CNN playing me too at Tuscaloosa

Following on the heals of the Murdoch iPad based newspapers flight over Tuscaloosa tabloid news channel CNN have jumped in.

The FAA  really does need to be issuing advice to media outlets.  Could it be that some bigger supplier is pulling strings behind the scenes to force the NAS issue ahead of the NRPM release?

We suppose they will argue that the content was not paid for, but if the reporter was paid to be there would he not be receiving valuable consideration for the product?

See the video here

From CNN.com

In the week since a series of powerful storms and tornadoes devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, most of the images we’ve seen have been taken at ground level.

But CNN’s Aaron Brodie caught a bird’s-eye view using the Parrot AR.Drone, a quadricopter that can be controlled using an iPad or an iPhone. He said he got the idea to experiment with the relatively new technology about a year ago, and finally got the chance to test it out Friday above the ruins of Alberta, a neighborhood in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s a bit challenging to fly, but when you get the hang of it you can get some nice aerial footage out of it,” Brodie says.

The electronic aircraft retails for about $300 and comes equipped with two cameras, one facing forward and one facing down. Not satisfied with the quality of the video for broadcast purposes, Brodie rigged a GoPro HD camera to the drone, bringing the total cost of the outfit to about $550.

“This is really at the low end of what’s possible,” he says. “There’s much more sophisticated drone technology out there that is now available to really anybody, including us in the news media, and I think this is going to continue to provide a whole new perspective on things.”