View Full Version : Michael Bane letter to legislators
From: Michael BaneDate: Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 4:09 PM
Subject: OUTDOOR CHANNEL Pulls Productions from Colorado
To: Steve King
Dear Senator King;
I met you yesterday after the so-called "public hearings" on the antigun bills; as I mentioned, I
am an Executive Producer for OUTDOOR CHANNEL. I currently have four series in
production, included GUN STORIES, the top show on OC, with several additional series in
development. My series focus on guns, hunting, shooting and the outdoors.
This morning I met with my three Producers, and we made the decision that if these antigun bills
become law, we will be moving all of our production OUT of Colorado. We have already
cancelled a scheduled filming session for late this month. Obviously, part of this is due to our
own commitment to the right to keep and bear arms, but it also reflects 3 lawyers' opinions that
these laws are so poorly drafted and so designed to trap otherwise legal citizens into a crime (one
of our attorneys referred to them as "flypaper laws") that it is simply too dangerous for us to film
here.
I can give you chapter and verse on the legal implications if you need, but suffice to say that the
first legal opinion was so scary we went out and got two others. Al three attorneys agreed.
We are relatively small potatoes in television, but our relocation of production will cost Colorado
a little less than a million dollars in 2013.
Secondly, we have proudly promoted Colorado in our productions (and have been moving more
and more production into the state); now we will do exactly the opposite. What does this mean
for Colorado? The community of television producers is a small one. Last week I had lunch with
a major network producer who was looking to locate his new reality series in Colorado. That
producer is also a shooter, and the new reality series will now be based out of Phoenix. That
lunch cost Colorado over a million in economic impact.
Thirdly, according to numbers I received from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (for
whom I used to work) yesterday, hunting had an almost $800,000,000 impact on Colorado in
2012, driving as many as 8330 jobs. Next month I will be in Texas meeting with most of the top
outdoor/hunting producers, and the Number One agenda item will be Colorado. Already, hunting
organizations and statewide hunting clubs around the country are pulling out of Colorado, and
we expect this trend to accelerate rapidly.
The message we will take to our viewers and listeners is that these proposed laws are so
dangerous to hunters and any other person, be she a fisherman or a skier who brings a handgun
into the state for self-defense, that we cannot recommend hunting, fishing or visiting Colorado.
We reach millions of people, and, quite frankly, we have a credibility that Colorado government
officials can no longer match. Colorado Division of Wildlife is already running ads trying to bring more out-of-state hunters to Colorado...in light of the flood of negative publicity about
these proposed laws, I can assure you those ads will fail.
We estimate that as many as one-quarter to one-third of out-of-state hunters will desert Colorado
in the next 18-24 months, which will quite frankly be a disaster for the hunting industry in
Colorado and have a devastating effect on our western and northern communities (certainly like
Grand Junction).
This is not a "boycott" in the traditional sense of a centralized, organized operation; rather, it is
more of a grassroots decision on where shooters, hunters and other sportsmen are willing to
spend their money. Look at the collapse of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in February.
That venerable multimillion dollar trade show chose to ban modern sporting rifles and standard
capacity magazines, and with three weeks it collapsed as all vendors and sponsors pulled out.
Colorado is going to pay a huge price for laws that will do nothing.
Thank you, sir, for your support.
Best.
Michael Bane
OUTDOOR CHANNEL
mbane@outdoorchannel.com
Rooskibar03
03-09-2013, 21:19
That is awesome. Not that any of them will actually read it or listen.
Goodburbon
03-09-2013, 21:21
That letter was read in the Senate yesterday. Deaf ears.
Good for them. But I'm also afraid it may well fall on deaf ears.
ChunkyMonkey
03-09-2013, 21:24
It was being read along with the money being requested by DOW to promote Colorado Outdoor activity... Like many have said yesterday..lefty would probably say 'GOOD, dont come here'
Kraven251
03-09-2013, 21:25
Now that is a letter, and it speaks to things to come if they pass this shit.
Kraven251
03-09-2013, 21:26
It was being read along with the money being requested by DOW to promote Colorado Outdoor activity... Like many have said yesterday..lefty would probably say 'GOOD, dont come here'
They must think the Colorado economy runs on government cheese.
