Columbus, OH News Media?

[W8WCA]

I have been away from Scanning for a few years now.
I Just bought a SDS200

I noticed I get no hits on any of the Columbus, OH News Media Frequencies.

Anyone hearing them or have they changed to using cell phones or something?

 

[santafe2016]

Years ago I also used to monitor them but with the proliferation of those dang cell phones NO ONE used two way that I can hear, When I lived in Florida I monitored ST Pete Tampa a lot but back up here I am unable to hear anybody. Cell Phones have done in that hobby as well as MDT;s and e mail takes away Police / fire communication atrend more prevalent than I like. as well as texting. Sorry!!

 

[gtaman]

I hear them usually around broadcast times.

 

[W8WCA]

I hear them usually around broadcast times.

I used to Hear one of the Broadcast Helicopter every AM and late afternoon

 

[cbehr91]

The TV stations don't use two-way radio much if at all. Crew coordination is done via e-mail/text now. Liveshots are bonded cellular and don't require the field crew and station to talk to "line up" the microwave signal.

Not to mention channel 4 grounded their chopper a couple years ago.

 

[TailGator911]

Media freqs used to be a big part of my monitoring when I lived down in Florida, but not so much these days in Ohio. Although, when the active shooter scare happened here at WPAFB last year I did hear some remote broadcasts.

 

[W8WCA]

The TV stations don't use two-way radio much if at all. Crew coordination is done via e-mail/text now. Liveshots are bonded cellular and don't require the field crew and station to talk to "line up" the microwave signal.

Not to mention channel 4 grounded their chopper a couple years ago.

I did not know that!

Wonder if Sunny 95 still has theirs up?
(And seeing as I do not listen to them - not sure they are still in existance)!

 

[phask]

I used to Hear one of the Broadcast Helicopter every AM and late afternoon

Isn't WBNS - 10TV the only news chopper currently?

 

[wa8pyr]

I did not know that!

Wonder if Sunny 95 still has theirs up?
(And seeing as I do not listen to them - not sure they are still in existance)!

Yes, Sunny 95 ("where it's always sunny and 95") is still around, but they never had a chopper that I know of. Only Channel 4 and Channel 10 have/had choppers, and there was at least one "rent-a-chopper" shared by most of the major radio stations including Sunny 95 for traffic reports, which were broadcast from the chopper to the receiving station on one of the 450/455 MHz link frequencies. With cameras everywhere on the major roads and freeways today, I don't think anybody does chopper traffic reports anymore unless there's something really big happening.

In fact, I think Channel 4's bird was also a "rent-a-chopper" toward the end. Channel 10 is the only one which still has their own, which is a bit surprising given the greater prevalence of drones ("Drone 10". . . seriously, they call it that); the only reason to keep a chopper would be greater flexibility in where and how far you can go.

 

[DeepBlue]

Channel 4 had a contract with a local pair of brothers for a long time but they have ceased operations some time back as I recall.

Also, channel 4 has 2 frequencies I know of, one for Master Control operations which was used to talk to the microwave trucks running about the city to bring in their live shots at news time and also to coordinate feeds of news footage as it happened.

The second frequency was for dealing with the "talent" in the field at news time. When I bother listening I still hear the IFB on occasion. IFB was how the talent listened to the on air signals over radio into their earphones and how they hear the director and producer. Both are seldom used these days but still active occasionally.

It is worth noting that I used to listen to the OSU games press box feed on my scanners and 2m/440 radio in the car (in the commercial band ranges) and it was interesting as the mics were left open when they tossed to national commercials. You could also catch the mobile sat trucks setting with the ground crews and also you could occasionally find the directors frequency used to talk with the camera crew.

Sean
(I used to work there, 16 years)

 

[wa8pyr]

It is worth noting that I used to listen to the OSU games press box feed on my scanners and 2m/440 radio in the car (in the commercial band ranges) and it was interesting as the mics were left open when they tossed to national commercials. You could also catch the mobile sat trucks setting with the ground crews and also you could occasionally find the directors frequency used to talk with the camera crew.

