France 24 and PBS have inked a deal give the public broadcaster’s member stations the option to livestream France 24 English as a subchannel on their digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to team up with France 24, creating a new opportunity for our member stations to bring the channel’s English digital content to their viewers through PBS platforms,” Ira Rubenstein, PBS chief digital and marketing officer, said. “It’s a natural fit for public media's mission to reach viewers wherever they are with in-depth, trustworthy journalism.

The agreement strengthens France 24’s efforts to expand its digital reach among U.S. audiences, while giving PBS member stations a new way to bring fresh, daily content to viewers through PBS platforms,” he added. “With this addition, PBS stations can now offer nine different live, linear, commercial-free streaming channels on PBS.org and the PBS app.

France 24, an international news channel and part of France’s public-service media, reaches 577 million households worldwide, and 153.7 million people weekly. Its 200 correspondents around the world deliver balanced, in-depth coverage of global affairs.

“We are proud to offer France 24 in English to American audiences and firmly believe that the channel will receive a warm welcome,” Rubenstein said.

France 24 is available online.

ALAMEDA, Calif.—Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world’s largest music festivals.

With multiple stages, major international and Brazilian artists and a live broadcast operation reaching a worldwide audiences, Rock in Rio requires communications technology that performs reliably at scale, Clear-Com said. The deployment was supported by Savana Comunicação, a Clear-Com partner in Brazil.

For the 2026 festival, Clear-Com provided the communications solutions connecting production teams across the event while creating a seamless link between the festival site and TV Globo’s broadcast facilities.

The deployment featured four Clear-Com Arcadia Central Station systems supporting about 50 wireless FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon beltpacks. A combination of E1 and IP-connected FreeSpeak transceivers provided wireless coverage across the festival’s production areas, giving teams the mobility and flexibility needed to coordinate a large-scale, multistage live event.

The system’s capabilities extended beyond the festival grounds, integrating Rock in Rio’s on-site communications infrastructure with TV Globo’s broadcast operation. The Arcadia systems were connected via Dante over a dedicated network to the broadcaster’s facilities, providing audio connectivity between the festival’s Arcadia systems and Clear-Com Eclipse matrix infrastructure.

This integration enabled on-site production and broadcast teams to operate within a connected communications environment, helping streamline coordination between the live event and the television production. Multishow, a cable and satellite TV network operated by Globo, broadcast the festival live.

More information is available on Clear-Com’s website.

Nyx Hemera Technologies has acquired Comlab Telecommunications and its Davicom division.

The buyer provides intelligent lighting control and management systems for critical infrastructure, including smart-city lighting control systems for road tunnels and underpasses. Comlab and Davicom sell automation and control products for broadcast and telecom sites. All are based in Quebec City, Canada.

Nyx Hemera and Comlab-Davicom will continue to operate separately. But John Ahern, president of Comlab-Davicom, plans to retire next spring.

“This acquisition marks a significant milestone in the growth of both companies, as they possess highly complementary technological expertise; it will enable them to expand their engineering and product development capabilities while creating new opportunities for innovation in their current and future markets,” Nyx Hemera said in the announcement.

President Pierre Longtin was quoted, “The skills developed by Comlab/Davicom over the years in radio frequency electronics, antennas and telecommunications complement those of Nyx and give us access to new development opportunities.”

John Ahern told Radio World: “The company continues, the products continue, our support continues and the team continues. The main change is that I will be retiring after the spring NAB Show.”

This article initially appeared in Radio World, sister brand to TV Tech.

WASHINGTON—ATSC took an important step in the development of Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) with approval of a candidate standard for the emerging platform.

The approval is an initial step in advancing ATSC’s vision of enabling broadcast and mobile technologies to work closely together, advancing the effort to extend the reach and efficiency of broadcast to connected devices, networks and services and to make it possible for unicast networks to take advantage of broadcasting’s one-to-many architecture, the standards body said.

“ATSC is committed to advancing broadcast technologies that meet the evolving needs of our industry and create new opportunities for broadcasters, technology companies and consumers,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. “The progress on B2X is a strong example of that commitment.

“By bringing together expertise from across the broadcast and mobile ecosystems, ATSC is helping define how broadcast can evolve, and work alongside other networks as an essential part of the communications landscape,” she said.

“B2X System Discovery and Signaling” (S44-2-002r6) was approved by ATSC Technology Group 3. It provides an essential building block for devices to find and connect with future B2X services.

B2X could create new opportunities for broadcasters, wireless providers, device manufacturers, technology companies and service developers while opening new markets for broadcast-based services. It looks to leverage broadcast’s ability to simultaneously deliver the same information or content to a large number of receivers and complement mobile broadband networks in reaching connected devices.

“B2X can bring together broadcast efficiency in the mobile ecosystem, create new business opportunities, and ultimately extend advanced services to a broader range of devices, including very low-power devices, such as wearables or remote sensors,” said Joe Fabiano, chief technology officer of EdgeBeam Wireless and chair of the TG3 Specialist Group on B2X.

B2X is being developed to explore how broadcast can become part of that broader communications environment, complementing other networks rather than operating separately from them.

Candidate standard status moves B2X from internal development toward broader industry evaluation and implementation. It gives companies and organizations, regardless of ATSC membership, the chance to review the specification, evaluate its implementation and provide feedback.

The candidate standard is available on the ATSC website.

MELBOURNE, Fla.—Broadcast systems integrator USSI Global has tapped Ed McGivern as chief revenue officer.

Most recently president and general manager of Appear U.S., the 25-year industry veteran is tasked with leading USSI Global’s go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition and revenue expansion, the company said.

“USSI Global is entering a period of tremendous opportunity as our customers navigate another major C-band transition while also confronting broader changes in how they build, operate and support their technology infrastructures,” said USSI President and CEO Anthony Morelli, to whom McGivern will report. “Ed understands these customers, their businesses and the markets we serve. His leadership will help us capitalize on those opportunities while expanding our managed services and developing new business in markets such as government, sports, and live events.”

At Appear, McGivern built the company’s U.S. organization from the ground up, USSI Global said, growing its sales, operations and support function into a business that generated some $45 million in annual revenue in less than five years. Previously, he had held senior commercial leadership posts with several large broadcast and media technology companies, including Harris Broadcast/Imagine Communications, Grass Valley/Snell Advanced Media and Tektronix.

McGivern’s appointment comes as USSI Global preps its customers for the next phase of the Federal Communications Commission-mandated C-band satellite spectrum transition. USSI Global said McGivern sees an opportunity to turn large-scale projects like the C-band transition into longer-term customer relationships by extending its involvement into areas such as ongoing monitoring, connectivity management and other managed services.

