Apollo Theatre Collapse

ITV News London had it as it's top story with a live from the scene.

The most disturbing part for me was his description of Sky News as 'our British network'.

ITN trucks also got stuck in traffic despite sending 2 from different directions and camera crews being on the scene relatively quickly.

I think this is where Sky really benefits from its motorbike. It was on the spot way before any other broadcaster and its live coverage was excellent.

the BBC have bikes too - though they rely on having decent line-of-site to a COFDM receiver. I think the nearest would be Millbank Tower, and I'm not sure if you'd get a decent link from Shaftesbury Avenue, which is fairly built-up.

I didn't catch any of the coverage last night - do Sky perhaps use some sort of LiveU type of cellular transmission system?

One BBC crew were out on a ridealong with an ambulance, which I think got them some decent access later on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25459373

COFDM doesn't necessarily need line of sight to a receiver, it actually can work better when the signal is bounced off buildings. However the signals can be absorbed by stone buildings (steel/glass much better for bouncing!) so the signal doesn't travel very far in older built-up areas.

Could be, although AP normally get their UK footage from Sky and Reuters from ITN.... and they're usually restricted so UK broadcasters can't use them.

There are BBC plug-in points in Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, but are only really of use for lives from those locations (too far for radio cam and of course too far to cable)

Piccadilly should have been close enough. Where Sky were broadcasting from, the edge of the police cordon, was the less than 100 meters from Piccadilly Circus.

I'm not particularly a big fan of Sky News but their coverage outstripped everyone else last night.

I think Sky have been using cameras recently that broadcast via 4G therefore maybe they don't need a sat truck or bike.

They are sister channels though, I expect most of FOX News's British News videos are sourced from or via Sky News and vice versa. ITV has a similar set up I think with NBC or CBS mainly come US Election. The BBC I believe also has a special relationship with ABC (Both US and AUS) but I doubt the BBC really needs much from America given that it has its own American Arm.


I wasn't aware that Sky had a motorbike although they must do as they have a Skycopter, Skyboat etc. although every time I hear about Sky and vehicles I think of Charlie Brooker's Skit about Sky's G20 coverage. Although the BBC did get there in an Ambulance which I think is new.

It has bureaus in the US and reporters/crews in them but to call it an arm is exaggerating it a bit.

They use a lot of ABC footage as the BBC can't expect to have a newsgathering operation anywhere near the size of a US broadcaster. When a story breaks the local ABC affiliate will be there first.

There are similar deals with many broadcasters round the world and of course the BBC and ITN are part of Eurovision so have access to footage from across europe