Goodburbon
03-09-2013, 21:26
Not only was it read, the key points were restated at least 2x. The dems were playing with their ipads and bullshitting on the benches.
battle_sight_zero
03-09-2013, 21:34
My brother in law owns Colorado based http://www.outdooredge.com/ . He has a couple of TV shows such as Love of The Hunt. He brings about 6-7 million into the economy each year. He belives there will be ramifications for the Colorado hunting industry as well. He could be boycotted as well, he says he will stick it out but how could he if lost one third of his business. I guess the pot tourism will make up for Magpul and losses for Outdoor Edge and the Outdoor Channel -not-
nzachman
03-09-2013, 21:41
Sad deal.
BPTactical
03-09-2013, 21:43
I have spoken with Michael on 3 seperate occasions and I really feel for the man. All he wants to do is what he has been doing, educating people.
The politicos don't give a hoot what any of us think or how many dollars this state loses.
They have dollars coming in from back east and sportsmen dollars will be replaced with 64A and pridefest dollars.
They don't care, they don't listen.
Kraven251
03-09-2013, 21:50
I have spoken with Michael on 3 seperate occasions and I really feel for the man. All he wants to do is what he has been doing, educating people.
The politicos don't give a hoot what any of us think or how many dollars this state loses.
They have dollars coming in from back east and sportsmen dollars will be replaced with 64A and pridefest dollars.
They don't care, they don't listen.
Non-renewable revenue, is what I call that crap.
My brother in law owns Colorado based http://www.outdooredge.com/ . He has a couple of TV shows such as Love of The Hunt. He brings about 6-7 million into the economy each year. He belives there will be ramifications for the Colorado hunting industry as well. He could be boycotted as well, he says he will stick it out but how could he if lost one third of his business. I guess the pot tourism will make up for Magpul and losses for Outdoor Edge and the Outdoor Channel -not-
Tell him I'd be more than happy to do some tv shows with him. I live to hunt. I probably think about it more than sex.
sneakerd
03-09-2013, 22:07
Wow- just wow.[Bang][Rant1][Mad]
Inconel710
03-09-2013, 22:42
That's an excellent letter and it speaks to something that's bothering me. I started hunting just last year (thank my step- father for that) and it looks like I'll be moving for work reasons before next elk season. I was prepared to buy one more resident tag and try my damnedest to get back, but these laws have made me reconsider that. At least the legislative season will be over before the big game deadline.
scratchy
03-09-2013, 23:06
They (libs) will not feel pain until all revenue sources dry up and revenue sumps (welfare recipients) multiply. Then they will wonder why there is rioting.
Tell him I'd be more than happy to do some tv shows with him. I live to hunt. I probably think about it more than sex.
This could have ramifications.[Flower]
Just in case you did not know, Michael has been down at the capitol with us at least 3 days and has been very involved in the process. We were fortunate to have him with us. It is not deaf ears, it is more Bloomberg and Biden and whatever they said that has convinced them to vote against their own constituents.
Byte Stryke
03-10-2013, 10:32
Tell him I'd be more than happy to do some tv shows with him. I live to hunt. I probably think about it more than sex.
WTF is wrong with you?
[werdo]
WTF is wrong with you?
[werdo]
[gohome]
Makes you wonder how the Dems will react to the fact that DOW will be out shooting deer and elk to thin herds that otherwise would be thinned with regulated paying hunters. Then they will want tax increases to fund DOW. I have spent years explaining to non hunters why hunting is necessary to keep the animal population healthy, and keep them from overpopulation and starvation.
JohnTRourke
03-10-2013, 12:31
outstanding letter
fuck 'em (colorado), I totally agree.
I will spend as little as possible in this state as I work my way rapidly out of it. They don't respect my rights, I'm certainly not feeding my enemy.
Too bad all they think about is how much money Bloomberg is giving them and they can say that taxes on pot will replace lost dollars from hunting shows.
halletts
03-10-2013, 14:30
Colorado doesn't need to worry about losing money due to these actions. As has already been discussed, Bloomberg will step into the gap. After all, there's an infinite amount of money to go 'round:
“We are spending money we don’t have,” Mr. Bloomberg explained. “It’s not like your household. In your household, people are saying, ‘Oh, you can’t spend money you don’t have.’ That is true for your household because nobody is going to lend you an infinite amount of money. When it comes to the United States federal government, people do seem willing to lend us an infinite amount of money. … Our debt is so big and so many people own it that it’s preposterous to think that they would stop selling us more. It’s the old story: If you owe the bank $50,000, you got a problem. If you owe the bank $50 million, they got a problem. And that’s a problem for the lenders. They can’t stop lending us more money.”
http://politicker.com/2013/03/mayor-bloomberg-dont-panic-about-the-sequester/
kidicarus13
03-16-2013, 07:52
The Outdoor Channel, a very popular cable network for hunters, fishermen and outdoors type people, has notified the Colorado Senate Republican Caucus that they are prepared to pull all of their productions out of the state if the anti-gun laws are passed. Currently, the Outdoor Channel has four cable program series being produced in Colorado, including their most popular program ‘Gun Stories.’