“The commercial strategy starts with understanding the customer’s business and making USSI Global easy to work with,” McGivern said. “Customers don’t want to navigate complicated organizations. They want partners that understand what they are trying to achieve, can bring the right expertise to the table and can remain engaged throughout the lifecycle of the project.”

MAHWAH, N.J.—Ikegami will introduce the UHK-X700VN, a studio/portable camera with advanced creative features typically associated with digital cinematography, at NAB Show New York (Oct. 21-22) at Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center.

Those advanced capabilities include Bokeh effects, seamless depth-of-field adjustability and exposure adjustment, Ikegami said. Another central feature of the new camera is an advanced variable neutral-density filter that lets operators precisely control exposure regardless of changes in the amount of incoming light while maintaining the existing iris setting and depth of field.

This opens up a wide range of creative possibilities, Ikegami said, including naturally blurring the background to emphasize the subject. Precise control of background focus also allows interference patterns to be reduced or eliminated when using LED walls in news presentation or virtual production studios, the company saud.

The UHK-X700VN uses a proprietary Ikegami filter structure that allows seamless and stepless variable neutral-density control, starting from a zero-attenuation state. This minimizes the exposure shift and changes in image characteristics that can occur when variable neutral-density control is initially engaged. Exposure can thus be adjusted even during live production, maintaining the desired iris setting and depth of field as well as providing greater creative freedom.

Integral to the UHK-X700VN are new control modes based on the variable neutral-density filter. One such mode allows the operator to define the variable range of the lens iris. This is particularly effective when maintaining optimal optical lens performance as a priority or when a specific depth of field is desired, Ikegami said.

An automated mode delivers continuous exposure control across a wide range by enabling simultaneous control of the variable neutral-density filter, lens iris and electronic gain. The camera system optimizes exposure while maintaining the operator’s desired visual characteristics.

The UHK-X700VN relies on 2/3-inch CMOS 4K sensors with global shutter readout to eliminate rolling shutter distortion and flash-banding artifacts. It supports HDR imagery as well as BT.2020 and BT.709 chroma spaces. 4K video is available as a 12G-SDI feed directly from the camera head, allowing the UHK-X700VN to be integrated into a wireless system.

High-frame-rate shooting at up to 2x speed in 4K or up to 8x speed in HD via the base station is an option for applications such as fast-motion capture for sports or stage events. The Ikegami BSX-100 base station also enables simultaneous 4K and HD video outputs, including mixed sources.

The company will also show the Ikegami IPX-100 IP compact IP base station, OCP-500 operation control panel, UHL-X40 two-piece box camera and HLM-2460WA and HLM-1860WR monitors.

See Ikegami at NAB Show New York Booth 708.

More information is available on the company’s website.

BRUSSELS, Belgium—Mediagenix has unveiled AI Context-Aware Scheduling, which it calls a new approach to channel scheduling that brings real-world events, competitive programming and other external influences into decisions.

By adding this broader context to existing audience, content and performance intelligence, Mediagenix aims to help programming teams anticipate changes in viewing behavior, identify potential audience conflicts and opportunities and make more strategic decisions about what to schedule and when, it said.

“Programmers already know that a major sporting event, breaking news or cultural moment can completely change the assumptions behind a schedule,” said Tim Goff, vice president of product, scheduling at Mediagenix. “Context-Aware Scheduling is about using AI to bring that external intelligence into the scheduling process, so teams can see potential conflicts and opportunities earlier and evaluate their options before making the call.”

Mediagenix said Context-Aware Scheduling builds on its scheduling optimization capabilities by adding another dimension to the programming decision: understanding what is happening around the schedule and how those external factors could affect the audience.

For example, historical data may indicate Saturday evening is the ideal time to premiere a movie for a particular audience. If a major sporting event is expected to attract the same demographic, Context-Aware Scheduling could identify the potential conflict and allow programmers to evaluate alternatives before committing a high-value title to the slot.

External events can also create opportunities. A breaking news development, cultural moment, seasonal event or regional occurrence could suddenly make a particular title, genre or programming theme more relevant. Context-Aware Scheduling could help programmers identify those opportunities and activate content from their existing inventory while audience interest is high, Mediagenix said.

Context-Aware Scheduling is part of a broader Mediagenix ecosystem that connects intelligence across content strategy, title management, scheduling, curation and personalization. Rather than treating scheduling as an isolated operational step, Mediagenix enables media companies to understand and enrich their title inventory, strategically determine how and when content should be programmed, control how it is curated and presented and create more relevant experiences for individual viewers.

Semantic Intelligence provides an important foundation across these workflows by using a deeper understanding of content to help teams uncover relationships and opportunities that traditional metadata alone cannot reveal, Mediagenix said. Combined with automation and AI, this intelligence helps media companies maximize the value of their title inventory while maintaining editorial control over the strategies and decisions that shape the viewer experience, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

HEBDEN BRIDGE, England—Calrec Audio will debut its Type RT digital console and Apex M6 modular I/O platform in the U.S. and exhibit new versions of its virtualized mixing engine and Argo console software at NAB Show New York (Oct. 20-21).

Visitors to Calrec’s booth at the Javits Convention Center (Booth 444) can see Type RT, which the company calls its most compact all-in-one digital console. Launched in September, Type RT includes built-in DSP, control processing, I/O, monitoring and USB audio. The console supports native ST 2110 audio-over-IP connectivity with optional Dante and MADI and a silent fanless design that makes it suitable for sports venues, radio, local TV, podcast studios and houses of worship, Calrec said. It is available in six-, 12- or 18-fader options.

Apex M6 is a 1-rack-unit modular I/O platform for audio interfacing, routing, bridging and network edge connectivity. It includes six configurable module slots, two built-in MADI interfaces, a 512-by-512 internal router and NMOS-native operation. It can work across Calrec’s console range or independently from it, the company said.

Calrec booth visitors will also see a 36-fader Argo S console with an ImPulse IP processing core acting as its main controller. The console will be linked via True Control 2.0 to a 24-fader Argo M running on internal DSP and a 12-fader Type RT.

True Control 2.0 gives users full control over EQ, dynamics, routing, direct outputs and delay from any connected console, Calrec said, with a single controller able to manage five other consoles or processing cores simultaneously.

Calrec will also preview virtualized audio mixing engine ImPulseV v1.5, an update that adds support for Grass Valley’s AMPP control SDK, giving AMPP applications direct control over console parameters including faders. It also includes Calrec’s AMPP bridge application, providing bidirectional control between an ImPulse core and the AMPP environment, and supports commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, NDI connectivity alongside Dante and automated deployment via Cloud-Init and Terraform.

The update adds 96- and 140-path DSP packs to the existing 256-path configuration. Short-term licenses of one year, 12 weeks and four weeks are now available. The engine will also be available on NEP’s Platform.

