Raleigh Station to Use Google Glass for Feb Book Sweeps Stunt

FTVLive has been telling you about our wearing of Google Glass and what we think the future holds for the technology in and around TV news.

One Raleigh station is using Glass as part of a February sweeps stunt.

WRAL is giving viewers a live, behind-the-scenes glimpse of what goes into putting its morning newscast on air with the help of Glass.

This week a different person associated with the newscast will wear the glasses between 6:30 and 7 a.m.

Bill Leslie, one of the station’s morning anchors, woreGoogle Glass in the studio so viewers could see what he sees as he delivers the newscast. Throughout the rest of the week other people working on the newscast, including news producer Kianey Carter, studio crew chief Stuart Todd and traffic anchor Brian Shrader, will each wear Glass.

WRAL occasionally will drop video from the Google Glass into a picture-in-picture window on the lower left of the screen, says Steve Hammel WRAL VP and general manager. The Capitol Broadcasting Co. flagship station also will make the Google Glass perspective available on its website for the full 30 minutes of the newscast, including during commercial breaks. Unless the Glass user goes to the bathroom we're guessing.

How is WRAL getting the signal from Glass live to air?

The station will use a combination of consumer and broadcast technology, says WRAL’s Pete Sockett, director of engineering and operations. The Google Glass will stream video via a Wi-Fi connection to an Apple iPad, which in turn will stream the video via an Apple AirPlay connection to an Apple TV box, Sockett explains.

We're expecting that as Glass becomes more available and includes more apps, we will see a better use for this technology in the newsroom than just using it as a live camera. 

H/T TVNewsCheck