WASHINGTON—In a strongly worded response to threats by President Trump and Federal Communication Commission Chair Brendan Carr to yank broadcast licenses from stations who have aired "fake news" critical of the administration as part of their coverage of the war with Iran, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued the statement arguing that the agency does not have the authority to regulate news coverage and that broadcasters need to resist the “chilling effect” those threats might have on news coverage.

“Once again, this FCC pretends it has the power to control news coverage,” Gomez said. “In reality, the FCC has vanishingly little power over national news networks. It licenses local broadcast stations, not networks, and no licenses are up for renewal until 2028. Early renewal attempts are exceedingly rare, and the process is so demanding that any effort would almost certainly fail, especially given the well-documented First Amendment violations underlying these moves. These threats are grounded in neither reality nor law and would not survive judicial scrutiny, just as other recent attempts by this Administration to push beyond constitutional limits have repeatedly failed in court.”

That does not mean, however, that threats to yank licenses aren’t very worrisome, Gomez argued, repeating previously stated concerns that the threats can have a chilling impact on coverage and encourage media outlets to avoid regulatory problems by self-censoring critical coverage of the administration.

“The concern over the chilling effect of these actions, however, is very real,” the Commissioner said. “Over the past year, this FCC has attacked the media as part of a years-long campaign by this Administration and its allies to discredit factual, independent coverage while blaming the press for growing public distrust. Meanwhile, it is the FCC’s own credibility and public trust that are rapidly eroding.

“Out of the many politically motivated FCC investigations targeting perceived government critics, not a single one has resulted in an enforcement action,” she said. “This follows a well-established pattern of threatened investigations, broadcast license revocations, and regulatory harassment aimed at pressuring broadcasters and their corporate parents to comply or capitulate in advance. We cannot give this FCC more power than it has. Broadcasters, journalists, and the public should recognize these empty threats for what they are and fight to defend the First Amendment against any attempt to control or intimidate the press.”

While the FCC has not attempted to investigate “news bias” in broadcast news in recent decades, FCC Chair Carr has repeatedly argued that it does in fact have the authority to do so. Under his leadership the agency is currently carrying out several investigations for “news bias” against ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates. It has also been investigating TV late night shows for alleged "news bias" and violations of equal time rules for political candidates.

Carr has said that the same rules against bias apply to both TV and radio but has not opened investigations into radio stations carrying conservative political shows and has generally sidestepped questions about radio.

Worries that rules relating to either “news bias” or “equal time” for political candidates could be applied to AM radio stations that regularly air conservative talk and political shows, has prompted pushback from conservative senators like Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sean Hannity, who has a popular show on the Fox News cable channel, which is not licensed by the FCC, and a syndicated talk show that airs on many broadcast radio stations licensed by the agency.

“Talk radio is successful because people are smart and understand we are the antidote to corrupt and abusively biased left wing legacy media,” Hannity said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “We need less government regulation and more freedom. Let the American people decide where to get their information from without any government interference.”

Globecast and Blacon Media, a broadcast engineering, production and distribution firm, are partnering to provide live coverage of the 2024 U.S. election and related events.

Both the Republican and Democrat National Conventions in Milwaukee and Chicago, respectively, will be available. Blacon Media ENG crews will be on-site producing contribution feeds for customers Globecast will distribute coverage internationally, the company said.  

Blacon Media will provide a produced program feed, a clean feed and packaged feeds. Party notable, convention delegate and participant as well as man- and woman-on-the-street interviews will be available. A three-camera, switched daily show, “Join the Conversation,” also will be available, it said.

Contribution signal delivery from Globecast’s Media Center is available via HLS, RTMP, SRT internet protocols for streaming media content and via Globecast’s NeXt Generation (GCxN), Backbone fiber (GCBN) networks or managed satellite platforms, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

The ability to mix live, tape-delayed, pre-recorded and “feels live” content into a seamless and cohesive 24x7 channel experience has been a recipe for differentiated success in traditional linear cable and broadcast TV. But news channels have an additional obligation: to be prepared to cover breaking news events that have a major health, safety, economic or social impact on their audience. 

In a pre-cloud era, “lighting up” a control room was no small feat. Even today, most master control rooms are built around baseband facilities and studios that have been foundational to television for the past few decades. But in today’s work-from-anywhere environment, cloud production, master control and playout make it much simpler to “go live” at any moment. That capability to light up a virtual control room with little effort has an impact on when and how newsrooms decide to break into existing programming for updates.

