In these circles, a "drone" is usually the little ones you might attach a Go Pro to or control with your iPhone, not a UAV similar to what the military uses. I'd go so far as when someone says "drone" to the general public, they think of the guy at the park before the military version.

If NBC wanted to clarify, they could add a line like "drone - anything with a wingspan over X feet - would have to be registered" and completely dispel any confusion.