Global Edmonton takes to the air ... in a chopper, part five › edmonton television news 2007 › television in edmonton › television

On June 6th, 2007 Global Edmonton provided its first real news coverage with footage taken from their new helicopter – likely taken by chance during a test flight.

A fiery early-morning vehicle roll-over on the Yellowhead Trail was the subject of a report carried during the 5:00 p.m. newscast.

While there weren't any stars in the sky, there were one or two at the Winspear Centre For Music as Global held their fall programming launch on the afternoon of June 7th, 2007.

Global National anchor Kevin Newman was on hand to give the local affiliate their pep-talk, coincidentally on the same day it was announced Canada's third network was moving its national news show on-air presence from its editorial base in Vancouver to Ottawa.

Newman tried to keep the focus "local" as he recounted early memories of Edmonton.

"Every time I come here it reminds me that my daughter was born at Grey Nuns. It was so long ago that she graduated from high school this weekend."

Newman was the CBC's senior western correspondent from 1988 to 1990. His move to Ottawa was slated for some time in 2008.

Waiting behind the curtains before taking their part in the corporate chest-puffing exercise were Global Edmonton news anchors Lynda Steele and Gord Steinke. They shared impressions and fears of their national counterpart.

Lynda: Well I was just wondering if he said really nice things about Gord and I and our newscast because we paid him 50 bucks backstage to do it ... he said he was going to do it.

Gord: We didn't hear it though because we were backstage waiting for our part to come on. But I just wanted to say he looks a lot better in person than he does on television – don't ya think?

Also looking better on TV than in person was the public unveiling of the Global Edmonton news helicopter.

Having arrived in downtown Edmonton on the back of a flatbed truck, the craft was carefully guided in place by hand onto the Winspear's front sidewalk after a photo op at City Hall.

It was there that Nicola Crosbie did her five-o'clock weather hit taking care of two special guests: the chopper and Global's golden-boy Newman.

Whether it was the warm weather or the Winspear's open bar was not known, but both Crosbie and Newman seemed to be taken up by the events of the day – or perhaps it was just the gleam off Global's latest news ratings weapon.

"I just got my license!" Nicola bubbled as she started her piece, suggesting she was actually going to fly the chopper. "Can you believe it?"

Nicola informed viewers they would be seeing more of the craft "in days? weeks?" leaving viewers none the wiser.

Newman then came on board and told the Global audience how the helicopter would add to the local news scene.

"Well for the viewers it really does make a difference. For instance, yesterday – when we got news of the funnel cloud that was over Stony Plain – imagine if Global One was up in the air."

"You'd be able to see what was going on and if it was a danger to the neighbourhood."

Lost in all this excitement was if Transport Canada would think that flying a helicopter near a tornado would be a danger to the crew on board.

Global Edmonton had yet to announce who would provide reports from the "whirlybird" as Nicola referred to it (at least she didn't call it an "eggbeater").

The next day, making the most of the attention the station had paid to itself, Global Edmonton provided images of their chopper in action – ironically from the viewpoint of another helicopter.

Anchor Gord Steinke treated viewers to even more footage from yet another test flight of "Edmonton's first and only news helicopter."

Viewers were startled when images of a space launch suddenly replaced those of Global One flying over Edmonton. An explanation soon followed.

Gord: Our helicopter wasn't the only one making headlines today – the space shuttle Atlantis made a picture-perfect launch from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Perplexed sports guy John Sexsmith then looked on as the following exchange took place.

Nicola: Hmm ... Global One won't go quite that high though, right?

Gord: It's not going to make that much fire or that much smoke or noise, no – it's a lot quieter than that.

Nicola: It's smaller too.

Gord: You can't get seven people in that one.

Nicola: But it's super-cool.

Gord: It is and we still like showing it.

When? Well, according to Gord, the on-air debut was either "next week" or "just days away."

Also lost in the Global excitement was how Corus Entertainment radio station 630 CHED was going to characterise the new sharing of the Canadian Traffic Network operated craft.

CHED has been billing its reports as "Edmonton's Only Helicopter Based Traffic Reports" on its web site and during on-air tags since April 2006.

Less than two weeks later, Global Edmonton took to the air ... finally.

Update: On September 23rd, 2007 CHED changed its claim – read about it here.

Earlier in the day a flickr contributor snapped this shot of the chopper as it was being snapped by one of Global's crane-cams for a station promo.

Another flickr contributor created this shot of the chopper in a photo-editing application.

television - edmonton television news 2007 - Global Edmonton takes to the air ... in a chopper, part five