In a press release trumpeting KTVU‘s coverage of the Asiana Airlines crash, the San Francisco Fox affiliate is calling out ABC owned KGO for being slow to the story.
In the release, KTVU noted they were first on the air and first with a reporter from the scene. The station also noted that KTVU’s aerial coverage was used by ABC News in its national report, since KGO’s chopper was not yet in the air by the time David Muir’s special report began:
KTVU’s coverage was even picked up by the ABC National News – instead of their own affiliate (KGO). The ABC National News repeatedly used aerial footage from KTVU NewsChopper 2 during their 30 minute Special Report. KGO didn’t hit the air with local coverage until 1:11pm – 58 minutes later than KTVU.
ABC News, CBS News and Fox are members of Network News Service, a partnership that allows all three networks to pool coverage from their local affiliates. KTVU’s live pictures were fed to ABC News through NNS.
- Related, TVNewser: ABC News and SF Fox Affiliate In Flap Over Plane Crash Coverage
In contrast to the local coverage, ABC’s national coverage was the most extensive of the broadcast networks. Muir anchored an 45-minute special report that preempted the network’s coverage of Wimbledon, while NBC and CBS offered only brief updates.
KGO news director Tracey Watkowski did not immediately respond to TVSpy’s request for comment.