When I used to live in Franklin County I searched the 450-451 and 455-456 bands all the time when there was a major event (like OSU football or whatever) when the national media was in town; activity would pop up quite often and probably still does.

I live a pretty far piece outside the city now and tend to avoid it as much as I can on game days.

 

[DeepBlue]

Interestingly (and off topic) once while listening to a post 911 OSU game I ran across a security frequency with ties to a national 3 letter agency. They were running the license plates of nearly every vehicle running up and down High St. on campus. Rubs me the wrong way but I understand it. Made sense at the time.
S

 

[wa8pyr]

Interestingly (and off topic) once while listening to a post 911 OSU game I ran across a security frequency with ties to a national 3 letter agency. They were running the license plates of nearly every vehicle running up and down High St. on campus. Rubs me the wrong way but I understand it. Made sense at the time.

No Such Agency? Or the Fibbies?

 

[W8WCA]

OK I really thought I had seen a Yellow Sunny 95 Chopter before but my memory is not the best! (It's the pits actually)

In the last few days - only thing I have heard as far as news was a feed from somewhere but nothing interesting.

As far as Helo's go just the 123.075 and some Medical Helo's is all I hear.
Used to hear CPD on that Freq now and then

 

[W8WCA]

Just ask Sunny 95 - They had a Jetcopter - they called it Yellow Thunder
A Sargent Bill Taylor did the Traffic Reports

 

[wa8pyr]

Just ask Sunny 95 - They had a Jetcopter - they called it Yellow Thunder
A Sargent Bill Taylor did the Traffic Reports

A friend from one of the radio stations told me once that was a rent-a-chopper with Sunny 95 as the primary and the cost shared with other stations, just "branded" Yellow Thunder; that same chopper (and Bill Taylor) did traffic reports for several stations. I don't know too many radio (or TV) stations with the financial revenues to afford to own a chopper full-time. It's a pretty select crowd, and WBNS in Columbus is one of the few.

(I majored in broadcast technology and journalism in college; one of my classmates at the TCOM school worked for TV and radio stations in Columbus, which is where I got that tidbit).

They actually had a very specific schedule for which stations got their traffic reports when; Sunny 95 got it at zero (0800, 0810 etc), WTVN on the twos (0802, 0812 etc) and so on. Don't remember the exact schedule but it was fun to listen to the downlink from the chopper on the 450/455 simplex frequencies as they went down the list.

 

[W8WCA]

A friend from one of the radio stations told me once that was a rent-a-chopper with Sunny 95 as the primary and the cost shared with other stations, just "branded" Yellow Thunder; that same chopper (and Bill Taylor) did traffic reports for several stations. I don't know too many radio (or TV) stations with the financial revenues to afford to own a chopper full-time. It's a pretty select crowd, and WBNS in Columbus is one of the few.

(I majored in broadcast technology and journalism in college; one of my classmates at the TCOM school worked for TV and radio stations in Columbus, which is where I got that tidbit).

They actually had a very specific schedule for which stations got their traffic reports when; Sunny 95 got it at zero (0800, 0810 etc), WTVN on the twos (0802, 0812 etc) and so on. Don't remember the exact schedule but it was fun to listen to the downlink from the chopper on the 450/455 simplex frequencies as they went down the list.

Thanks and Yes - I recall Sgt Bill Taylor on multi. Stations also

 

[amcferrin90]

WBNS does not have a helo anymore. It was removed from service when the station was sold, I think that was the reason I was given. They have the hanger at the tower and kept all the other things needed, jet fuel tank, etc. They have at least two drones although I don't know which ones specifically.

 

[gtaman]

I thought that was WSYX?

 

[amcferrin90]

I thought that was WSYX?

I was walking the station for a proposal in my line of business. I had spoken to the facility engineer about it because I was concerned about securing it. Unless you're speaking of the buyout and yes when John Wolfe passed, the family eventually sold it. I think it might have gone through two sales. Maybe my buddy from 10 will chime in. He's on here.