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Want to buy a gun on your couch at 3 a.m.? Now you can
Carly Twissleman, a professional rodeo competitor with blonde hair and a big smile, clutched a gray 9mm pistol in her hand, then posed for the camera. The gun was “super easy” to carry and use, she said, diving into her new job as a home shopping host. A price tag flashed at the bottom of the television screen – $249.99.
“The cool thing is, you can do this too,” Twissleman said. “Call 844-My-GunTV right now. We can get this in your hands.”
GunTV, a shopping channel that has been billed as similar to iTunes but for firearms, began broadcasting from a studio in Thousand Palms at 10 p.m. on Thursday. The channel launched with six hours of programming from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., but has plans to expand to a 24-hour lineup by the end of its first year. Locally, GunTV is available on Verizon Fios subscribers on channel 158. Nationwide, the network has also been picked up by dozens of smaller affiliates, but is not being shown by Time Warner Cable.
GunTV is filming in a renovated Thousand Palms television studio, formerly known as the Palm Springs Film Factory, designed for a cooking show or commercials. The channel founders are Doug Bornstein and Valerie Castle, a couple with professional backgrounds in shopping networks and who live in Rancho Mirage.
GunTV turned down all interview requests on Thursday, but did put out a news release. The studios were closed to the press.
“We are very excited to bring our new concept of shopping for firearms and accessories to live television," Castle said in the release. "Our unique platform allows industry manufacturers to showcase products through our talented and experienced on-air hosts. Viewers will receive in-depth, entertaining product demonstrations, and see the products in action, an important component of the purchasing decision.”
The development of GunTV became public knowledge last November when The Desert Sun broke a story revealing the network was setting up in the Coachella Valley. A few weeks later, two ISIS-inspired terrorists killed 14 people in San Bernardino, a city only an hour drive from the Thousand Palms filming location. The nationwide debate over gun control became focused on the Inland Empire, with national media criticizing the shopping channel as ill-timed.
Soon after, GunTV's launch was delayed. The channel grew quiet, stopping all public statements and social media postings, until its launch was abruptly announced in the news release on Thursday morning.
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According to the statement, GunTV will dedicate three minutes of every hour to firearms safety.
“We understand that the more informed we are as consumers, the better purchasing decisions we make," Castle said. "At GunTV, safety is our number one priority."
A television screen displays GunTV footage during filming
A television screen displays GunTV footage during filming in this undated photo. (Photo: Courtesy of GunTV)
GunTV appears to be modeled after existing shopping channels, like the Home Shopping Network and QVC TV, but will face more stringent restrictions. Unlike the jewelry, commemorative coins or decorative plates sold on other channels, firearms can’t be mailed across state lines or sold to just anyone.
To work within gun laws, GunTV won’t actually sell firearms directly to its viewers. Instead, when a buyer calls GunTV, the network will place an order on behalf of that viewer with Sports South, a Louisiana firearms distributor. Sports South will then ship the weapon to a local gun store, where it can be purchased like normal by the viewer.
In a prior interview, an official from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the sales process appears to adhere to the laws that regulate gun sales. However, she still argued that GunTV was trivializing the sale of firearms.
“Buying a gun is a serious decision,” said Laura Cutilletta, senior staff attorney for the Law Center, “If you are going to buy a gun for your home, it’s not a decision you should be making at 3 in the morning because you are watching TV.”
Carly Twissleman, a professional rodeo competitor with blonde hair and a big smile, clutched a gray 9mm pistol in her hand, then posed for the camera. The gun was “super easy” to carry and use, she said, diving into her new job as a home shopping host. A price tag flashed at the bottom of the television screen – $249.99.
“The cool thing is, you can do this too,” Twissleman said. “Call 844-My-GunTV right now. We can get this in your hands.”
GunTV, a shopping channel that has been billed as similar to iTunes but for firearms, began broadcasting from a studio in Thousand Palms at 10 p.m. on Thursday. The channel launched with six hours of programming from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., but has plans to expand to a 24-hour lineup by the end of its first year. Locally, GunTV is available on Verizon Fios subscribers on channel 158. Nationwide, the network has also been picked up by dozens of smaller affiliates, but is not being shown by Time Warner Cable.
GunTV is filming in a renovated Thousand Palms television studio, formerly known as the Palm Springs Film Factory, designed for a cooking show or commercials. The channel founders are Doug Bornstein and Valerie Castle, a couple with professional backgrounds in shopping networks and who live in Rancho Mirage.
GunTV turned down all interview requests on Thursday, but did put out a news release. The studios were closed to the press.
“We are very excited to bring our new concept of shopping for firearms and accessories to live television," Castle said in the release. "Our unique platform allows industry manufacturers to showcase products through our talented and experienced on-air hosts. Viewers will receive in-depth, entertaining product demonstrations, and see the products in action, an important component of the purchasing decision.”
The development of GunTV became public knowledge last November when The Desert Sun broke a story revealing the network was setting up in the Coachella Valley. A few weeks later, two ISIS-inspired terrorists killed 14 people in San Bernardino, a city only an hour drive from the Thousand Palms filming location. The nationwide debate over gun control became focused on the Inland Empire, with national media criticizing the shopping channel as ill-timed.
Soon after, GunTV's launch was delayed. The channel grew quiet, stopping all public statements and social media postings, until its launch was abruptly announced in the news release on Thursday morning.
DESERT SUN
After San Bernardino, concealed gun requests skyrocket
According to the statement, GunTV will dedicate three minutes of every hour to firearms safety.
“We understand that the more informed we are as consumers, the better purchasing decisions we make," Castle said. "At GunTV, safety is our number one priority."
A television screen displays GunTV footage during filming
A television screen displays GunTV footage during filming in this undated photo. (Photo: Courtesy of GunTV)
GunTV appears to be modeled after existing shopping channels, like the Home Shopping Network and QVC TV, but will face more stringent restrictions. Unlike the jewelry, commemorative coins or decorative plates sold on other channels, firearms can’t be mailed across state lines or sold to just anyone.
To work within gun laws, GunTV won’t actually sell firearms directly to its viewers. Instead, when a buyer calls GunTV, the network will place an order on behalf of that viewer with Sports South, a Louisiana firearms distributor. Sports South will then ship the weapon to a local gun store, where it can be purchased like normal by the viewer.
In a prior interview, an official from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the sales process appears to adhere to the laws that regulate gun sales. However, she still argued that GunTV was trivializing the sale of firearms.
“Buying a gun is a serious decision,” said Laura Cutilletta, senior staff attorney for the Law Center, “If you are going to buy a gun for your home, it’s not a decision you should be making at 3 in the morning because you are watching TV.”