It is an emotional afternoon for reporters, producers and photographers in the nation’s 13th largest market. Around 12:45 pt, The news helicopters of ABC affiliate KNXV and independent station KTVK collided mid-air while covering a slow-speed chase. Phoenix is the 13th largest television market, and has five English-language news stations that have choppers. All five were flying at the time, covering this story.
The following are quotes from the coverage; from anchors, reporters on the ground, and reporter/pilots covering the tragedy:
>KSAZ (Fox): “we know the pilots and the news photographers.. it’s a pretty tight-knit community … it’s a difficult time for all of us to witness the coverage of this…. and frankly somewhat maddening.”
>KPHO (CBS): “we’re all very close friends that work up here… it is very emotional for those of us in the media… as you know, we know all these people.. it’s very difficult..”
>KNXV (ABC): “it is a tricky situation at best… hovering above breaking news in a helicopter, and the worst that which we all fear, day in and day, out appears to have happened.
>KPNX (NBC): “…it is worth repeating, no matter who was in the choppers we are all in the business of covering news stories. It is competitive but we are also all friends. We all know each other.