Argo v1.5 adds Offline Assist, which enables users to configure shows, memories and presets without an ImPulse or Argo surface. Its new True Peak Limiters keep output within broadcast loudness standards, and I/O patching was streamlined for faster switching, Calrec said. A new Bulk Advanced Configuration saves advanced settings across multiple devices in a single action, the company said.

Calrec also said it will add support for the Media eXchange Layer (MXL) to ImPulse V.

“NAB Show New York marks the first opportunity for the U.S. market to get hands-on with our new Type RT consoles and Apex M6 platform,” Calrec Director of Product Management Henry Goodman said. “Together with Argo, they show how broadcasters can build exactly the system they need, at the scale they need it. Freedom of choice is ultimately a business decision. When the cost of a production tracks the scale of the job, broadcasters can say yes to more content, on more platforms, without overcommitting their budgets.”

A group of state and regional cable industry organizations representing the nation’s pay-TV operators is asking the Federal Communications Commission to delay its decision last August to eliminate the 39% national TV station ownership cap, pending judicial review.

The organizations told the FCC that they would petition a court of appeals to review the commission’s decision when the order was posted. The group pulled the trigger this week after the order was published on Oct. 2. The order is set to take effect 60 afterwards.

In August, the FCC voted to modify the rule that limits the total reach of TV station groups to 39% of overall U.S. television households. The commission, which had been under pressure from station groups and lobbying groups like the National Association of Broadcasters, justified its decision in the name of local journalism.

“I don't want local broadcast TV to go the way of local newspapers, and yet the risk is real,” Carr said at the time, adding that over the last two decades “more than 80% of local journalism jobs have vanished.”

Cable companies, particularly smaller operators, have long opposed the move, telling FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez last summer that such a move would increase retransmission consent fees and cause “higher consumer bills.”

Those arguments were repeated in the petitioner’s case to the FCC.

“Despite the record clearly showing that retransmission consent fees and consumers’ monthly TV bills will increase substantially as a result of increased broadcaster consolidation following the Order, the Commission dismissed these affordability concerns,” the group told the FCC. “Instead, the Commission determined that retransmission consent concerns are better handled in transaction reviews, inexplicably reversing course after months of Media Bureau-level orders indicating that such concerns were to be addressed in industry-wide rulemakings.”

They also said there was no proof dropping the rule would benefit consumers.

"While the Commission justified its decision to eliminate the Cap based on alleged benefits to network-affiliate relationships, it cited no evidence to support its claim that improving these relationships would mitigate the downstream harms to consumers,” they said. “The Commission also failed to adequately address other substantial and material facts in the record, including the likelihood of public interest harms to localism and viewpoint diversity.

“As Commissioner Gomez summarized in her dissent: ‘I cannot support an action that so plainly exceeds the Commission’s authority while simultaneously overlooking the real-world consequences for the public we serve,’” the petition stated.

The group said it will take further action if the FCC does not pause the rule.

“If the Commission has not ruled on this stay petition by the date on which the Order is published in the Federal Register, Petitioners will conclude that the agency has ‘denied the motion or failed to afford the relief requested’ and seek a judicial stay.”

The group includes:

• Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania
• Broadband Communications Association of Washington
• Colorado Cable Telecommunications Association
• Florida Internet and Television Association
• Indiana Cable and Broadband Association
• Michigan Cable Telecommunications Association
• Minnesota Cable Communications Association
• Mississippi Internet & Television
• New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Association
• VCTA–Broadband Association Of Virginia

Studio W has been a staple space at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters since 2014. That’s among the reasons it was time to “tear it down to the studs” after the 2026 Super Bowl.

Those are the words of Anthony Lacaprucia, senior director of ESPN studio operations, who has been with the network for three decades. He’s now working within a 9,000-square-foot environment so technically advanced that it would have been tough to imagine when he started.

“Studio W still lives in Digital Center 2, in Bristol, but we’ve made huge strides with this first refresh,” Lacaprucia said.

On that note, builders ESPN Studio Operations, Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, ESPN Creative Studio and designer Jack Morton Worldwide went big on the new set. It now serves as the home for daily studio shows like “NFL Live” and in-game wraps for ABC college football coverage and NHL telecasts, among other programming.

The key feature of the rebuild was adding more than 9,200 square feet of movable LED displays, walls and desks, “with a purpose-built XR volume,” he said, featuring roughly 44.7 million pixels and rendering capabilities for multicamera virtual shoots.”

So a multicam setup it is, with the studio equipped with Sony HDC-5500 cameras supporting native ST 2110, HDR, and UHD workflows, Mo-Sys camera tracking across a Jimmy Jib Pro, three robotic pedestals, and two manual pedestals, as well as a Vislink wireless RF platform for Steadicam operations across the facility. The new multicamera virtual production technology allows up to four cameras to capture images simultaneously from the same LED wall.

“That presents new opportunities for storytelling in a virtual reality setting,” said Lacaprucia. For instance, college football analysts can be depicted as immersed in game situations, and NHL analysts P.K. Subban and Mark Messier can be shown discussing game action from within a hockey rink during wraps. “The size of the LED displays, when combined, is 8 feet by 55 feet, and can be broken up into four individual tracking displays.”

So the displays “viewers see on college football broadcasts,” he said, use “the same technology for our daily ‘NFL Live’ (and the weekly ‘Fantasy Focus Countdown’) shows. They’re just set up differently.”

Adding to the complement of automated displays is the 146-inch Creative Connors touch- screen system, which can be relocated to other parts of the studio. So for Studio W, ABC’s college football is only the start of what’s to come from under ESPN’s vast umbrella.

In the end, it’s all about having options. “On any given college football Saturday, it can be home to ABC, while Studio X is the home of ESPN, and Studio E is hosting ESPN2 wraps,” Lacaprucia said.

LiveU has unveiled details of its work to support CRD Audiovisuel in delivering live content from the start of the 2026 men’s and women’s Tour de France.

Working with the organiser of the annual cycle race, CRD Audiovisuel had to overcome issues with fluctuating connectivity to provide live paddock shots, behind-the-scenes coverage, interviews and more from locations that have previously presented difficulties.

Key objectives for the project included ensuring reliable connectivity at each race start, a plug-and-play setup that avoided heavy RF infrastructure, strong enough bitrate to ensure broadcast-quality output and a simple intercom system.

Featuring LIQ, LiveU’s AI-driven intelligent connectivity software to manage eSIM cards, LiveU’s LU900Q was deployed, with each unit connected to the strongest available network based on its location. The solution provided CRD Audiovisuel with reliable performance across congested or saturated network environments, said the company. Using only public 4G/5G networks, the LU900Q provided 99.9 per cent of connectivity needs across the men’s and women’s races.

