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Sky News...

...to go airbourne (July 2003)

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:-(
A former member
c@t posted:

I suppose they could sit and listen to the police radios 24/7, and doubtless car chases will occur, but I think you're dismissing it as "gimmiky" to be honest.
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In the UK it's illegal to listen to transmissions of which you are not the intended recipient. In the US some police departments stream the police frequencies from their website but the UK police are *extremely* protective of their radio transmissions and would not be amused if Sky started following police chases from the air. Although newspapers and newsrooms may already listen to the police and fire brigade radios (does anyone here know if this happens?) it's quite a different matter to acknowledge to the readers/viewers that they do so.

Another point is that quite a few forces now use O2 Airwave - a very strongly encrypted cellular radio system.

Gareth
:-(
A former member
Police broadcasts tend to be rather boring. Usually it's simply car registration checks. "Can I have a check on Romeo 933 Foxtrot Delta Echo?"

I picked up the phonetic alphabet as a 14 yr old when I had a police tracker in my loft. How sad Wink
MD
mdtauk
The Word to Letter Alphabet differs in the UK than the US, does anyone know what the UK one is, just for fun?
SN
Snu
It'll no doubt be a 5 minute wonder like most things on Sky News. That said, at least they are not afraid to experiment!

I see the BBC are advertising for yet more broadcast journalists this week. Just where do these journo's end up? They seem to recruit, yet the output seems to be the same dilluted non-sense that they have always had. Anyway enough of that...

I for one am pleased to see this latest development in the Sky News story of off overhauls. At the end of the day, like I have said time and time again, you can have an opinion like JB which removes any kind human element from reporting. Or admit that in order to reach your audience, you have to be prepared to give a little...even if that means using slightly un-original slogans like 'SkyCopter'.

They can come up with all the crappy slogans they like, so long as the journalism remains good, I along with everyone else should have no complaint!
MD
mdtauk
Using slogans and nicknames for elements of presentation makes it seem more engaiging with the viewers, as well as making it easier for the presenters to say on air Laughing
:-(
A former member
Tis a good job they're not buying a submarine, skysub just sounds plain daft! And an on screen writing thingy is a telestrator. Skystrator my arse!
JA
jay Founding member
Snu posted:
It'll no doubt be a 5 minute wonder like most things on Sky News.


What else has been a five minute wonder?
If you were in charge of a major news channel and you had the chance to get a helicopter of your own to cover more stories as they happen, would you turn it down? Would you come up with a boring name like 'Sky News Helicopter' for it, or a whizzy, flashy sounding name like 'SkyCopter'?
Imagine it in use on air...
"...and now we join (x) in the Sky Copter above the streets of manchester..."
:-(
A former member
Surely SkyChopper sounds better........or maybe they already have too many. Laughing
:-(
A former member
Maybe they'll get their very own Skyrider to go with it Wink

PS. Whilst we're on the subject of Sky News, what is the 'official' name for the 1pm-5pm slot? I know it's not "Sky News at Four", much as Kay would apparently like it to be.
:-(
A former member
Maybe Sky Snooze at Four ?
RD
rdd Founding member
Katnap posted:
Maybe they'll get their very own Skyrider to go with it Wink

PS. Whilst we're on the subject of Sky News, what is the 'official' name for the 1pm-5pm slot? I know it's not "Sky News at Four", much as Kay would apparently like it to be.


Sky News On The Hour, AFAIK. At least, that's what they used to call any programme they had no other name for.
RE
Re-it-er-ate
the strange thing is that Live at Five goes on until 7pm according to Digiguide. On Screen thats just referred to as Sky News isn't it.

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