Unveiling the Roots of Digital Journalism: An Exploration into Electronic Newsgathering
In the early days of television, news was delivered through the medium of newsreels, a format pioneered by French company Pathémotion in 1909. These newsreels were screened in movie houses across Europe and the United States two years later. However, the advent of live television broadcasting would soon change the landscape of news delivery.
Television news coverage began to take shape in the 1930s, with NBC's experimental television station, W2XBS, broadcasting live events such as the burning of an abandoned New York City building and the opening of the New York World's Fair. Notable figures appeared before the camera, marking a significant step towards the integration of television into mainstream news.
The first live "breaking news" broadcast using Electronic News Gathering (ENG) technology in the U.S. is credited to NBC News during the 1970s. NBC was the pioneer in adopting ENG, which used portable video cameras and transmission equipment that allowed for live, on-the-scene coverage without being tethered to a studio or needing large vehicles for satellite transmission.
This technological innovation revolutionized television news by enabling immediate, live reporting from wherever news occurred, rather than relying on film that had to be developed before broadcast. NBC first used ENG extensively around 1975, and this capability spread to other networks shortly thereafter.
While the exact individual or event that marked the very first live "breaking news" using ENG remains unclear, the historical innovation of ENG is generally attributed to NBC News in the mid-1970s as the first to bring electronic, live, field reporting into everyday news broadcasts in the U.S.
Prior to this, the favored methodology for capturing most news events for television broadcast remained the 16-millimeter motion picture camera throughout most of the postwar first three decades. However, the introduction of ENG technology led to a shift towards more portable and flexible equipment, such as the "Telecopter" developed by KTLA in 1958. This helicopter-mounted broadcasting platform was the brainchild of the station's chief engineer, John Silva, and marked a significant step towards mobile, live news reporting.
Another early pioneer in live television news was Ernst Alexanderson, a wizard of combined electrical and mechanical engineering. Alexanderson devised a portable version of his equipment and broadcast the first televised "breaking news" of Gov. Al Smith's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate in August 1928.
By the 1930s, a few specialty movie houses catered to news junkies by offering only newsreels on a continuous basis. However, the rise of television news in the post-World War II era saw receivers starting to appear in homes in substantial numbers. Early TV broadcasters began to emulate their radio counterparts by increasingly taking programming out of the studio and into real-world environments, including live coverage of breaking news.
By 1952, engineers at Washington, D.C.'s CBS affiliate, WTOP-TV, overcame the limitation of external electrical power with the creation of a one-camera mobile vehicle for event coverage. RCA was offering a two-camera "remote" unit in its catalog of TV-specific equipment by the late 1940s, and many stations either purchased such ready-made products or "rolled their own" to supplement studio programming.
In summary, NBC News was the first in the U.S. to broadcast live breaking news using ENG technology starting in the 1970s, fundamentally changing how television news was gathered and delivered. The introduction of ENG technology marked a significant step towards more flexible and immediate news reporting, paving the way for the modern era of television news.
- The origins of live television broadcasting can be traced back to the 1930s, with NBC's experimental station, W2XBS, transmitting live events.
- NBC News first used Electronic News Gathering (ENG) technology in the 1970s for live, on-the-scene coverage, revolutionizing television news.
- KTLA's "Telecopter," developed in 1958 by the station's chief engineer, John Silva, was another significant step towards mobile, live news reporting.
- Ernst Alexanderson, a pioneer in combined electrical and mechanical engineering, broadcast the first televised "breaking news" of Gov. Al Smith's nomination in August 1928.
- Prior to ENG, the 16-millimeter motion picture camera was the favored methodology for capturing most news events in the first three decades after World War II.
- In the early days of television, news was screened in movie houses, but the rise of television news in the post-war era saw receivers starting to appear in homes in substantial numbers.
- Television broadcasters began to emulate their radio counterparts by increasingly taking programming out of the studio and into real-world environments, including live coverage of breaking news.
