BBC News Channel: Presentation

Are the BBC using the Skycopter for overhead images? It appears to be the same angles on Sky and the BBC.

There's always one idiot on their phone talking to their friends and waving at them on live broadcasts!

I don't think it's the Skycopter now, as it's only showing SD pictures. The Skycopter has an HD camera.

The Skycopter's feed tonight for some reason is in SD.

Those overhead images are usually pooled to other broadcasters, like Sky, ITN. It gets mentioned on Newswatch quite a bit: 'Why are the BBC wasting licence fee payer's money on sending out a helicopter'?

there's always some idiot yelling verbal abuse as well, as though getting on TV shouting 'tory scum' behind William hague is going to earn them some sort of cudos

Surely if the Skycopter has HD, and Sky are only showing SD, and the same shots are being used by the BBC, it's a non-Sky helicopter?

I don't think it's the Skycopter. If it was it would mention it on screen.

RE: Helicopter

There is a clean(ish) feed of it here...
http://www.channel4.com/news/

The crane-shot pictures from Downing Street are certainly pooled, I was watching BBC and C4 on split screen between 19:00 and 19:30, who is providing those ?

I'm pretty sure that 'Skycopter' is used no matter which helicopter it is providing the pictures

Indeed, helicopter shots are a very obvious use of the Pool system. Not only is putting a helicopter up expensive but also it's not practical to have more than one hovering over the same location. AIUI sometimes Sky and the BBC will have one each which will take over from the other when refueling is needed