This assumption that all newsworthy events happen in congested areas - just isn't fact. I monitored all the UK news events for the first six months of this year - listing those events which would have been covered better from the air. The ratio of congested v. non-congested areas was 20/80. Nuff said.
And to answer the earlier question about the May Day ops in London - the BBC wasted 8hrs of twin Squirrel time (and licence payers' money) covering a non-event. With a fuel bowser at Woolwich, they were up and down like a tarts' drawers - for a complete non-story. Around £8000.
And a few weeks later, they were saying that all their news budgets were being cut because of the cost of covering Iraq!
Good luck to Sky News - a bold step forward which may chivvy up a few other broadcasters. And well done Arena for getting the gig against some very tough competition.