Apple's iPhone 5 launch is a 12-TV-satellite-truck event

That's more media attention than the original iPad launch or Steve Jobs' last keynote

The scene at the Yerba Buena Center. Photo: AllThingsD

FORTUNE -- My colleague JP Mangalindan, who is live-blogging Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 5 launch here, did me a favor and counted the number TV satellite trucks parked in the blocks around San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center today.

He counted an even dozen. That's as many as I've ever seen at an Apple event. By comparison, I counted:

• 11 at the launch of the original iPad in February 2010
• 10 at Steve Jobs' last WWDC keynote in June 2011

Looks like the new iPhone has, if nothing else, captured the media's attention.