Stations (besides NY, LA, Chicago, etc) with news helicopters

[EnbyCee]

> > The latest mind-numbing question to generate postings:
> >
> > What stations (besides the really big markets like New
> York,
> > Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.) make use of helicopters to
> cover
> > breaking news/traffic?
> >
> > In Alabama, I know of WKRG "News 5" in Mobile and "ABC
> > 33/40" (WBMA/WCFT/WJSU) for the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa
> > market.
> >
>
> Milwaukee:
>
> Chopper 4 with Power Zoom @ WTMJ-TV-"TMJ 4"
>
> Sky Fox 6 @ WITI-"Fox 6" (click on "News" and then "Sky Fox
> 6")
>
> News Chopper 12 @ WISN-TV-"WISN 12"
>
> as far as I know, CBS 58 does not have one and I'd laugh if
> SBG spent the money for NewsCentral to have one on WB-18.
>

I'd laugh even harder if Rockford stations got choppers....especially Fox 39!

 

[nuzguy]

> So The Answer Is ... There Are News Choppers Everywhere!!!

Remember the infamous Les Nessman on WKRP pounding himself on the chest to simulate the sound of rotor blades.

Then the Andy Travis character's response, "Well, stop doing that until we get you a REAL helicopter."

And Les's reply, "Gee thanks, Andy, my chest is killing me."
>

 

[CentralFLEagle]

News Helicopters In Tampa/St. Petersburg

> In the present ... last summer, when I went to Tampa, I saw
> a few news helicopters there ... one from WFTS and another
> from WTVT or WTSP.

WFLA-TV 8 (NBC) has "Eagle 8"

WTVT-TV 13 (FOX) has "Skyfox", a Bell Long Ranger and has the first gyrocam in the Tampa Bay area. I believe it's predecessor crashed a couple of years ago, killing the pilot and cameraman.

I believe Bay News 9 (Bright House Networks cable news channel) has a small chopper, which it uses mainly for traffic.

Only Fox 13 mentions it's helicopter on it's website.<P ID="signature">______________
Robert Charles Pickering
Lakeland, Florida</P>

 

[jh]

> The latest mind-numbing question to generate postings:
>
> What stations (besides the really big markets like New York,
> Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.) make use of helicopters to cover
> breaking news/traffic?
>

KCRG-TV 9 (ABC) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has had their own helicopter for the past ten years. It's also used for aerial photos for the co-owned newspaper, The Gazette, so maybe they can split the cost.

 

[RustyCarr]

> > So The Answer Is ... There Are News Choppers Everywhere!!!
>
>
> Remember the infamous Les Nessman on WKRP pounding himself
> on the chest to simulate the sound of rotor blades.
>
> Then the Andy Travis character's response, "Well, stop doing
> that until we get you a REAL helicopter."
>
> And Les's reply, "Gee thanks, Andy, my chest is killing me."
>
> >
>
WHNT-19 in Huntsville, Alabama has one too "Skylink 19". They use it primarily to fly over Memorial Parkway to show 5 cars and declare that "there is very heavy traffic on all inbound routes"

 

[formeraa]

How about a news JET???

>
> In Seattle:
>
> KOMO 4 (ABC): Air 4
> KING 5 (NBC): SkyKING and TrafficKING
> KIRO 7 (CBS): Chopper 7
> (I am sure that KSTW 11 had a helicopter during the short period in the early
> 90's when it was a CBS affliate.)

In the mid-80's, KIRO was the number one rated news in Seattle. They promoted Chopper 7 as if it were a human news team member. Of course, KOMO and KING obtained branded helicopters at the time as well.

In the spirit of competition, KIRO triumphantly introduced the "KIRO NEWS JET" as the newest member of the Eyewitness News Team! Yes, they had their own private jet!!! They would report that "Jan Charlton flew to Spokane in the KIRO News Jet and filed this report..." It only lasted a couple of years if I remember correctly.

Is anyone aware of a branded jet in any other market?????

 

[BRNout]

> The latest mind-numbing question to generate postings:
>
> What stations (besides the really big markets like New York,
> Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.) make use of helicopters to cover
> breaking news/traffic?
>
> In Alabama, I know of WKRG "News 5" in Mobile and "ABC
> 33/40" (WBMA/WCFT/WJSU) for the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa
> market.
>
And, all of the big 4 stations in Salt Lake City and Denver have choppers too. And, access to small planes if needed. That's how it was when I worked at KTVX. KSL owned their 'copter, KUTV and KTVX rented theirs (and probably still do).

I hope that you guys all realize that few of the stations listed in this thread actually own their own choppers. They rent them - usually from local owners, or they partner with a local chopper owner. Part of the rent deal is that the station gets to have their logo on the 'copter and use of it when needed. And, even that's not true with many stations.

The rest of the time, the owner uses it or it sits idle.

Of course, big stations in markets like NY and LA actually own their choppers and use them all day. The number of stations around the US that have this arrangement is much lower than the enthusiastic reponse to this thread would indicate.