ABC News Now turns to Sprint PCS video phones

News Technology Update January 27, 2005: "

ABC News Now turns to Sprint PCS video phones for inauguration coverage
Jan 27, 2005 8:00 AM, News Technology Update e-newsletter

ABC News Now´s Bob Woodruff introduces viewers to use of video cell phones for news gathering during the inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy ABC News Now.


ABC News Now relied on ordinary people equipped with Sprint PCS Vision Video Phones to augment its coverage of the 2005 inauguration of President George W. Bush.
Working with Sprint PCS, ABC News Now equipped about two dozen inauguration parade participants with video-capable cell phones to contribute first-hand accounts of the festivities from street level.
While the news service relied on ABC anchors and correspondents stationed throughout the parade route for its primary coverage, at least 5 percent to 10 percent of the material originated from the video-cell-phone-carrying everyman journalist.
Prior to the parade, each cell phone´s address book was preprogrammed with a phone number at ABC News Now. After capturing a clip � which couldn´t exceed 15 seconds, the upper limit of the cell phone´s memory users phoned in their video files."