Stéphane Reibre, MD at CRD Audiovisuel, said, “I could never have imagined that LU900Q and LIQ would perform so well in the field. We had exactly zero problems, which, in this specific context, is a small miracle. If you’ve ever covered a Tour, you know what I mean.”

“The trust Stéphane has shown in our teams and our technology honours us,” added Philippe Gaudion, LiveU’s regional sales manager for France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. “We supported him as closely as possible to contribute to the success of his project, and we are all very proud and happy about it.”

Riedel Communications said it has deployed its private 5G platform to support coverage of Germany’s DTM racing series.

Developed in collaboration with (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, or German Touring Car Masters) series and broadcast service provider TV Skyline, the infrastructure uses Riedel’s Easy5G private 5G platform as the primary transmission system for onboard camera signals, aiming to enable more immersive motorsports coverage and opening the way to fully digitally connected cars on track, according to Riedel.

The solution enables reliable transmission of high-resolution video signals directly from the cars, with data rates remaining robust even at top speed, Riedel said. All 21 DTM cars feature on-board cameras; six are equipped with additional action cameras. Production of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany incorporates 24 different camera angles, providing viewers with enhanced views of the action.

From the outset, the architecture was designed to scale, providing the technical foundation for additional camera angles, higher data volumes and future production requirements, Riedel said. Additionally, the company’s DIVA+ infrastructure (Data, Intercom, Video, and Audio) forms the technical foundation for on-site production near the track, the company said.

Operating at 100 MHz, the private 5G network achieves uplink data rates of up to 140 megabits per second. Efficient spectrum utilization enables high network capacity with comparatively low bandwidth, also ensuring growing data volumes are processed reliably. The topography-optimized design requires only four to seven antenna locations depending on the track’s characteristics, aiming to minimize infrastructure requirements, the company said.

“With Easy5G, we’re bringing private 5G into live operations for an international racing series for the first time—and this is just the beginning,” Riedel CEO, Managed Technology Luz Rathmann said. “This isn’t just a one-off solution; it’s a future-proof platform for professional live productions.”

Added TV Skyline CEO Wolfgang Reeh: “As the DTM’s TV production partner and technical service provider, we are constantly working to innovate and further develop our product. We have identified a limitation in the area of onboard cameras, which we plan to resolve in the future using private 5G technology.”

Claudia Wagner, managing director of DTM, added: “With our continued development of private 5G, we are laying the digital foundation for the next generation of DTM production: scalable, data-driven, flexible, and independent. With this technology and the ability to show spectacular onboard footage of all participants in every race, the DTM is setting a new standard. This gives us the foundation for new content formats and innovative fan experiences, thereby creating opportunities for sustainable new business models in motorsports.”

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission will take up three new proposals under its spectrum abundance agenda at its Oct. 29 open meeting, Chairman Brendan Carr announced.

The proposals include a new auction of 25 MHz of prime spectrum in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz bands, new rules to build on the success of “direct-to-device” services and final rules to allow drone operations within the 800-MHz cellular band.

“Our proposal to auction 25 MHz of prime spectrum will continue to create tremendous economic value for the American people,” Carr said in a statement. “The ‘direct-to-device’ proposals work to continue leveraging this cutting-edge tech to end cellphone dead zones and provide service directly from next-gen satellite constellations to your smartphone.

“And our final rules on drones … [will provide] the emerging American drone economy with usable spectrum to support the next generation of commercial and defense innovations,” Carr added. “This comes on top of our latest action to light up key spectrum bands purchased by SpaceX for its 15,000 satellite direct-to-cell system.”

D2D and Drones
FCC plans to solicit public comment on modernizing its rules for operating direct-to-device (D2D) services in licensed spectrum. The notice of proposed rulemaking would consider making an additional 482 MHz of spectrum available for Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS), as well as other regulatory changes to promote more flexible terrestrial, satellite and hybrid business arrangements and incentivize high-quality D2D service for the benefit of consumers.

In addition, the commission will seek public comment on its proposal to auction off 25 MHz of prime midband spectrum in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz bands for D2D operations. Such a move would harness the spectrum for advanced communications services, the FCC said, including flexible-use terrestrial networks, innovative D2D operations, or a hybrid of both.

For drones, the commission will seek public comment on a proposal to eliminate an outdated restriction that prevents drone operations in the 800-MHz cellular band. If enacted, the move would unlock 50 MHz of licensed, nationwide, low-band spectrum for drone use and promote parity with other similar flexible-use bands.

The two new rules are expected to benefit companies such as SpaceX and Amazon, which have moved to expand D2D services with satellite networks.

New Test Lab Rules
Carr also criticized what he called the failure of past administrations to allow fair rules for lab tests for electrical devices. He called for new regulations that would ensure that such testing would only occur if other countries followed the same rules in a reciprocal fashion.

Carr said that if approved at the Oct. 29 meeting, new “reciprocal economy” rules would take effect by Dec. 1, 2028, requiring all testing, certifying, and accreditation activities to occur in the U.S. or a foreign nation following equivalent protocols.

He added that the current lab-testing scenario has diminished the commission’s confidence in lab testing from nonreciprocal countries, which has “led to a dangerous overconcentration in non-Reciprocal Economies, creating vulnerabilities and threatening the integrity of the entire equipment authorization program.”

“For decades, officials in D.C. looked the other way when foreign nations abused their relationships with America and adopted trade practices that failed to account for basic concepts of reciprocity and fair dealing,” Carr said. “Those efforts included the offshoring of testing capacity to foreign labs and the gutting of American jobs and domestic industry.

"Flash forward to now and less than 4% of all electronic devices are tested in labs located inside the U.S., and the lion’s share are tested in countries that do not operate a reciprocal economy," he added. "So today, we take appropriate action to insist on fair and reciprocal treatment in international commerce.”

These rules follow last year’s “Bad Labs” regulations, which prohibited Test Lab ownership or control by foreign adversaries or other entities deemed national security threats. These rules have led to 29 Test Labs losing their FCC recognition, according to the commission.

Carr said the FCC has also strengthened its enforcement game, withdrawing recognition from two Test Labs in nonreciprocal economies and beginning the process for two more, where the labs had copied-and-pasted test results, threatening consumer safety and communication network integrity.

Click here for more information.

NAB Show New York will again be held at the Javits Center this month.

Its conferences take place Tuesday, Oct. 20, to Thursday, Oct. 22, with the exhibits open on Wednesday and Thursday.

The show promises to explore “AI, creators, streaming, sports and broadcasting alongside the technologies and business strategies shaping the future of media.”

