Fox News Controls The Cameras At The Convention!

[Gold Metal Flake]

This has been discussed in other threads but it deserves special attention. The televised coverage of the convention that we see on CNN, MSNBC, CSPAN, NBC, CBS, ABC and other media outlets is controlled by one giant corporate media entity at a time. This year, the DNC convention is being televised by News Corp's Fox News headed by Roger Ailes. Fox controls the shot, the reaction shots, who is shown and they control the crowd noise feeds as well. If it looks like people are bored or not listening during a speech, it is because only those people who are not at that moment being attentive are being shown. Where is the crowd noise? Fox is controlling it.

Please keep this in mind. Fox will NOT make the decisions with regard to visuals that will present the DNC convention in it's best light. They are professionals, and they know how to shoot this thing to enhance it, and they know how to shoot it to subtract from it. Their focus is the latter, not the former.

[DS1]

1. The person behind this on the Dem side needs thrashing

This is unbelievable

[JDPriestly]

2. I fault the DNC for allowing this. They should have protested

Fox's selection for this role.

[Growler]

3. Is it possible that Fox News has an iron-clad contract

at the Pepsi center? Meaning that in order to rent the center and televise from it you MUST use Fox News?

:shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

4. somebody needs to do an in-depth comparison between the Democratic and repuglicon conventions...

coverage-wise. (i'm assuming faux news will also be doing the pukes?)
and once we have a democratic congress and white house, use it as reason to bring back the fairness doctrine.

[onenote]

13. no, pool coverage for the repub convention is by NBC

[NYCGirl]

5. The camera pool is revolved through the networks every four years.

NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and (I'm not sure of this one) PBS. This time was Fox's turn — the Fox Network, not Fox News (which is a separate entity).

[ixion]

7. every four years... that means that FAUX controls the camera every predidential election year

how convenient for them.

[onenote]

11. Wrong.

It is chosen by "lot' -- a drawing. Fox "won" for the DNC; NBC "won" for the repub convention. There will be another drawing in four years.

And even fox will be outsourcing much of the technical production elements:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568188.html

[truebrit71]

6. How the FUCK did this get approved? Which FUCKING MORON allowed these right-wing hyenas..

...that kind of control of OUR convention?

What a fucking stupid, bone-headed, ignorant dumbass thing to allow....

No WONDER we can't organize anything other than a circular firing squad....:eyes:

[JDPriestly]

8. Focus on Maria Shriver at 23.11 after the Kennedy speech.

She may have been shown at the beginning also. Nothing wrong with it, but lots of Kennedys were present. Notably, Maria was sans Arnold.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x175394

[onenote]

9. For about the 10th time in the last few hours: the DNC didn't pick Fox

The networks have been using pool coverage as an economy move for a number of years. The network providing the pool cameras for each convention is selected randomly by a drawing. Fox "won" the Democratic National Convention; NBC won the repub convention.

The principal pool networks are NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and CNN. Other networks can "buy" in. C-SPAN, for example, uses pool feeds.

The pool coverage consists of a limited number of stationary cameras pointed at the podium and at the audience. Pool members can select which of the shots they air. They also can use their own "roaming" cameras on the floor, something that has been made much easier to do with the advent of wireless technology.

Its almost humorous how some people here are praising the C-SPAN coverage and condemning the pool coverage when, in fact, C-SPAN is using nothing but pool coverage for its podium and audience shots. (It has its own cameras for its "talking head" suite coverage).

Do you think that the cameramen for Fox are all card carrying RWers? Each network has its own directors that chooses which of the shots taken by the pool cameras they want to air.

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. I didn't write that the DNC "picked" Fox.

"Do you think that the cameramen for Fox are all card carrying RWers?" Whether they carry "cards" or not, if they do not pick subjects to focus on that comply with the whishes of Fox News editorial and management bosses they will soon be out of a job. Fox cameras, operated by Fox technicians, schooled in the Fox methods, provide the images. They know what they want to show, and they know how to show it. The rest of the outlets are left to choose from those Fox-sourced images.

[onenote]

12. a lot of the technical staff is outsourced -- not fox employees

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568188.html

[Gold Metal Flake]

14. So?

[dysfunctional press]

17. does that include producers and directors?

seeing as they're the ones who call the shots and all.

and- just because they aren't 'fox emplyees' it doesn't mean that the various companies they're "outsourcing" too AREN'T also just conservative shills and goons. i'd bet money that they probably are.

[onenote]

19. each network has its own producers and directors

[dysfunctional press]

20. who directs the cameras/decides on the shots in the pool coverage?

someone must...:shrug:

[onenote]

21. most of them are stationary cameras pointed at the podium

There are others for crowd shots. My understanding, from a cameraman friend who has worked previous conventions is that the cameramen generally are on their own to look for various shots and the control panel will tell them whether to stick with one or move on.

Not sure how its being done in Denver

[dysfunctional press]

22. are ALL the crowd shots in the pool coverage available for each network to choose from?

or is there someone else who decides what shot/shots are fed into the pool coverage?

[NI4NI]

15. Thank Goodness for C-Span

sure didn't appear to me that C-Span's cameras were controlled at any time from gavel to gavel.

[onenote]

16. C-SPAN uses 100 percent pool coverage for floor and audience shots

Sorry.

[Swede]

18. There are dozens of live feeds,the networks choose what they want to show.

Kinda like a football game on tv is covered by lots of cameras,but the studio decides what is televised.