Following 15 months of testing, CNN today announced it is launching CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting, or CNN AIR for short.
The CNN AIR team will be made up of several drones, or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), along with two full-time UAS operators. The drones will be used for all CNN platforms as well as other Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner entities.
In May 2015, the FAA began working with CNN, UAS manufacturer PrecisionHawk and BNSF Railroad. At the time, the FAA said CNN “will look at how UAS might be safely used for newsgathering in populated areas.” Atlanta-based CNN’s entry into drone newsgathering took flight in 2014 in a partnership with Georgia Tech.
“CNN’s cutting-edge development of technology to enhance the way we tell stories is a part of our DNA,” said Terence Burke, Senior Vice President of National News in a statement. “We are proud to continue the tradition with CNN AIR, and to establish a unit that will expand our technological capabilities for newsgathering.”
CNN produced this video as part of the launch of CNN AIR.