The list of 200-plus exhibitors includes names familiar in radio, including AWS, Calrec, Comrex, ENCO, GatesAir, Lawo, Nautel, Orban, Radio.Cloud, RCS, Telos Alliance, Wheatstone, WideOrbit, WorldCast Systems and Xperi.

On the show floor, four theaters will offer free educational programming.

Last year’s show drew a reported 11,500 people.

The session list for 2026 is heavy with content for TV professionals. There’s a conference on Local TV Strategies, as well as NAB Show New York Post|Production World, in partnership with Future Media Conferences, which is for editors, producers and motion designers in TV, film and video. One of the floor theaters will have a dedicated sports track.

Separately, a “SMPTE Bootcamp: Precision Timing for ST 2110” will discuss precision timing systems that keep distributed media in sync and the network mechanics that carry audio and video across IP infrastructure.

“Real-World Newsroom Results”
A Wednesday afternoon session offers highlights from NAB’s Google AI Training.

“Learn how broadcasters are applying Google AI tools following NAB’s Google News Initiative training program,” organizers stated.

That training was offered to NAB members and was conducted virtually this summer.

“Participants will share practical workflow learnings for deep research, document analysis, information integrity and building more resilient newsrooms, while discussing how AI can strengthen journalism, improve daily operations and better serve audiences across broadcast and digital platforms.”

Sports Betting
A session called “The Future of Sports Betting: Growth, Media & Responsibility” takes place Wednesday afternoon.

Christian Genetski is president of FanDuel, while Craig Carton of WFAN New York is an award-winning sports broadcaster and “Responsible Gaming Ambassador” for FanDuel as well as an inductee to the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

They plan to talk about the convergence of betting and media, the changing regulatory landscape, the future of fan engagement and the industry’s responsibility to address problem gambling.

Future of Media
Show organizers say that as legacy business models come under pressure and investors demand greater focus, media companies are rethinking their portfolios through mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and spin-offs.

What are the implications of this trend for audiences, advertisers and investors? The question will be explored on Wednesday in “The Future of Media: Consolidation or Spin-Off?”

It will be moderated by media and sports reporter Alex Sherman of CNBC. Among those speaking is Jessica Reif Ehrlich, managing director and senior media and entertainment analyst at BofA Securities,

Here’s a link to info about the exhibit floor.

NEW YORK—Marshall Electronics has set plans to exhibit its newest pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ), POV and network-ready cameras at NAB Show New York, which is set for Oct. 21–22 at the Javits Convention Center here.

The solutions on display in Booth 730 will showcase Marshall’s approach of delivering flexible, reliable video products for a broad range of professional applications, the company said.

Among the products it will be showing is its CV625-TB, a multiaward-winning 25x UHD60 PTZ camera with intelligent autotracking and dual PTZ and POV cameras. It can automatically track, follow and frame presenters, enabling accurate and smooth, self-adjusting workflows for applications that require reliable presenter capture, Marshall said.

For those in need of a solution that can handle stormy weather, Marshall will also exhibit its CV574 WP all-weather UHD network camera. This unit delivers rich, accurate color and strong low-light sensitivity for live streaming and production applications that need reliable video performance in challenging conditions, the company said.

Show attendees can also check out Marshall’s CV520 and CV320, a pair of IP and 3G-SDI solutions that combine broadcast-quality, full-HD video performance with flexible connectivity and comprehensive control capabilities in a durable aluminum-alloy design. Marshall said the cameras’ compact form factor makes them well-suited to smaller production environments while maintaining IP and SDI connectivity.

Marshall’s CV355-27X is an award-winning compact camera that combines full HD video with IP and 3G-SDI connectivity. Designed for a wide range of broadcast and pro AV applications, the CV355-27X’s 27x optical zoom can capture both wide-angle views and detailed close-ups, Marshall said.

The CV612-TBI is an economical 12x PTZ camera with intelligent autotracking and framing. It uses facial learning to automatically track and frame presenters while maintaining smooth, accurate movements, Marshall said, making it a fit for uses that require real-time tracking like live streaming, corporate video or houses of worship.

Finally, Marshall will show RCP-PLUS, a touch-screen camera control panel that supports as many as seven cameras via VISCA RS485, 63 cameras via VISCA-over-IP and as many as 70 cameras using both protocols. Its touch-screen interface and fine-tuned finger dials give users precise control over parameters, with controls for simultaneous or individual adjustments.

For more on Marshall’s NAB Show New York plans, visit its website.

AUSTIN, Texas—Apple is bringing Dolby Atmos alongside Dolby Vision to Formula 1 for Apple TV subscribers beginning with coverage of the 2026 U.S. Grand Prix, Oct. 23-25, from the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

For the first time, fans in the U.S. with an Apple TV subscription will be able to experience every Formula 1 race weekend in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

“We’re always looking for new ways to make Formula 1 on Apple TV even better for fans,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Music, Sports, Apple TV, and Beats. “The sound of Formula 1 is such an important part of what makes the sport so exciting, and with Dolby Atmos joining Dolby Vision, fans can experience the energy and intensity of every Grand Prix in a whole new way. It’s another example of how we’re continuing to innovate across the viewing experience to bring fans closer to the action.”



Dolby Atmos brings immersive audio to viewers, from team radio communications and race commentary to the roar of the engines, while Dolby Vision offers richer colors, greater contrast, enhanced brightness and lifelike clarity.

Formula 1 in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos is available through the Apple TV app on supported Apple devices and compatible Dolby-enabled TVs, soundbars and home theater systems.



"Formula 1 is one of the most captivating sports in the world, where every circuit, team, and race weekend has its own visual and sonic identity," said John Couling, senior vice president of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories.

Apple TV is the exclusive U.S. home of Formula 1, delivering every practice, qualifying, Sprint session and race live and on demand.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Disney+ will stream Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, the company announced today.

Disney+ subscribers in the United States can stream the traditional game presentation airing on ESPN and ABC, with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge on the call, as well as the Spanish-language telecast on ESPN Deportes.

Outside of the U.S., Disney+ will stream ESPN’s Super Bowl in more than 55 international markets, including Spanish-speaking Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia/New Zealand. In conjunction, ESPN’s linear platforms will carry the Super Bowl in more than 130 countries and territories.

In addition to Super Bowl LXI, two Monday Night Football regular-season games will be available to Disney+ subscribers in the lead-up to the big game: The Oct. 26 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and a second game to be announced.

Both games will continue to air as scheduled on ESPN/ABC and ESPN Deportes, with the option to stream both the English- and Spanish-language broadcasts on Disney+. These add to the expanding roster of domestic and global live sports available on Disney+.

