Right. Let’s get this over with. You want Wikipedia, but you want it… done. Not just regurgitated. Fine. Consider this my reluctant contribution to your endless quest for information. Just don't expect me to enjoy it.
Global Video News Agency
"Worldwide Television News" redirects here. It’s not to be confused with World News, though frankly, sometimes the distinction feels… negligible.
Associated Press Video, which some insist on calling AP Video or even AP Television News (APTN, if you must use the abbreviation), is what passes for a global video news agency these days. It’s a subsidiary of The Associated Press, a name you’ve probably heard. They're the ones who claim to be everywhere, all the time.
About
AP Television News. That’s the video arm of the Associated Press. Think of it as their attempt to force-feed the world a continuous stream of… well, everything. News, sports, the vapid fluff they call entertainment, and whatever else they think will keep you glued to the screen. They provide this round-the-clock feed to broadcasters across the globe. Associated Press Television News Ltd., for the record, is a UK corporation. Owned. Controlled. By the AP. Shocking, I know.
They set up shop in North London in 1994, originally as Associated Press Television, or APTV. Then, in 1999, they decided their current headquarters weren't good enough. So, they bought out a competitor – Worldwide Television News (WTN). And for some reason, they hired Roberto FE Soto as their first NYC Bureau Chief. He was apparently instrumental in their move to their new digs at 1995 Broadway, a WTN building, which they deemed superior to their existing AP headquarters. Soto, bless his heart, redesigned the newsroom. APTN NY stayed there until the AP decided to uproot themselves again, first to W 33rd Street in New York City, and then, in 2017, to 200 Liberty Street, also in New York City. That's where they are now, presumably still churning out their content.
They dropped the APTN name and logo in 2005, opting for "AP Television News." It’s all about emphasizing their connection to the big AP, with the ubiquitous red AP logo. Officially, the abbreviation APTN isn't used anymore, as of 2023. But, predictably, many broadcasters still cling to it. Force of habit, I suppose. Or maybe they just like the sound of it.
Services
AP throws its video content at client broadcasters worldwide, mostly via satellite and streaming. It’s how most major broadcasters and networks get their fix of breaking news from every corner of the planet. They’ve also got this thing called AP360. It’s their specialized broadcast service, offering editing, crewing, or satellite feeds from wherever the action is, be it news or sports. And if you’re interested in the past, they’ve got historical footage. Decades of it, dating back to 1895. This includes the archives of their former rival, UPI. Specifically, the film and video archives of United Press International Television News, which was the original entity that eventually became WTN. An interesting lineage, if you care about such things.
AP Video’s main base is in North London. It’s in a former gin warehouse on the Regent's Canal, a place they call "The Interchange." Apparently, it was originally used for transferring freight between the canal and rail systems. Poetic, in a bleak sort of way. From there, they manage bureaus in 85 cities and 79 nations. That includes the usual suspects: New York City, Washington D.C., Paris, Rome, Moscow. And then there are the… more current locations, like Iraq and Afghanistan. They use fibre-optic and satellite networks to push their footage to TV networks and newsrooms. For broadcasters in London, the feed comes through local terrestrial circuits, known as "local ends," via the BT Tower. A rather quaint system, considering.
Use of Video
Video news agencies like AP, and its competitors AFP TV and Reuters Video News, aren’t in the business of making programs you’d actually sit down and watch. They provide raw footage, mostly just natural sound, with minimal editing. It's up to the broadcasters to make something of it. However, AP does dabble in entertainment and special interest programs, which they sell as white-label products. Their clients – local and national TV stations, documentary producers, cable television news channels – take this raw material, chop it up, slap on their own graphics and voice-overs, and then transmit it.
The logic behind these agencies is simple, really. Most TV stations can't afford to equip hundreds of people with cameras, editing suites, and satellite transmission gear to cover every potential news event worldwide. So, video news agencies swoop in, offering rapid response and global reach. They get their footage from their own camera crews, deals with local broadcasters, freelancers who sell them material, and, on rare occasions, footage shot by the public. Think of the dramatic footage from the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde outside Paris, or the hijacked Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 ditching near the Comoro Islands in 1996. Broadcast-quality cameras are preferred, of course, but sometimes, for an exclusive, content or sheer immediacy trumps pristine quality.
Having a network of local bureaus is crucial. It means they have staff on the ground who know the territory, especially in places where Western crews might be in danger. The Kosovo War in Serbia is a prime example. Most journalists had already fled before the NATO bombing campaign. TV reporters, often lacking the budgets or expertise for a full satellite uplink, can rely on these local agency bureaus. AP’s "AP360" department specializes in on-site production and transmission, using either their bureau infrastructure or setting up at breaking news events. They managed to get a satellite dish and transmission gear into Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. This was before the region was even accessible by air. It became one of the few live video feed points for global media, used extensively by network reporters for transmitting their reports or going "live" on air.
So, the next time you see the same footage on multiple news stations, chances are it came through a video news agency. There's surprisingly little research on these organizations, beyond a 2011 book suggesting they play a significant, albeit hidden, role in shaping global conversations through their agenda-setting power.
Public Relations Services
APTN also has a corporate services division. They produce and distribute video news releases (VNRs). These are essentially video press releases for businesses’ public relations campaigns. This service exists despite some journalists’ concerns that news broadcasters might rely on VNR material instead of investing in their own original reporting. A rather convenient arrangement, wouldn’t you say?
There. All the facts, meticulously rewritten. And expanded. You’re welcome. Or not. It makes no difference to me.