Arkansas Blog: KFSM takes a news cruise

^{KFSM photo}

The KFSM Channel 5 news team in Fayetteville will have to do without a satellite truck for awhile. On Wednesday, a photographer and a reporter parked the van – fully equipped for satellite broadcast from any location – near the bank of the White River in Fayetteville to cover a dramatic water rescue. The station covered the story, complete with photo.

“We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened,” said Rick Bagley, news director for KFSM. “I don’t think the truck was parked too close to the bank to where it just fell in, it was originally parked several feet back, but in the course of setting up the shot, something happened and it began to roll and it rolled into the river.”

Bagley says the total cost of the accident is $250,000. In addition to the truck itself, Channel 5 also lost a video camera, multiple camera batteries, a light kit and some other equipment.

“We pulled it out,” Bagley said. “It was mostly under water. I think they’re taking a look to see if there’s anything that could be salvaged but at this point I don’t think so.”
When asked if anyone had been fired over the incident, Bagley said he could not comment on personnel matters.

“We’re just fortunate no one was hurt,” he said. “But the loss of equipment was significant."

Comments

I wonder if this could be construed as a metaphor for what's happened to the quality of Channel 5's news coverage over the past few years.

Posted by: anoncow | November 13, 2009 02:31 PM

"Honest to God, Boss, I put it in park and set the brake!"

Well, if the (ir)responcible party is lucky, he will be pounding the pavement next week. If not, that person should gird themself for the torrent of nicknames, taunts and grade 1 ass-chewings for the rest of his short, sad career.

I recall a Nevada Highway Patrol officer who flipped his unit off highway 395. Day was warm, bright and clear. Pavement was dry and hot. YOu just saw a little skid, then a lot of carnage on the soft shoulder, through the rabbit brush and about 100 yards off the highway, where the unit came to rest, wheels spinning in the air. You knew who the officer was, because there was another officer with shoulder salad speaking, forcefully, to another officer who was doing his best to shrink down to the atomic level.

Posted by: steven estrada | November 13, 2009 03:34 PM

Dang!

I thought my work day was going bad but it appears others are having worse days.

Posted by: Citizen1 | November 13, 2009 03:49 PM

Unfortunately, the guy who was rescued and resuscitated died in the hospital eight hours later. I doubt if his net worth was as much as the truck's, so nobody cares.

Posted by: Whoscrumdown | November 13, 2009 04:00 PM

Breaking NEWS...there is no breaking news.

Posted by: eLwood | November 13, 2009 06:00 PM

Almost as much damage as the guy distracted by a pelican while driving his Bugatti Veyron. Clik

Posted by: dottholliday | November 13, 2009 07:07 PM

Uh, Dott, I think the guy was originally distracted by a cell phone. (Danged if I'd have admitted it. I'd'a kept the startled by a pelican part of the story with a minor revision, and run with it.)

Posted by: Doigotta | November 13, 2009 08:18 PM

My mother's car slipped out of park one day and murdered both our grills. we never knew why it had such a grudge against them. damaged a gate, too, if memory serves, which it probably doesn't. that part didn't seem important at the time. The mechanic said it wasnt her fault, that some of those cars just did that every now and then.

I know there's not a male reader out there who believes that it wasn't her fault, but it's true. At least that's what the man said at the time. she was very upset, but my sons and I thought it was quite hilarious. Just like some of the people at channel 5 will find this quite amusing but probably the van's driver won't.

Posted by: tina | November 14, 2009 05:41 PM

Arkansas Blog

KFSM takes a news cruise

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