Competition for viewers’ attention is fiercer than ever, and the need for live talent and breaking-news coverage is critical. This requires additional investment to be sure. But how much live content do channels actually need to create an engaging 24/7 feed? To what extent can real-time graphics or generative AI fill the gaps between those live on-air hours?  

The truth is, we don’t yet have the answers to these questions. We don’t know how news content will evolve nor how viewer tastes will react. After all, free linear streaming on connected TVs is still in its infancy. But it is clear that CTV advertising is growing and maturing, making it easier to efficiently monetize narrower audiences. So, the answer? Experimentation. We can cross the gaps above with a strategy that lives on the content innovation vector.

Using purpose-built tools, news channels can experiment creatively and watch real-time metrics of streaming TV — including both concurrent viewership and viewer reach across time — to understand what’s working and what’s not. From there, it’s a matter of iteration and execution, building on wins and moving swiftly past the losses.

This “test and learn” programming strategy can be executed by exploiting three trends:

• The explosion of cloud production, AI and creative tools for producers, journalists and editors that have already broadened and deepened the canvas for newsrooms. The movement toward cloud and remote production architectures has been in progress for a decade. But COVID-19 proved cloud tools and remote production work well, and are only getting better.
  
• The rising potential for content exchanges, press-pool feeds, and other forms of shared or licensed content to help fill a range of gaps in the programming wheel. Video marketplaces are popping up to enable companies like Nexstar, CNN, Reuters, the AP and others to help not only cover breaking events anywhere in the world, but also with regular and customized daily clips, such as weather updates.
  
• The “creator economy” talent pool. For better or worse, social media is here to stay and it has dramatically boosted the available talent pool for news content creation globally. One analysis estimated there may be as many as 24,000 YouTube channels with over 1 million subscribers. Today we see a second (or third?) generation of digital natives hitting their adult years — a labor force that’s expert at creating engaging videos using nothing but a mobile phone or browser. On top of this, they’ve trained today’s audiences to expect more authenticity and humanity in their on-air companions. High quality is still paramount, but the definition of that metric has changed in the minds of many consumers.

There are also notable extensions of live content that can help channels fill the content pipe. These involve workflows whereby time-delayed content, recent clips and data-driven graphic feeds can deliver fresh and updated content without being truly live.

Indeed, it’s quite common for newscasts that may feel live to be “tape-delayed.” Complexities across time zones in the United States, for example, may mean abbreviated content programming might be needed for certain geographies. In other cases, news shows are designed to make use of fast-turn editing innovations in so-called “story-centric” newsrooms where content is made from the get-go to be pre-purposed for 10 or more downstream outlets at the same time. These are powerful workflows that make “nearly live” content easier to produce without much degradation in the timeliness of the story.

Finally, as we fill the 24/7 programming wheel with content that may be re-aired from previous slots, there are further possibilities of refreshing that content utilizing data-driven cloud graphics. This might include lower-thirds or perhaps a simple real-time ticker at the bottom of the screen that is logically associated with certain playlist assets previously aired. 

In this way, we can provide story-specific updates to news content that might have been recorded earlier in the day, providing a viewer with a clear orientation to the story they may have missed, while also providing a timely update to the story since it aired.

Finding success in today’s competitive news programming environment isn’t easy. News channels have to be able to go live at any moment on top of a baseline of file-based content. They have to experiment on a wide range of content innovation vectors and get immediate, high-fidelity data to process success or failure using concurrent and unique viewership metrics and even interactive components. 

Finally, they need to employ near-live and live-to-VOD programming strategies to enhance existing assets — whether aired last hour or last week — to make them feel to the viewer as if live and fresh. Deftly weaving in these three strategies will help ensure news brands build the best 24/7 streaming news channels available, satisfying both distributors and viewers alike.

While an increasing number of viewers are tuning into television for news about the coronavirus pandemic, the advertising dollars have not kept up. In fact, total local advertising in the United States is expected to decline by 30% in 2020, according to one estimate.

As the pandemic slows companies around the world, many media outlets are struggling to meet the demand for high-volume, high-quality content in the face of tight budgets. One way to reduce costs is to incorporate drones into your news coverage. During a time of decreased advertising revenue, drones can save your news organization money, generate additional revenue and ensure you obtain the diverse video footage needed to support high-quality programming.