Michael Bane, executive producer and host of Outdoor Channel, sent an email to State Sen. Steve King (R-Grand Junction) stating in part:
“This morning I met with my three Producers, and we made the decision that if these antigun bills become law, we will be moving all of our production OUT of Colorado. We have already cancelled a scheduled filming session for late this month. Obviously, part of this is due to our own commitment to the right to keep and bear arms, but it also reflects 3 lawyers’ opinions that these laws are so poorly drafted and so designed to trap otherwise legal citizens into a crime (one of our attorneys referred to them as ‘flypaper laws’) that it is simply too dangerous for us to film here.”
“I can give you chapter and verse on the legal implications if you need, but suffice to say that the first legal opinion was so scary we went out and got two others. Al three attorneys agreed.”
“We are relatively small potatoes in television, but our relocation of production will cost Colorado a little less than a million dollars in 2013.”
“Secondly, we have proudly promoted Colorado in our productions (and have been moving more and more production into the state); now we will do exactly the opposite. What does this mean for Colorado? The community of television producers is a small one. Last week I had lunch with a major network producer who was looking to locate his new reality series in Colorado. That producer is also a shooter, and the new reality series will now be based out of Phoenix. That lunch cost Colorado over a million in economic impact.
“Thirdly, according to numbers I received from the National Shooting Sports Foundation yesterday, hunting had an almost $800,000,000 impact on Colorado in 2012, driving as many as 8330 jobs. Next month I will be in Texas meeting with most of the top outdoor/hunting producers, and the Number One agenda item will be Colorado. Already, hunting organizations and statewide hunting clubs around the country are pulling out of Colorado, and we expect this trend to accelerate rapidly.”
“The message we will take to our viewers and listeners is that these proposed laws are so dangerous to hunters and any other person, be she a fisherman or a skier who brings a handgun into the state for self-defense, that we cannot recommend hunting, fishing or visiting Colorado. We reach millions of people, and, quite frankly, we have credibility that Colorado government officials can no longer match. Colorado Division of Wildlife is already running ads trying to bring more out-of-state hunters to Colorado…in light of the flood of negative publicity about these proposed laws, I can assure you those ads will fail.”
Blockhead
03-16-2013, 07:57
[Score]
Michael is a personal friend and this is no bluff either. His sponsors were (would have) questioning him on this even if he did not do it himself. Really sad.
Recalls, constitutional amendments, etc could undue some of this. But if HB13-1224 passes, MagPul is gone regardless of whether we can undo it in November or not.
buckeye4rnr
03-16-2013, 08:16
Is it just me or is every single sentence written twice?
Is it just me or is every single sentence written twice? no, yes.
bigshane
03-16-2013, 08:20
Your post developed a horrible stutter. I can't read it can't read it read it
BPTactical
03-16-2013, 08:23
Magpull is out of here regardless
robertcolorado2009
03-16-2013, 08:44
It's all for the children, if it just saves one life, it'll all be worth it, you'll see, just watch.[Flower]
kidicarus13
03-16-2013, 08:45
Your post developed a horrible stutter. I can't read it can't read it read it
Sorry, my cellphone stutters and and it is working with a speech therapist daily to alleviate the problem.
Please provide a link to the original content. I can't read that gibberish.
The Dems don't care that our major sources of revenue are drying up with these ridiculous laws. Hell, money appears magically, dontcha know?
kidicarus13
03-16-2013, 10:04
Please provide a link to the original content. I can't read that gibberish.
Yes Sir... http://www.gunauction.com/news/index.cfm/march-15-2013/outdoor-channel-blacklists-colorado-over-gun-control-laws/
Sorry Sir
Great-Kazoo
03-16-2013, 10:16
I am all for each and every mfg, vendor tv show etc boycotting CO. Unfortunately the loss of revenue will never receive the attention it deserves like the Amendment 2 debacle did.
