And it’s doubtful anyone will notice
Many of the cutbacks being forced upon a struggling news industry should concern – and in some cases alarm – anyone who believes that a healthy media plays a significant role in a healthy society.
This is not one of those instances. A story in the Boston Globe today tells of a trend in television news that should worry no one, with the possible exception of helicopter pilots:
Gone are the days when every TV station had its own helicopter hovering overhead becoming an eyewitness to some of the biggest events in history, and serving as a reminder to viewers of the power of a live news story. To cut costs, rivals WBZ-TV (Channel 4) and WFXT-TV (Channel 25) have been sharing a news chopper since last year, and Boston’s other two network-affiliated stations, WCVB-TV (Channel 5) and WHDH, which already share some aerial footage if one of their choppers is unavailable or being repaired, are considering a similar partnership. …
As TV news viewership has fallen and advertising revenue along with it, stations that are bitter competitors have started sharing a reporting tool that once made them unique. These aerial alliances have been catching on in major markets across the country as stations decide they can do without the cost of their own helicopter – leases can cost anywhere from $750,000 to $1 million a year.
So TV viewers aren’t getting as many different angles of some three-alarm fire in Dorchester. I hadn’t noticed.
Life will go on. And the skies are safer to boot.
