Bay Area TV News stations KGO (ABC7), KPIX and NBC Bay Area (KNTV) will begin sharing helicopter duties and it all is effective starting Monday, a reliable source tells me.
I'm surprised this hasn't taken place sooner.
Friday, July 29, 2022
Breaking News: KGO, KPIX and NBC Bay Area to Begin Sharing Helicopter Coverage Starting Monday
415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE...
This is more a budgetary move than anything else plus it's also reflective of how stations are searching for ways to trim unnecessary costs. When lean years emerge like now, it's easy to find a way to cut stuff like this and helicopter use is highly expensive.
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WOW, this should be interesting.
ReplyDelete......Why? It won't look any different from your point of view.
DeleteHey! Here's a place where Ryan Yamamoto can shine. The whirl of the chopper blades will drown out his light, lilt-like voice. And the whole Bay Area, actually the ones with no life and insist on watching local TV news, can regurgitate in his presence.
ReplyDeleteI’m not a fan of Darya Folsom. Guess what? I don’t watch her. If you don’t like a newscaster time to change the channel.
Deletecutting cost in media works for me, less inflated egos to deal with
ReplyDeleteI hope the chopper has three extra seats so each station can have their "eye in the sky" crack reporter onboard.
ReplyDeleteTo save the environment by saving fuel, each station should assign their lightest reporter to chopper duty.
Who is the light-weight reporter from each of those stations?
I'm guessing the gals would have the advantage.
hire Les Nessman so he can continue to pound his chest for sound effect.
DeleteThey talk about the same thing every day. Nothing new to ever talk about. Why do any of them need a helicopter? Are they doing a live Monkeypox report from the clouds?
ReplyDeleteThey might want to see if "systemic racism" looks any different from the air.
DeleteFor a large market, it’s kind of showing it’s times now. Normally you’ll see this in smaller markets.
ReplyDeleteSan Diego for example, They all use one chopper for all of its stations. KFMB however has the rights so it’s logo is on the chopper.
KGTV used to have a chopper but it was sold to KXTV in Sacramento.
KNSD got rid of theirs back in 2008 during the NBC budget cuts.
In Los Angeles, KCBS/KCAL and FOX11 now share helicopters.
Meanwhile "Sky Fox" is a solo flier. I'm surprised they weren't the firts ones to piggyback, given how cheap Fox corporate is.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though the stations have been using the same film footage as is seen on the other station’s news reports and that’s been happening a lot. I’ve noticed on 99.7 Big Bay Mornings, the station replays all their shows whenever it’s convenient for them during the 3.5 hours of their morning shows. They’re only on for 3.5 hours each weekday. Can’t they use new material? Do they have to replay certain segments? Dirty on the 30, trivia, The Love trap is ok to replay. I always wonder if they tape the first hour and replay the rest of the show….
ReplyDeleteOkay? Who keeps the gas card and how many Safeway Rewards Fuel points does everyone have to contribute to keep the Easter egg in the sky? Does the Lt. become the permanent pilot for all of the affiliates?
ReplyDeletei was thinking the same thing. this is a job for the LT.
DeleteThen how come when a reporter is on the news, the other station cannot interview them when it is “news”. So far only Vic Lee appear on KRON while working for KGO years ago
ReplyDeleteHuh?
DeleteI guess KRON-4 will stick with its "Dronecopter 4" service.
ReplyDeleteMy sources are telling me that to save even further on costs, Henry Tenenbaum will perform pilot duties for all 3 stations.
ReplyDeleteThis a budget move by the stations. Having multiple camera angles coming from the helicopter or chopper is going to be interesting...
ReplyDeleteAt least there is still sky Fox
ReplyDeleteIDK if KCBS/KCAL and KTTV share a bird anymore. They’re no longer with Angel City Air. Whomever their new provider is has three choppers for their use. The previous deal gave KTTV audio and video in the morning and video only to KCBS and the reverse in the evening. Now that KCAL is about to debut a seven hour morning broadcast, there’s no way KCAL can have video only for that length of time with the amount of “breaking news” that goes on down here, but I suppose we’ll see.
ReplyDeleteDo any station need a $300,000 a year traffic reporter (ie Sal Castaneda) to tell us that the bay bridge toll booth is backed up?
ReplyDeleteKNBC in L.A. has been flying 2 airships during ratings. But now that NBC-Comcast-Universal has posted flat 3rd Q stock numbers, we can expect KNBC to Ax "Alpha" or "Bravo" real soon. @ $1500 per hour....Bye!
ReplyDeleteRemember back in the day when KGO, KCBS and others had their own choppers for morning and afternoon traffic...
ReplyDeleteI will take you back to the golden days of KSFO when a neighbor of Don Sherwood, Hap Harper, became the first airborne traffic reporter. Later Hap was succeeded by Warren Bogguss, who flew out of Buchanan Field with reliable morning traffic reports. He inspired me to earn a pilot's license after college.
DeleteFASTRAK and the CHP already tell us everything we need to know about traffic. Why bother with a noisy bird? Use 511.org before you head off in the Krapillac, save yourself some gas and headaches
ReplyDeleteMaybe Amy G. will find a way to
ReplyDeleteget back on the Giants’’ broadcasts by becoming the Giants’ ‘aireal reporter.’ “ Look down on the field. Those are little leaguers who collected autographs from Will, the Thrill Clark before the game! My husband, ( the pompous ESPN TV Raider reporter Paul Guitierrez,) and I got to meet The Thrill at a Giants’ party s few years ago. Our friend, ‘the Great’ Larry Baer introduced us!”
The local traffic reports are many times inaccurate and late. KCBS’ new owners, ( Audacy,) stopped using helicopters because it was costing too much.
ReplyDeleteTwo of the three were already sharing a helicopter and all three went through the same company. Not really much news, here.
ReplyDeleteKGO has always tried to cover news more agressively than KPIX and KNTV. The problem is that when one of the dumpy stations has control of the helo dispatch (they trade off) and if they don't want to send KGO is F'ed. Just another step down the ladder of S news.
DeleteDumpy stations? Your circle-7 lapel pin is showing. If they're worried about slumming it with the other stations, they can continue paying for their own chopper, can't they?
DeleteMaybe Rita Cohen from Telecopter 4 is available. Wonder what she has been up to? Think she stopped being the KRON helicopter face in the early 90s.
ReplyDeleteThats funny I did not think KGO had a news department. KFI and KNX actually have news departments. Lee just makes sure he has Chris M. to stand whenever need to BS his way through the afternoon. Rothman looks for minor new stories to act on instead of the real picture of what is really going on with the economy. He sure forgot about Ukraine and Inflation quick. "Joe is doing a great job" three cheers for climate change etc.
ReplyDeleteYou’re confusing TV with radio. KGO radio has 3 news update anchors. Kim, Paul, and Clark. Traffic reports and off-hour updates come from iHeartMedia’s Total Traffic.
Delete