Drones: Ready for primetime?

posted on 4.01.2016

 - Steer clear of costly lawsuits, fines

The growing appeal and affordability of utilizing drones for newsgathering shouldn’t blind stations to the potential for costly lawsuits or fines resulting from accidents or failure to comply with slowly evolving federal regulations. TAB’s members-only webinar April 7 offers important guidance on avoiding a trip to court from attorneys Laura Stefani and Jonathan Markman with the Fletcher Heald & Hildreth law firm.

Drones will command a lot of attention at the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas and examples of the stunning perspective that drone footage provides already is being seen in news segments. Nonetheless, questions abound about the legal and safe operation of the devices, as well as the video recorded by third-party operators.

Stefani and Markman will address these issues and more in the hour-long session.  Advance registration is required.

Texas Aggies take the drone lead

Texas A&M University garnered headlines last week with its unveiling of a new national certification program for operators of remote-controlled aerial vehicles. The university hopes to take at least a regional lead in establishing standards for federal registration compliance and flying tests even as the FAA continues to roll out its regulations.

The certification program is intended for companies providing commercial drone services that already have a license from the FAA to operate unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS.

Questions? Contact TAB's Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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