KevDen2005
03-16-2013, 11:14
Your post developed a horrible stutter. I can't read it can't read it read it
Yeah, that was painful
kidicarus13
03-16-2013, 11:38
Yeah, that was painful
Fixed it. Let me know when everyone is happy.
Fixed it. Let me know when everyone is happy.
When you can just fix the legislators, then we will all be happy. [Beer]
Very nice. Dems don't care about fiscal ramifications. As long as you feel like you're safe and feel like you're rich, who cares what reality is, right?! It's all good......It's nice to see those in the film business with some backbone, character and principles for a change.
spqrzilla
03-16-2013, 14:58
The background check bill requires them to leave. You can't have a film production where the film's armorer is vulnerable to prosecution because they didn't shoot on a compliant range.
I just recieved this from a friend and thought the forum should know. I don't see another thread like it.
OUTDOOR CHANNEL PULLS PRODUCTION FROM COLORADO DUE TO CO SENATE BETRAYING 2ND RIGHTS!
From: Michael Bane
Date: Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 4:09 PM
Subject: OUTDOOR CHANNEL Pulls Productions from Colorado
To: Steve King
Dear Senator King;
I met you yesterday after the so-called "public hearings" on the anti-gun bills; as I mentioned, I am an Executive Producer for OUTDOOR CHANNEL. I currently have four series in production, including GUN STORIES, the top show on OC, with several additional series in development. My series focus on guns, hunting, shooting and the outdoors.
This morning I met with my three Producers, and we made the decision that if these anti-gun bills become law, we will be moving all of our production OUT of Colorado. We have already canceled a scheduled filming session for late this month. Obviously, part of this is due to our own commitment to the right to keep and bear arms, but it also reflects 3 lawyers' opinions that these laws are so poorly drafted and so designed to trap otherwise legal citizens into a crime (one of our attorneys referred to them as "flypaper laws") that it is simply too dangerous for us to film here.
I can give you chapter and verse on the legal implications if you need, but suffice to say that the first legal opinion was so scary we went out and got two others. Al three attorneys agreed.
We are relatively small potatoes in television, but our relocation of production will cost Colorado a little less than a million dollars in 2013.
Secondly, we have proudly promoted Colorado in our productions (and have been moving more and more production into the state); now we will do exactly the opposite. What does this mean for Colorado? The community of television producers is a small one. Last week I had lunch with a major network producer who was looking to locate his new reality series in Colorado. That producer is also a shooter, and the new reality series will now be based out of Phoenix. That lunch cost Colorado over a million in economic impact.
Thirdly, according to numbers I received from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (for whom I used to work) yesterday, hunting had an almost $800,000,000 impact on Colorado in 2012, driving as many as 8330 jobs. Next month I will be in Texas meeting with most of the top outdoor/hunting producers, and the Number One agenda item will be Colorado. Already, hunting organizations and statewide hunting clubs around the country are pulling out of Colorado, and we expect this trend to accelerate rapidly.
The message we will take to our viewers and listeners is that these proposed laws are so dangerous to hunters and any other person, be she a fisherman or a skier who brings a handgun into the state for self-defense, that we cannot recommend hunting, fishing or visiting Colorado. We reach millions of people, and, quite frankly, we have a credibility that Colorado government officials can no longer match. Colorado Division of Wildlife is already running ads trying to bring more out-of-state hunters to Colorado...in light of the flood of negative publicity about these proposed laws, I can assure you those ads will fail.
We estimate that as many as one-quarter to one-third of out-of-state hunters will desert Colorado in the next 18-24 months, which will quite frankly be a disaster for the hunting industry in Colorado and have a devastating effect on our western and northern communities (certainly cities like Grand Junction).
This is not a "boycott" in the traditional sense of a centralized, organized operation; rather, it is more of a grassroots decision on where shooters, hunters and other sportsmen are willing to spend their money. Look at the collapse of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in February. That venerable multimillion dollar trade show chose to ban modern sporting rifles and standard capacity magazines, and within three weeks it collapsed as all vendors and sponsors pulled out.
Colorado is going to pay a huge price for laws that will do nothing. Thank you, sir, for your support.
Best.
Michael Bane
OUTDOOR CHANNEL mbane@outdoorchannel.com
Still sad to see another industry is pulling out of Colorado. We are being pinched from the east and west coast crazies.
I miss my state and miss how things used to be.
theGinsue
04-07-2013, 22:48
3 threads merged
3 threads merged
Thanks, it is hard to see where these overlap. I did do searches.
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