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

N

Nate Wesley

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. <P ID="signature">______________
There's nothing to see here.</P>
 
WTNH "Newschannel 8" in New Haven, CT.


> 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.
>
 
> What stations (besides the really big markets like New York,
> Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.) make use of helicopters to cover
> breaking news/traffic?

If you count the past, stations that *used to* make use of helicopters to cover news...

In Jacksonville, Fla., WJKS (now WJWB) 17 had "Skyteam 17" from 1985 to 1988. WJXX 25 had "News Chopper 25" from 1997 to 2000 when the station had its own news department, before the Gannett acquisition/merger with WTLV 12 and "First Coast News".

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.
 
In North Carolina...

Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville
WRAL-TV 5 (CBS) "Sky 5"
WTVD 11 (ABC) "Chopper 11"

Charlotte
WSOC-TV 9 (ABC)
WCNC-TV 36 (NBC)
*WBTV 3 (CBS)-they had a helicopter at one time, but I'm not sure they still do.

Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point
WFMY-TV 2 (CBS)

> WTNH "Newschannel 8" in New Haven, CT.
>
>
> > 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.
> >
>
 
> > > 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?


WNEP-16 (ABC) In The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA Market

(Owned By The New York Times)

Has Had Their SkyCam Helicopter For Years. They Use It For Everything.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by MCNDRWS on 06/21/05 04:47 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> WPRI 12 Providence, RI

WPRI's chopper's shared with WTNH in New Haven. I think it has WPRI's logo on one side and WTNH's on the other.

In Seattle:

KOMO 4 (ABC): Air 4
KING 5 (NBC): SkyKING and TrafficKING
KIRO 7 (CBS): Chopper 7

Baltimore:

WBAL 11 (NBC): SkyTeam 11
WJZ 13 (CBS): SkyEye Chopper 13

Toronto (although I think they'd be around market 6 for US+Canada):

CFTO 9 (CTV): CTV News Chopper
CIII 41 (Global): Global News Chopper (ah, the wonders of network branding)

Vancouver BC (probably around market 20-something for US+Canada):

CIVT 32 (CTV): Chopper 9 (for their cable channel number), the only full-time news helicopter in Western Canada (<a target="_blank" href=http://www.geocities.com/choppermurman>http://www.geocities.com/choppermurman</a>).<P ID="signature">______________
Derek
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.tvvancouver.cjb.net>TV.Vancouver</a>: Covering TV stations in Vancouver, BC</P>
 
> 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:

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.tmj4.com/_content/about/chopper/>Chopper 4 with Power Zoom</a> @ WTMJ-TV-"TMJ 4"

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.fox6milwaukee.com>Sky Fox 6</a> @ WITI-"Fox 6" (click on "News" and then "Sky Fox 6")

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/news/1807779/detail.html>News Chopper 12</a> @ 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.

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>
 
> WTNH "Newschannel 8" in New Haven, CT.

Sort of. WTNH-TV/DT (ABC) channel 8/D 10 actually shares their helicopter with sister station WPRI-TV (CBS) channel 12 of Providence, RI. (Both stations are owned by LIN Broadcasting.)
 
WIS/10 in Columbia, SC and WYFF/4 in Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville both have choppers.
 
> > WIS/10 in Columbia, SC and WYFF/4 in
> > Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville both have choppers.
> >
> WJHG/7(NBC) in Panama City, Florida has one..
>
WXIA/11 (NBC) Atlanta has had one since at least 1976,
and I believe WSB/2 (ABC) has one as well.
 
> > > WIS/10 in Columbia, SC and WYFF/4 in
> > > Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville both have choppers.
> > >
> > WJHG/7(NBC) in Panama City, Florida has one..
> >
> WXIA/11 (NBC) Atlanta has had one since at least 1976,
> and I believe WSB/2 (ABC) has one as well.
>


Yup, WXIA/11Alive has a helicopter.. I think they call it 11Alive Skycam. WSB/Channel 2 has 2 or 3 helicopters.. WAGA/FOX 5 has Sky Fox 5 and another helicopter.. WGCL/CBS 46 has Chopper 46. You see every station with their helicopters in the sky everyday & on almost every newscast.. With the HORRIBLE traffic here in Atlanta(and all of the "Breaking News"), it's nice to have 4(or more) eyes in the sky..
 
In St. Louis:

2 KTVI (FOX) "Sky 2"
4 KMOV (CBS) I don't remember what they call it "Airborne 4" maybe...
5 KSDK (NBC) "Chopper 5"

> 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.
>
 
> 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 Tulsa, OK, KTUL-8 (ABC) has Ranger 8, a Bell JetRanger with microwave capabilities, though they do not have a gyrocam. I've also seen KOVT-6 (CBS) use a helicopter from time to time, though I do not remember them advertising it.

I'm sure KIII-3 (ABC) in Corpus Christi, TX, still has their helicopter. I still remember the promo that htier competitor KRIS-6 (NBC) had back in the mid 80s. They had a shot of the Corpus Christi skyline from street level as the announcer announced the latest innovation in newsgathering... "Squadron Six". Then you heard what sounded like a hive of angry bees or a lawnmower exhibition (or angry bees AT a lawnmower exhibition) as from behind a building flew... a formation of powered ultralight planes! A different announcer came on as the engines died away and said "We don't use gimmicks to get you to watch the news..." (Quote approximate.)<P ID="signature">______________
"Radio is like musical chairs. When the music stops, I sit down and say something."</P>
 
KXAN 36 (NBC) Austin

I was surprised to see one in this size market when I moved here, but I'm told they've had it for years. You see it up all the time.



> 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.
>
 
> Charlotte
> WSOC-TV 9 (ABC)
> WCNC-TV 36 (NBC)
> *WBTV 3 (CBS)-they had a helicopter at one time, but I'm not
> sure they still do.

WBTV does have a helicopter back in the air. Their original "Sky 3" crashed a few years back. Roughly a year later, they had a new helicopter, again named "Sky 3."

WSOC's is known as "Chopper 9 Sky Zoom."

WCNC's is known as "Airstar 6." Time Warner Cable's News 14 Carolina uses footage from WCNC's helicopter from time to time.<P ID="signature">______________

Moderator of Charlotte Board</P>
 
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