Drones can help cover breaking news by capturing aerial footage. They can gather data of all types, including infrared scans, topographical maps and 3D models. They can reduce costs as compared to flying and maintaining helicopters. And they can serve as a new revenue source when rented out to other businesses. It’s no coincidence that media adoption of drone technology has grown over the years. Indeed, the media and entertainment market for drones is valued at $8.8 billion, according to a 2016 PwC report, and the market is poised for continued growth. 

During these unprecedented times, drones are widely seen as a valuable tool for media organizations. The question is: Where do you start?  As you consider adding drones to your news coverage, here are six tips for launching a successful program: 

BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR GOALS 

During this time of social distancing, drones can prove useful by allowing crews to shoot video while remaining hundreds of feet away from their subject. Yet to prevent your program from stalling out, it’s important to identify where drones can create the most business value. Will you be using your drones for weather and traffic reporting? Gather news from above about unfolding disasters? Get live shots for sporting events? Improve your B-roll footage or ad production quality? And will you be renting out your drone services to other businesses, studios or stations? With so many options, it’s important to clarify your goals and the biggest ways drones can advance your business. 

DEVELOP THE BUSINESS CASE 

Before agreeing to the program, top-level executives will want to know whether drones are worth the financial investment—and convincing them requires analyzing both the costs and savings. A helicopter outfitted with cameras and broadcast equipment costs as much as $850,000 to purchase and about $500 per hour to fly. By comparison, a standard commercial-grade drone costs anywhere between $1,000 and $15,000. There are also savings in fuel and operations, especially if you bring your drone program in-house. While drones can’t completely replace helicopters, they can accomplish many essential functions. An accurate cost analysis will help you make the case.  

FIGURE OUT THE LOGISTICS 

As you get your drones up-and-running, you’ll also need to determine how you will manage your program. What’s your plan for abiding by privacy and regulatory rules? How will you check airspace information and flight restrictions? And how will you hold crews accountable in the field? With the right aviation management platform, you can plan, fly and log your missions. You can check controlled airspace to obtain immediate access in seconds. And you can easily manage flight crews on multiple flights, track all the drones and personnel in your fleet and view historical data and trends—all from a centralized location. 

UNDERSTAND THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

If you’re operating commercially in the U.S., you need to comply with Part 107 of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, the rules that govern commercial drone use. The FAA’s Part 107 sets requirements for pilot licensing, maximum altitude and airspeed, available airspace and much more. Commercial drone operators are generally not permitted to fly in controlled airspaces—including areas around airports, stadiums, national parks and other sites. They’re also not permitted to fly over people, over 400 feet above ground level or beyond the operator’s visual line of sight. As you incorporate drones into your news coverage, it’s critical that you understand and comply with all regulatory requirements, while knowing how to obtain any necessary waivers.  

TRAIN YOUR PILOTS 

Qualified, competent pilots are essential to a drone operation—not just for safety, but also to ensure you get the best possible footage. A drone pilot certification is much more accessible than a helicopter pilot’s license, with certification possible in a matter of weeks. Drone pilots in the U.S. are required to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate by passing a knowledge test and obtaining renewal every two years. Although some testing centers across the U.S. have been shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many have since reopened. A list of the reopened testing centers can be found at PSI Online. 

KEEP UP WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES 

As you launch your program, realize that the opportunities are rapidly expanding. In the near future, for example, operators may be able to deploy drones to autonomously monitor traffic and weather patterns daily at the push of a button. And thanks to 5G cellular networks, they’ll be able to live stream high-definition video with virtually no lag. What’s more, regulations are being developed to lay the groundwork for connected drones and flights that go beyond the operator’s visual line of sight, allowing for longer flights into more remote areas. Future regulations may also pave the way for AI-powered drones that deliver better data faster and help with emergency situations such as assessing storm damage. By keeping up with new developments, you can plan ahead to achieve your goals—and continue to broaden your program over time. 

During a time of high news interest and tight budgets, drones can save costs, increase revenue and provide the high-quality footage that differentiates your news organization. By following these six tips, you can jumpstart your drone program—giving your media company the competitive edge it needs both now and into the future.  

To learn more, please see the Skyward “Media & Broadcast” webpage. 

Ryan Wall is director of business development and strategic planning at Skyward, A Verizon company. He enjoys collaborating with enterprises to help them stand up successful drone programs. For more than a decade, Ryan has served in the Air National Guard, where he is currently an egress systems craftsman.

OTTAWA—From a news standpoint, the past two months will be remembered for two things: The trio of hurricanes that devastated the southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean, and the rise of news drones as a vital form of visual storytelling.