The 2027 Super Bowl is the first time ABC has broadcast the game since 2006, before Disney+ existed. Today's announcement is of most interest to subscribers to Disney+’s basic service, who don’t have access to ABC or ESPN’s live network feeds. While CBS has streamed the Super Bowl over Paramount+, NBC has streamed it on Peacock and Fox on Tubi and Fox Sports, this marks the first time the Super Bowl will be streamed on Disney+.

Digital Alert Systems has released Version 6.1 software for its DASDEC-III emergency messaging platforms. It is free for users who already run Version 6 or who meet certain other criteria.

This adds tighter user-session controls, OpenID Connect (OIDC) configuration enhancements for single sign-on, EAS-Net reliability improvements, and SSL-based CAP Canada support.

DAS published Version 6 in March, citing demand for hardened infrastructure, and this update builds on it.

Now new Federal Communications Commission cybersecurity requirements for Emergency Alert System participants, including radio and television broadcasters and cable operators, took effect on Sept. 29.

“The rules require these operators to install security patches and security-related software and firmware updates from equipment manufacturers promptly after they become available. Testing is permitted, provided it begins promptly. The rules also call for strong passwords and a network firewall or comparable segmentation that limits remote management access.”

Version 6.1 includes current security updates for the DASDEC-III platform.

Here is how the company describes the updates:

• Access Controls: Tighter controls over user sessions, including who can adjust permissions, plus OIDC configuration enhancements for single-sign-on environments.
• Canadian Alerting Support: SSL-based CAP Canada support to accommodate changes to the country’s secure alert-data feed.
• EAS-Net Improvements: Enhanced reliability and event-file management.
• Operational Refinements: Refined MPEG DASH operation, along with improvements to EAS-Net decoding, audio sampling, CAP status reporting and other station functions.

Customers running Version 6 receive V6.1 at no cost. They can download it from the company website using their V6 password.

Customers enrolled in the company’s Software Assurance Plan, who have purchased a new DASDEC or who have participated in its Up-Trade program since October 2025 also receive it at no cost.

Pricing for other users depends on how far back the current software revision is and whether the hardware is compatible. For support email support@digitalalertsystems.com and include your unit’s serial number.

Digital Alert Systems also released Version 5.6 software for its DASDEC-II platforms, which includes some of the same improvements, along with the security updates to comply with current FCC rules. And it encouraged all customers running DASDEC-III to move to Version 6.

This article initially appeared in Radio World, sister brand to TV Tech.

Zixi, Grass Valley, Uplynk and Broadview Software have jointly published a white paper setting out a model for moving broadcast distribution from satellite to IP and the cloud.

Based on a real-world deployment for a broadcaster with a global footprint, The IP convergence framework for distribution sets out a practical, repeatable model for the transition, demonstrating how cloud master control, IP transport, orchestration and streaming work together. The release comes ahead of the US FCC’s upper C-band auction to reclaim 100-180 MHz of spectrum used by broadcasters to deliver content across the United States.

The framework combines four core layers, with each delivered by one of the partners in a unified operating model. Grass Valley provides broadcast operations and playout, with master control and playout running in the cloud. Broadcast-grade delivery of live video over IP is enabled by Zixi, with redundancy built into every path. BroadView Software ensures orchestration and delivery with control of the full workflow via BroadView Nexus, while Uplynk distributes to streaming, FAST and affiliate endpoints from the same chain.

Each of the layers can be independently swapped or scaled, allowing users to adopt in stages rather than a single rebuild. TAG and Zixi Zen Master ensure the same visibility across the chain provided by a traditional master control room.

The model follows the entire workflow, from ingest to cloud master control and distribution, said the partners. Moving master control to the cloud enables teams to retain precision and control while gaining IP flexibility.

Three outcomes are identified: flexibility from swappable layers and the ability to change without infrastructure redesign; reliability from continuous monitoring and redundant workflows; and efficiency through lower storage and transport costs with reduced dependency on fixed hardware.

Eric Black, CEO/CTO, Uplynk, commented, “The C-band transition is forcing a real question for broadcasters – what replaces satellite without sacrificing the reliability they’re used to. We built this framework to answer that question, and we proved it first by moving a broadcaster’s entire satellite operation onto IP and the cloud in production. That combination of broadcast-grade reliability and cloud flexibility is what the industry needs right now, and we’re excited to share how we got there.”

According to a new survey, IP adoption for live production isn’t quite as far along the road as previously thought. Where it is taking place is in the replacement of ‘like-for-like’ hardware.

The survey—conducted online by TV Tech TVBEurope and Caretta Research—polled both vendors and broadcasters (buyers) to understand more about the extent to which operations are transitioning towards IP-based and software-defined infrastructure and live production.

According to the survey, SDI remains the primary infrastructure approach for 70% of broadcast and media companies, and is used by 90% of the survey’s respondents in total. For those that have made the move to IP, SMPTE ST 2110 is the primary flavor of IP.

Unsurprisingly, many broadcast technology vendors are offering a wide range of support for IP infrastructure in their product lines, with ST 2110 again the primary flavor, followed by NDI.

However, the findings show that buyers are much less IP-centric than technology vendors think, with just 22% of the broadcaster respondents having deployed IP in “most of their operation.”

One unexpected finding is the way buyers see "IP" more broadly than "live video production infrastructure," with streaming ranking as the most commonly-implemented example of technology, probably because streaming has always been IP-first.

In the production environment, master control rooms are first to integrate IP infrastructure, and most likely to be upgraded to IP in the next 12 months. News, in-venue production and—surprisingly—OB trucks are least likely to have seen IP implementations according to the broadcaster respondents.

The most surprising finding from the survey was the preference of almost 50% of buyers for dedicated hardware appliances to run their IP infrastructure for live production. This runs counter to the approach of “early adopters” and suppliers’ belief that 30% of customers are deploying on COTS, compared with 14% of customers themselves.

Almost half of buyers feel the main outcome of IP infrastructure is adding technical complexity (compared with a quarter of their suppliers). Enabling business efficiency is a much lower priority for buyers (16%) than for vendors (39%)

Speaking about the survey’s findings, Robert Ambrose, co-founder of Caretta Research, says: “Our research reveals how adoption of IP infrastructure isn’t as mature as the industry sometimes thinks. While more than half of broadcast and media companies have now deployed ST 2110, it’s still most likely to be found in ‘IP islands.’

“But at a time when broadcasters are under huge pressure to be more efficient, many are at risk of missing out on the real benefits of IP, like enabling more flexible software-defined workflows to make more efficient use of expensive facilities," he added. "It’s crucial that facilities see IP infrastructure as a transformation, not just a like-for-like replacement of SDI routers.”

TVB Tech's November/December issue will include a deeper dive into the survey’s results. Click here to receive a free copy.

