “questionable payments” by the nonprofit, which is chartered in New York.
Former President Oliver North said in a letter read during the NRA’s annual convention in April that he would not seek a second term as president but would be creating a committee to examine Mr. LaPierre’s potential financial mismanagement.
“If true, the NRA nonprofit status is threatened. There is a clear crisis that needs to be dealt with immediately and responsibly so the NRA can continue to focus on protecting our Second Amendment,” he wrote.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this article.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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