CNN says NBC-owned KXAS-TV Dallas covered up CNN's bug when it used the cable network's tape of Wednesday's flaming 18-wheeler truck chase on its air without
permission -- it had been provided to CNN by local broadcast competitor KDFW(TV)
Dallas.
The cable network said it is considering a cease-and-desist letter.
KXAS-TV said it made no attempt to cover the CNN logo and noted that it did
not obscure KDFW's identification in the frame and twice credited the local
station for its news chopper shots, although it did not use video directly from
KDFW because of retransmission restrictions.
KXAS-TV News Director Susan Tully said her own station's chopper was up, but
didn't shoot the chase because of post-Sept. 11 FAA prohibitions on news
choppers over major metro areas.
Tully said the stations carriage qualified as fair use.
While Fox and CNN carried the chase, MSNBC did not.
The FAA is investigating KDFW's move following the hour-plus, big-rig chase.
News Director Maria Barrs said 'KDFW FOX 4 News relies upon the services of
an experienced helicopter contractor, which advises us that it operates at all
times in full compliance with all FAA regulations and instructions of air
traffic controllers.'
The nation's leading broadcast news organization, the Radio-Television News
Directors Association has repeatedly asked the FAA to modify the restrictions on
news choppers.
