Drones the Future of Gathering TV News Video?

Who needs a news chopper any more when you have drones!  Arkansas Business.com has an interesting article on how Little Rock TV stations have been taking advantage of a Little Rock business and using drones to get ariel video when needed. The article says  The Shot Above of Little Rock has shot video for KARK/KLRT, and KTHV.  Most recently The Shot Above shot video for KARK when the Majestic Hotel was burning in Hot Springs.  Just what do the news directors of the stations say about this technology.

“We’re not utilizing drones,” said Michael Caplan, general manager of KTHV.  Caplan said one reason the station isn’t using Trieschmann or other drone operators for breaking news is because of uncertain regulation surrounding the tech.

 In a manned helicopter, “sometimes the quality of video and perspective isn’t all that great. It can be almost distracting; depending on the setup, the camera might shake and the video would not necessarily be that clean,”KARK news director Austin Kellerman said.Kellerman said that KARK’s use of freelancers like Trieschmann helps the station avoid potentially losing an investment in its own drones — which can cost up to $100,000 or more — in case regulations are too strict.

KATV seems to have on staff their very own photographer who uses his own aircraft for news shots.  

Read the entire article HERE.