Overall, survey respondents represented a broad geographical spread, with 34% from Europe and 37% from North America. Over 70% of those who took part in the survey have more than 10 years of experience in the industry.

Paramount Skydance officially completed their merger on Tuesday, bringing a nearly year long effort to combine two of among Hollywood’s most powerful entertainment franchises—Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery—under one roof

The $110 billion deal includes two major film studios, two global streaming services, CBS, HBO, and Paramount's and WBD's cable networks, CBS News and CNN, as well as a content portfolio that includes live sports, an extensive programming library and expansive collection of iconic brands and franchises.

The new merged company, “Skydance” promises a minimum of 30 high profile theatrical films and more than 180 new television shows and series in the coming years,

As one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world now, with nearly $70 billion in revenue, the company also announced that it is “targeting $6 billion-plus in run-rate synergies" (aka cost reductions) over the next three years through technology, integration and procurement, marketing and real-estate savings and layoffs.

These plans were made evident in a memo sent to employees on Tuesday from David Ellison, chairman and CEO, and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.

In the memo, leaked to Variety, they said that “integrating two companies will bring change, including difficult decisions that affect our workforce,” and that “We are committed to handling this process thoughtfully and respectfully.”

Calling Tuesday, Oct. 6, “Day One,” they added that the new Skydance will “build the next-generation media and entertainment company, powered by creativity and technology. The goal was never simply to add more production capacity, brands or IP. It was to unite the talent, resources and capabilities of these companies into a stronger competitor, one with the scale to take on the biggest players in our industry.”

The two executives also said they would “embrace” the latest technology for storytelling.

“We will use technology, data and emerging capabilities to improve how we create, distribute and monetize content, from new production tools to personalization and entirely new ways for fans to engage with the stories they love,” they said. “We will embrace the opportunities AI provides to expand what our creatives can imagine and to make our businesses even more productive. The opportunities ahead are enormous, and we intend to seize them. But one principle will never change: technology must serve the art—never the other way around.”

Dan Larkman, founder and CEO of performance CTV technology company Keynes:

"What's exciting is that the commitment to keep making great content is still there. What changes is the flexibility to move money and content across channels. But this really shows the whole industry completing its migration into streaming. Tech giants like Amazon and Walmart led the way, and now traditional media is consolidating to compete at that scale. Through all of it, the constant is measurement. Advertisers still ask whether it drove an outcome, and CTV as a performance channel answers that."

In other news yesterday, RedBird Capital Partners announced an additional $4 billion in new equity financing for Skydance, bringing its total commitment to the new company to $6 billion.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale called the merger “a defining moment for the industry” that will “build a stronger Hollywood” in a “media landscape that’s undergoing transformation change.”

Ahead of NAB Show New York (Oct. 21–22), TV Tech surveyed a group of key exhibitors to find out which tech trends are on their radar and what key products they plan to highlight at the Javits Convention Center, including Francesco Scartozzi, vice president of sales and development at Matrox Video.

TV Tech: What do you expect will be the most significant technology trends this year at NAB Show New York?

Francesco Scartozzi: Software-defined production will continue to be a defining theme. The conversation has moved beyond whether software belongs in live production and is now focused on how software, standard IT infrastructure, and purpose-built hardware work together to create more flexible media facilities.

We also expect growing momentum around the Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) vision and the Media eXchange Layer (MXL). These industry initiatives reflect the move toward more open, interoperable architectures that simplify media exchange, improve resource utilization and give customers greater flexibility to build production environments around their operational needs.

At the same time, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to seamlessly connect edge devices, on-premises infrastructure and cloud resources. Broadcasters want the freedom to deploy applications wherever it makes the most operational and economic sense while maintaining a unified workflow across their entire operation.

Hardware remains essential at the edge. Signal capture, transport, synchronization, monitoring and control require technologies that complement software-defined infrastructure and deliver the performance and reliability live production demands. The opportunity is not cloud versus on-premises, but creating a unified media environment that connects the edge, the ground and the cloud through open, software-defined architectures.

TVT: What’s your key product announcement for the show, and what problem does it solve?

FS: Our key focus is Matrox ORIGIN, our software-defined media framework that enables developers, broadcasters, OEMs and technology providers to build flexible production applications on commercial off-the-shelf IT infrastructure.

Broadcasters want to become more agile and efficient while maintaining reliable operations. They need technologies that work with existing infrastructure, support applications from multiple vendors and give them room to evolve as production requirements change.

Matrox ORIGIN addresses these needs by providing a complete framework for building software-defined production environments. Its MXL-compatible fabric helps organizations realize the Dynamic Media Facility vision today, supporting more flexible media exchange and integration across an open ecosystem of applications.

Beyond interoperability, Matrox ORIGIN dramatically reduces the complexity of building and deploying professional media applications. Developers can leverage a rich catalogue of production-ready media services, open APIs, and modern software development tools to accelerate innovation while avoiding the cost and complexity traditionally associated with broadcast infrastructure.

Matrox ORIGIN’s asynchronous architecture enables media services and applications to operate seamlessly across edge, on-premises and cloud environments. This allows organizations to connect the edge, the ground and the cloud as a single logical production environment while modernizing at their own pace and leveraging existing infrastructure investments.

TVT: How does this new solution stand out from what’s available on the market?

FS: Matrox ORIGIN combines an asynchronous media framework with an open ecosystem approach, giving organisations the flexibility to build production applications on generic IT equipment and integrate technologies from multiple vendors.

Its MXL-compatible fabric supports the industry’s direction toward more interoperable, software-defined media facilities. Customers can develop workflows around their needs while connecting existing infrastructure with new applications and capabilities.

What truly differentiates ORIGIN is that it goes beyond the vision of software-defined production to provide a complete, production-ready implementation. It combines media transport, processing, control, deployment, resilience and scalability within a single framework while remaining open to third-party applications and services.

ORIGIN also delivers capabilities including location-independent routing, intelligent transport optimisation, and built-in multiproducer redundancy. These technologies simplify deployment, improve resilience, and enable seamless scaling across edge, ground, and cloud environments without requiring complex reconfiguration or custom failover mechanisms.

The result is a platform that enables organizations to build, deploy, and operate software-defined production systems faster, with greater reliability, and with the flexibility to evolve alongside industry initiatives such as DMF and MXL. The growing ORIGIN ecosystem reflects that approach, giving customers greater choice and the ability to modernize at their own pace.

TVT: What makes NAB Show New York so essential for your business, and what brings you back each year?

FS: NAB Show New York provides a valuable opportunity to connect with customers, partners, developers and technology providers and discuss the operational challenges shaping their next investments. Digital communication keeps us connected throughout the year, but in-person conversations offer a deeper understanding of what organizations need and how those priorities are changing.

