Thursday, September 22, 2005

Breaking News: plane circles over LAX...for hours


When I tuned in at about 6:20 last evening, KSL-TV was broadcasting live pictures of a JetBlue plane circling over Los Angeles International Airport. The plane, an Airbus A310 (flying from who-knew where--I assumed Salt Lake--because I did not hear those facts from anchors Bruce Lindsay and Nadine Wimmer for the first 15 minutes), was preparing for an emergency landing because its front landing gear had not properly engaged. KSL reported that the plane was to land around 6:20 p.m. However, in an apparent effort to burn excess fuel, the plane kept flying. And KSL stayed with it. Until 7:04 p.m., when it finally joined Martha Stewart's "Apprentice" premiere in progress. And the plane still hadn't landed.

It's one of those tricky calls for television news producers in this day of live coverage -- whether to stay with a developing story or not. Cut away and something happens and you're in trouble. One maxim of television news producing: No decision is the worst decision. KSL may have made the next worst decision by staying with a circling plane during the opening moments of an anticipated network broadcast, only to interrupt it later for the safe landing. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I wonder how many complaints they received.

Viewers could have also watched the landing drama unfold on CNN. Turns out, even the passengers did, as the Los Angeles Times reports. The airline provides DISH satellite television service. Oddly, the flight crew left the television on, which may have added to some passengers' apprehension. But, there would have been complaints had the service been turned off, too.

This morning, the Today Show aired exclusive video it obtained from a passenger on board the flight. Very compelling stuff.

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The opinions stated here are my own and in no way reflect those of Brigham Young University, its students, faculty, or sponsoring institution.