Yes - I was just about to post saying that Sky got some great quality pictures that they were worth waiting for but it seems they are pooled from an RAF source :-
If Channel 7 Ohio can afford a couple of helicopters, I'm sure the BBC can. Broadcasters around the world operate helicopters - this country is very behind in that respect. German networks especially have gone big on it recently.
I appreciate there are running costs, but to suggest that the license fee would have to go up because of them is daft. It probably costs them more money to run a bureau in a fairly un-newsworthy city in Asia (rent, staff, equipment) than it would cost them to run helicopters.
Then again, looking at some of BBC One's primetime lineup, the entire budget for 'My Family' is probably in the same league as 30 minutes worth of petrol.
re: Sky. Lord knows, they do brilliantly sometimes, but recently their coverage of some major UK events - this and Glasgow - have been an absolute catastrophe.
Channel 7 Ohio will have a lot more cash at their disposal than BBC West Country. And you are proposing a fleet of the things. Most Regions struggle to fund a couple of OB trucks.
As for the foreign Bureau thing just which ones would you propose closing. Most of them are just a stringer who works from a simple office, with an ISDN line installed.
The BBC World Service relies on these Bureaus. It's why it's trusted more than any other News Organization. It may be in an un-newsworthy to you but it's vital for the people who live there.
I'm not suggesting it be closed, I'm simply saying that your comment re: licence fee having to go up is total bollocks.
It is just quite amazing really that when most other large news networks operate helicopters - I am not suggesting a squadron of 50, Marcus, for christ's sake - that 'the world's largest news broadcaster' doesn't even operate one.
If they did have a few stationed across the country, perhaps we would see live pictures of events, rather than ones recorded two hours earlier.
ITV News has finished its flood coverage - Owen is going to do 15 minutes of other news then it'll be a loop from midnight. They're promising to continue live coverage from 7am.
and is still in the main studio, isn't he?