Los Angeles News Service
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Bob Tur is an American broadcast reporter credited with revolutionizing the way breaking news is covered with the introduction of the modern news helicopter. [1] Tur, who with the help of his then wife, Marika Gerrard, created the [Los Angeles News Service]. The first to televise a police chase in 1992 [2], they also were the first to locate and televise O.J. Simpson's infamous slow-speed chase in his friend Al Cowlings' white Ford Bronco in 1994 [3].
Tur and Gerrard have received three Television News Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award [4] for broadcast excellence for his reporting over the Loma Prieta/San Francisco Earthquake, an Associated Press National Breaking News award, the NPPA Humanitarian Award, several Golden Mikes, and numerous other local and national citations.
They have also been credited with locating 9 missing aircraft, including a commercial passenger jet that crashed after a deranged airline employee shot to death the pilot and copilot south of San Francisco.
The Turs have also been featured in numerous programs, including a 2-part special of ITV documentary Police, Camera, Action! in 1995, with Alastair Stewart. The episode was called The Man Who Shot OJ.
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[edit] Litigation against YouTube
On 14 July, 2006 Mr. Tur's news operation filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against YouTube alleging hundreds of copyright infringements, leading to hundreds of illegal downloads. The suit is being watched by copyright experts around the globe, and will have far reaching ramifications for new technology that often outpaces existing intellectual property law.
Among the infringing works is the attack of Reginald Denny at the intersection of Florence and Normandie, shot minutes after four white Los Angeles police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King.
[edit] Other achievments
Tur was credited by the Los Angeles Times ("Gathering More Than News" Editorial Section-January 20, 1988) with saving the lives of 54 people during a freak southern California storm in January of '88. At the request of a local fire department, Tur piloted his AS-350B Eurocopter helicopter through 60 knot winds, at night, to airlift stranded tourists from 22 foot seas that pounded apart their hotel, the Portofino Inn. Timing the interval of the waves, Tur and his camera operator, Byron Alperstein, made a dozen near zero visibility takeoffs and landings without losing a single victim. Both Tur and Alperstein received numerous awards for their heroism.
In August of 2006, Bob was cited by Israeli medics for saving the life of a IDF soldier during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict [5] During a Katyusha rocket attack, Bob and his television news crew found a 19 year-old soldier trapped in his crushed automobile. With the soldier unconcious, and not breathing, Tur, who had been shooting a documentary for an American satellite news operation, performed an emergency tracheotomy, intubating the man and restoring his breathing. The rescue, which was caught on tape by another reporter, aired as part of a news package dealing with life on the Israeli-Lebanon border.
Marika Gerrard has also been credited for her work in copyright protection for its creators. The Turs through her lawyers have won 5 United States 9th Circuit decisions dealing with intellectual property protection [6].
Together, the Turs have 2 adult children, Katharine, and James.
[edit] Personal Life
The Turs' marriage came to end in 2004. Following the breakup, Robert dated Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher until they split in late 2005 [7]
[edit] References
1 New Yorker Magazine-August 1, 1994 2 People Magazine-September 12, 1994 3 CBS News, 60 Minutes-The Man That Shot O.J. 4 KCBS News Radio-San Francisco-Loma Prieta Earthquake-October 17, 1989 5 HDNews (VOOM), News 12-Long Island 6 Los Angeles News Service v Tulo, Los Angeles News Service v KCAL, Los Angeles News Service v Reuters 7 NPR radio
