Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 22:50:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: NRA Alerts <[a--er--s] at [nra.org]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[r k ba alert] at [mainstream.net]>
Subject: INFO: What is NBC news cooking up?

September 19, 1996

What's new?  Can't talk about it.

That's the official word from an NBC News producer when NRA asked if
we could be of help in the production of ... what?

What is NBC news cooking up?

Whatever it is, the NBC News production involves fake guns and
non-existent ammo, and cameras roll tomorrow.

On Thursday, September 19, a gun store in New York City sent us a fax
they received from NBC News.  NBC's letter was a bizarre shopping list
of guns and ammo -- some real, some fake and some downright illegal.

NBC News intended the guns "To be used as props.... please bring an
assortment of guns," the NBC letter implored.  "This may include:
starter pistol, glock, 9 MM standard, 38, Saturday night special, 45
automatic, 25 caliber semi-automatic, sawed-off shotgun, 357 magnum
and rifles.... and replicas if possible."

Saturday night special?  Sawed-off shotgun?  Is this news or is it
nonsense?

We called the gun shop to confirm legitimacy.  The letter was indeed
sent to the store by NBC's "Broadcast Creative Services" on September
18, 1996, on behalf of an NBC News producer.

"We turned them down," the shop told us.  "'Saturday night special?'"
the dealer said.  "That's a term of fiction!"

And it gets worse.

"Also," the NBC News letter continues, "Please bring ammunition
including cop-killer bullets."  NBC News was looking for props, but
asking for propaganda.

We telephoned the NBC News producer about the firearms and ammunition
request.  The producer said the items were obtained from another
source.

Thinking it was safe to presume that NBC was doing a story on
firearms, we asked whether NRA might be of assistance.  The producer
said no.

When asked what sort of production was in the works, he said flatly,
"Whether I agree with you or not, we are a news division.  We don't
discuss that."

There are a few things we'd like to see discussed.

We'd like to discuss what a news division is doing requesting nothing
more than a term of fiction ("Saturday night special").  Do they mean
affordable, self-defense firearms?

We'd like to discuss why a news division expects a legitimate dealer
to carry an illegal gun.  Do they realize that sawed-off shotguns are
worth years in prison?

Above all, we'd like to discuss what a news division expects to see
when it requests ammunition that exists only in the minds of Clinton
campaign strategists.  Do they understand that the real cop-killers
are the two-legged variety?  According to the FBI, 73% of all those
who kill law enforcement officers have prior criminal histories.

You may wish to discuss those same issues with NBC News.

You might also ask why a major network news operation adopts, as
facts, propagandistic terms -- terms that have found a place in the
network's routine correspondence and possibly on to the airwaves
themselves.

Members may call NBC News at 212-664-4444.

=+=+=+=+
This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA.

This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is
available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org