S.F. News Crews Robbed at Gunpoint

According to KTVU and KNTV, both San Francisco, their news crews were robbed at gunpoint and a camera operator pistol whipped early Thursday morning while covering a shooting death the night before.

KTVU reporter Cara Liu was reporting live from Pier 14 when someone stole camera equipment from KNTV and pistol-whipped KNTV cameraman Alan Waples, who was not seriously injured, according to KNTV, which said the man then stole KTVU gear.

KRON and KGO-TV had crews at the pier as well, but escaped unscathed, according to KNTV.

"The attacks today are a reminder of how vulnerable news crews can be and of the dangers broadcast professionals can face daily," said SAG-AFTRA San Francisco-Northern California Local. "Unfortunately, sometimes the most prepared reporters still fall victim, as the KNTV and KTVU news crews experienced reporting on the tragic shooting death at Pier 14."

In a statement, the union said that it had met "with all major news stations and requested various security measures for reporting teams."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.