Amazon Targeted in Calls to Drop NRA TV App, Which Is Also on Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast
Amazon is in the crosshairs of a campaign pushing it to drop the National Rifle Association’s NRA TV streaming service from its devices, in the wake of the deadly mass shooting last week at a Florida high school.
On Thursday, the hashtag “#StopNRAmazon” was trending on Twitter in the U.S. Those urging Amazon to give NRA TV the boot included several Hollywood figures, including Warren Leight, executive producer of “Law & Order: SVU,” and actors Jon Cryer, Ally Walker, Evan Handler, Amy Hargreaves, John Fugelsang, Joshua Malina, Heather Whaley and Piper Perabo.
The NRA TV service, however, is also available on Apple TV, Roku and Google’s Chromecast. Why Amazon — and CEO Jeff Bezos — are being singled out isn’t completely clear. Amazon is a massive corporation, but so are Apple and Google.
Reps for Amazon, Apple and Google did not respond to requests for comment.
A Roku spokeswoman, asked for comment, said, “We are an open platform for streaming and allow publishers to reach a TV audience.” Roku plans to continue to offer NRA TV, and the company has not received any requests from customers to drop the channel, she added.
The NRA describes the free 24-hour streaming service, which offers a lineup of 22 original series, like this: “The new NRA TV is your source for the world’s most comprehensive video coverage of Second Amendment issues, events and culture. This channel brings together the powerful programs and personalities of NRA Life of Duty, NRA Freestyle, NRA Women and more into a single platform. Whether you’re a new shooter or a lifelong advocate, there’s no better place to stay apprised of the truth about firearms and the Second Amendment.”
Launched in late 2016, NRA TV — which carries the slogan “America’s Most Patriotic Team on a Mission to Take Back The Truth” — has been described as “a hybrid of Breitbart [News] and Infowars” by progressive watchdog group Media Matters for America.
The uproar over NRA TV on Amazon seems to have been fueled by a piece on the service by the New York Times on Wednesday, although that story noted that it’s available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku.
In addition, on Wednesday evening, NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch appeared at CNN’s town hall event in Florida about the massacre, and NRA chief Wayne LaPierre spoke Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
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