Features

By Christina Almeida 

Associated Press Writer 

LOS ANGELES — Television in California has long been tuned to freeway congestion, car crashes and chases. So when news helicopters were grounded Sept. 11 because of the terrorist attacks, traffic reporting lost a dimension. 

“People aren’t able to get the kind of coverage they need,” said Dave Corsello, general manager of Helinet Aviation Services, which contracts helicopters to five Los Angeles news stations. 

The Radio and Television News Directors Association has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to lift the restriction, calling it “constitutionally suspect.” 

But FAA spokesman Hank Price said the helicopter flights are restricted “because of national security.” He would not comment further. 

The situation has made it tough for news crews to get compelling video. 

“A story we could tell with pictures has to be told with just words or a map with an arrow showing where something has happened,” said Kevin Keeshan, news director for KGO-TV in San Francisco. 

At KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, producers recently had to wait for a ground crew to arrive at a brush fire and transmit footage instead of showing live video from the air. 

“It has certainly curtailed our ability to cover news,” said Jeff Wald, news director of the station. “With Los Angeles being as spread out as it is, helicopters are an essential part of our newsgathering operation.” 

Some viewers welcomed the change. 

“It’s refreshing not to turn on the TV set and see another police chase,” said Enrique Robles, 23, of Los Angeles. 

“I really don’t need to see every disaster from a million different perspectives,” added Kali Pappas, a Web designer in Los Angeles. “It’s so easy for bad pictures to substitute for good journalism.” 

For the past two weeks, KTLA’s morning traffic reporter, Jennifer York, has been reporting live from her helicopter — as it sits on the tarmac at Van Nuys Airport. Without the ability to monitor traffic conditions from above, York has been relying on information from Web sites run by the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans. 

“Those don’t serve me well,” she said. “A lot of the time we get to the scene of an accident and it’s already been cleared.” 

All-news radio stations have also been grappling with their traffic segments. Crys Quimby, news and program director for KFWB-AM in Los Angeles, said traffic reporters in helicopters are essential in helping motorists avoid trouble spots. 

Some television stations have downplayed the impact of the ban. KCBS-TV news director Roger Bell said his newsroom has been focused on stories about the terrorist attacks. 

“If somehow the war on terrorism were to recede, and we were covering more local stories, then the helicopter becomes much more important,” he said.