Fox News was able to get footage after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston that it never would have been able to get from helicopters, according to Ben Ramos, vice president of field operations.

“Drones provide that vantage point that completely changes a story,” said Maria Stefanopoulos, production manager at ABC News/Good Morning America, referring to the network’s hurricane coverage. “Some of the most striking images were the ones that showed before-and-after shots of neighborhoods completely submerged under water. And when the water receded, the aerials of the aftermath and debris lining the sidewalks and streets were jaw-dropping.”

For Greg Agvent, senior director of CNN Air (the news channel’s drone division), drone footage provided viewers with a heightened “context, perspective, and understanding” of Harvey/Irma/Maria’s appalling damage and human cost.

Before the news channel started using drones, “there was this great nothingness between ground level and 1,500 feet with a helicopter,” Agvent said. “The drone helps to fill that void to provide really intimate imagery. You can still get a sense of the damage from higher up, but a low-altitude drone shot is just much more intimate and emotional than the straight helicopter shot.”

Fox News drone coverage after Hurricane Irma devastated the Florida Keys.

One CNN drone shot that provided such context occurred in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, when a reporter was covering the plight of a Vietnam veteran and his power-less hillside home. The video started using a ground shot of the house beside a downed powerline and collapsed steel tower.

CNN then cut live to a rising drone’s camera view: “As the drone continued to pull out on the reporter on the ground, you saw not only that individual steel tower but the succession of steel towers,” said Agvent; “and the lines down, and the impact of it, and the devastation all around.”

Of course, news drones can’t legally fly at high altitudes and bad weather, while helicopters can. But drones make up for this shortfall by getting great shots when the skies eventually clear.

“While flying in Texas was more difficult than we anticipated, we did get some the devastating flooding visuals to our viewers that we never would have previously achieved with traditional helicopters,” said Ben Ramos, vice president of field operations for Fox News. “After Irma, our drone aerials clearly showed the nightmare Florida residents are still enduring. While helicopter aerials tell a story, drones bring the viewer even closer to the tragedy that was Irma.”

WBOC-TV used its SkyCam16 Drone to cover the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim at Assateague Island in the Delmarva Peninsula in July.

THE ASCENDENCY OF NEWS DRONES
Even before the recent hurricane trifecta, U.S. TV networks and stations have been increasingly turning to drones to capture eye-catching news footage. This is why “drones in general are rapidly becoming essential tools for TV and digital news outlets,” said Dan Shelly, executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTNDA). “Drones are a cost-effective way to examine the subject matter of news stories from the air.”

A case in point: When a bridge on Georgia’s I-85 caught fire and then collapsed on March 30, 2017, FOX 5 Atlanta (WAGA-TV) dispatched their news helicopter to cover the scene live. The next day, the station’s SkyFOX 5 Drone took over, and became FOX 5’s eye in the sky as the repairs continued for the long-term.

The same strategy was followed by Atlanta’s other TV stations. As a result, “the first day of the bridge collapse belonged to the news helicopters,” said WAGA-TV Chief Pilot/Reporter/Anchor Doug Evans. “From then on out for the next 45 days, the story belonged to the drones.”

FOX 5 Atlanta used its SkyFOX 5 Drone as its “eye in the sky” after the collapse of a bridge on Georgia’s I-85 in March.

Sometimes the news being covered is not tragic but equally eye-catching, such as the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim at Assateague Island. Located off the Delmarva Peninsula (shared by Maryland and Virginia) in the Atlantic Ocean, Assateague Island is home to two herds of so-called “Chincoteague Ponies.” Every year, during a summer slack tide when there’s no ocean current, about 200 of these ponies swim (under human direction) to the mainland for health checks.

CBS-affiliate WBOC-TV’s SkyCam16 Drone covered this summer’s event from above. “We got some astounding shots of the ponies swimming across the channel, including panoramas and stationary hovers that told the story incredibly well,” said Bill Mich, drone pilot (one of six), video journalist and weekend anchor for the Salisbury, Md.-based station. “You couldn’t get a shot like this from a helicopter, because it would spook the horses if it got too close,” added WBOC News Director John Dearing.

Drone Lessons Learned

In the relatively short time that broadcasters have been able to fly news drones, some valuable lessons have been learned:

Lesson #1: Be prepared. In the case of natural disasters, drone crews need to have sufficient battery power, recharging capability, and independent communications to keep their aircraft flying and connected. “When a hurricane strikes, it’s usually followed by power outages and minimal resources available after the storm passes,” said Stefanopoulos. “Drones are privy to the same problems that other forms of technology face. If you can’t power your cell phone, you can’t charge your drone batteries!”

