Hello again DFC,
the camera in question makes absolutely no difference in the day to day operations at Edinburgh, to all intents and purposes it doesn't exist. It was added at a time when we were given a second monitor to view the north cargo apron when a tnt hangar was built right in front of it. Basically it is useful to have there just incase things go wrong, if someone were to have an emergency and be on the part of the rw that cannot be seen, for example, but it is not approved for the control of traffic. There is a big difference between issuing a pushback instruction and a clearance on to an active runway. When I am the air controller I am wholly responsible for what happens on the runway and in order to give an aircraft a conditional or multiple line up I have to be able to see the relevant holding point. On westerlies I can see if an aircraft has infringed the runway and issue the appropriate instructions, on easterlies it is much easier to miss. It is a basic safety issue, and while I trust that the pilot may be able to see the aircraft for himself mistakes do happen.
As for the issue of providing ATC from a different location I can think of so many reasons why it is a bad idea, and remarkably few benefits. How would I moitor the circuit traffic for instance, or transitting aircraft crossing through the overhead. What about essential aerodrome information? When I am sat in the tower I can see the flock of birds passing through final at 1 mile, where am I to put the cameras to monitor that? I do see what you are getting at, but quite frankly the thought of it is frightening and I would think you would be hard pressed to find a single controller who would ever agree to work under such unsafe conditions...