Lesson #2: Speak up! When it comes to flying news drones safely, “you simply cannot over-communicate your intentions to the folks in the area you intend to operate in,” said Greg Agvent, senior director of CNN Air. “That’s extremely important.”

John Dearing, news director and Drone Pilot Bill Mich with WBOC-TV

Lesson #3: Work with first responders, not against them. For FOX 5, a constructive relationship with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department was key to winning permission to shoot the I-85 bridge repair operation up close. “We were able to safely hover the drone right over the opening where the bridge collapsed,” said WAGA-TV Chief Pilot/Reporter/Anchor Doug Evans. “This happened because we got permission to do so from an AFRD battalion chief at the scene.”

Lesson #4: Earn and promote a reputation for adhering strictly to FAA Part 107 rules, because it can pay off during crises. “During our coverage of Hurricane Harvey, we were about to put a drone up to get some aerials of the flooding, and an enormous Temporary Flight Restriction was put into place so we couldn’t fly,” said Chris O’Regan, senior manager of ABC News’ Logistics Desk. “But our pilot was able to put in a request for permission to fly within the TFR, which the FAA approved so we were able to fly the drone inside the TFR.”

Lesson #5: “Always have drones serviced, charged, and available for flight,” said Evans. To never miss a story that can benefit from drone footage, “we always have a drone-trained news crew in the field equipped with a drone, just in case.”

Lesson #6:“Don’t expect news drones to replace news helicopters,” said WBOC News Director John Dearing. “Each operate at different altitudes under different rules. For complete aerial coverage, you need both.”

Lesson #7: When lives are at stake in disasters like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, remember that “there are more important things than drone aerial pictures,” said Ben Ramos, vice president of field operations for Fox News. “As thousands of rescue helicopter flights were launching and saving lives, you quickly realize something a bit counter-intuitive in the competitive TV news business: You find yourself not frustrated by rain and TFRs and lack of aerial pictures, but oddly you find yourself saying ‘I’m glad we aren’t allowed to fly today, this is way more important!’”
James Careless

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES
Drones fill the gap between ground level camera shots and overhead high-elevation helicopter shots, while at the same time, using a drone is cheaper than commissioning a helicopter, according to Stefanopoulos.

“In the right circumstance, a drone can be used at a moment’s notice, bringing what was once a rare form of videography to the mainstream,” she said.

For CNN, saving money on helicopters was never a motivation, since the news channel has never owned any aircraft. Instead, it is the drone’s ability to shoot engaging visuals to dress up talking-head events like the 2016 Republican National Convention; enhance story-telling on the U.S./Mexico border for a week-long series about President Trump’s proposed wall; and provide amazing aerial shots during breaking news events like this season’s hurricanes that has made the technology worth investing in.

On the flip side, flying news drones is challenging in many ways. To comply with FAA regulations and to ensure that their drone pilots consistently fly in a safe manner, the broadcasters TV Technology interviewed for this story insist on exacting multiday training for staff operators. This requires a serious and ongoing investment of time and money. (To fly CNN’s mix of drones, the news channel has hired two licensed private pilots. This is a level of piloting skill that exceeds FAA drone requirements, but is worth it to put “safety first,” said Agvent.)

Also, the FAA’s Part 107 drone-flying rules are quite limiting. To comply with them, drones cannot fly over people or be deployed from a moving vehicle. They also have to stay below 400 feet, be within sight of the pilot and/or their “visual spotter,” fly during the day, and yield to manned aircraft. Add the requirement not to interfere with first responders, and drones can’t necessarily be set aloft anytime a four-alarm fire breaks out.

Beyond these regulatory restrictions, weather is always a concern. “We were limited when flying drones to cover Hurricanes Harvey and Irma until the storms were well past,” said Fox News’ Ramos. “The winds were too strong and the rain too heavy to fly where we wanted to fly.”

One unexpected limit is that drones can unexpectedly “decide” to land, due to low battery power or signal loss. If the drone is over water, it can be lost.

This is why WBOC-TV has invested in a waterproof Splash Drone III. “The camera is so immersible, that we were able to take off with the camera underwater in a lake, before rising the Splash III into the sky,” said Mich. “Not only did the video look amazing, but we knew we had a drone that floats when it hits water; rather than sinking.”