Customers want to know how technologies integrate into complete workflows, work alongside existing infrastructure and fit within a broader ecosystem. The show gives us an opportunity to have those conversations and exchange ideas with the people building and operating these environments.

For Matrox Video, those conversations help shape our product development and ensure that our solutions continue to address real operational challenges.

Visit Matrox Video at NAB Show New York in Booth 827.

BALTIMORE—Sinclair and New Media will launch The National Press, a new subscription digital news brand delivering reports from 1,200 Sinclair local journalists in over 60 content centers across the country to a national audience.

The National Press will launch on Substack with free and paid subscription tiers. It will also distribute programming via YouTube, podcast networks and social platforms.

The new service will draw on the expertise of Sinclair journalists who know their communities, people and institutions, the station group said. The partnership with New Media, a digital media company founded by former journalists and producers at The Free Press, will bring local stories to a broader audience, connect what’s happening and add context, it said.

“Our journalists cover the communities where national stories begin,” said Scott Livingston, senior vice president of news at Sinclair. “They know the people, the institutions and the history behind these stories. The National Press will give that reporting national reach without losing the local knowledge that makes it valuable.”

Led by award-winning journalist and broadcaster Lyndsay Keith, The National Press will debut three original programs:

• “The National Press”: A daily morning program hosted by Keith that goes directly to Sinclair reporters covering the stories shaping the day. 
• “The National Story”: A weekly deep dive that follows one consequential story beyond the headline. 
• “The National Debate”: A weekly conversation centered on informed, good-faith disagreement. 

The National Press is designed for inboxes, phones, podcasts, video and the web. Subscribers will also receive a daily briefing of the most important local stories shaping America, delivered directly to their inbox every morning.

More information is available on The National Press Substack.

NEWARK, N.J.—The University of Utah has opened a new state-of-the-art broadcast production facility designed and integrated by Diversified.

The facility marks a major investment in the future of the university’s athletics, sports production and media education programs. It can support in-venue productions across multiple athletic venues, ESPN+ broadcasts and future opportunities with linear broadcast partners.

Built around SMPTE ST 2110 and IP-based infrastructure, the facility gives Utah the flexibility to produce content for multiple sports, venues and distribution platforms while providing a foundation that can evolve as broadcast technology and media workflows continue to change.

Diversified worked with the university from design through commissioning to create a centralized production environment engineered around the institution’s current needs and long-term content strategy. Adding to its value, this investment extends beyond game-day production by giving students the chance to learn in the same types of production environments being adopted by professional sports and major broadcast organizations.

The Language & Communications (LNCO) broadcast facility is also central to a partnership with the University of Utah College of Humanities, where it provides students with access to professional-level technology, workflows and hands-on learning opportunities.

“This new facility embodies where collegiate sports production is headed,” said Aaron Jester, assistant athletics director of broadcast operations at Utah. “Now we can produce more content, support more of our athletic programs and continue expanding how we tell Utah’s stories across broadcast, streaming and in-venue platforms. Just as importantly, our partnership with the College of Humanities gives students a professional production environment in which to gain experience that can translate directly into careers in the industry.”

More information is available on Diversified’s website.

Ahead of NAB Show New York (Oct. 21–22), TV Tech surveyed a group of key exhibitors to find out which tech trends are on their radar and what key products they plan to highlight at the Javits Convention Center, including Matt Williams-Neale, vice president of marketing and communications at Appear.

TV Tech: What do you expect will be the most significant technology trends this year at NAB Show New York?

Matt Williams-Neale: Recent conversations at IBC2026 reinforced demand for adaptable infrastructure, and we expect that to continue at NAB Show New York. Broadcasters want to combine hardware, software and cloud according to each workflow, while developments such as DMF [Dynamic Media Facility] and MXL [Media eXchange Layer] for interoperable, software-defined broadcast facilities are part of more practical discussions.

With the upper C-band set for auction by July 2027, broadcasters using C-band satellite capacity need to plan their move to IP now. They want a phased migration that maintains broadcast-grade control and reliable live services.

Live production workflow is equally important as sports coverage expands across more venues and increases in scale. Customers need low-latency transport from venue to production facility or cloud, with secure connectivity and resilience over networks with unpredictable performance. These requirements are shaping investment in remote production as teams look to cover more events without an increase in resources.

TVT: What’s your key product announcement for the show, and what problem does it solve?

MWN: At NAB Show New York, we're highlighting how our X Platform hardware and VX software solutions work together across live event contribution, IP distribution and live production workflows. Broadcasters need to deliver more content while controlling costs and making better use of their infrastructure.

X Platform provides low-latency processing and predictable performance at the venue, while VX extends contribution feeds into the cloud and enables processing and workflow functions to run in software. This gives teams more options for expanding remote production across different event scales.

Hardware-accelerated SRT enables secure transport over unmanaged networks, helping broadcasters transition from satellite, leased circuits and SDI infrastructure. Customers can introduce these capabilities in stages, retaining dedicated hardware where performance is critical and adding software as their production requirements evolve.

TVT: How does this new solution stand out from what’s available on the market?

MWN: Our approach combines X Platform hardware and VX software so customers can choose where to run different parts of their workflow while maintaining control over live production. VX is natively integrated with X Platform, allowing teams to introduce software processing while retaining dedicated hardware where predictable performance matters most.

Support for JPEG XS, SRT and ST 2110 gives customers the flexibility to accommodate changing formats and production models within the same infrastructure, reducing the need to replace systems as requirements evolve. Support for multiple codecs and hardware-accelerated SRT helps us address those requirements across different production scales, including contribution over unmanaged networks.

TVT: What makes NAB Show New York so essential for your business, and what brings you back each year?

MNW: We’re already successful in the U.S., and we strongly believe that there is further room for growth in North America. NAB Show New York gives us an opportunity to speak directly with customers and partners about their investment plans, from satellite-to-IP migration to expanding live event contribution and REMI. The value comes from the quality of those conversations and having the right people involved. Understanding how customers use our technology, where they need more flexibility and what they want us to develop helps shape our product priorities.

A successful show strengthens existing relationships and opens discussions around new projects. It gives us a clearer understanding of how U.S. broadcasters and production companies plan to operate, helping us support their requirements as we continue to grow in North America.

Visit Appear at NAB Show New York in Booth 129.

LOS GATOS, Calif.—Netflix has named IMG as its production partner for its coverage of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Netflix is the U.S. and Canadian rightsholder for the 2027 tournament, which will run from June 24–July 25, 2027. IMG will produce coverage of all 64 matches in English and Spanish for U.S. audience and in English and French for Canadian viewers, as well as 100 hours of studio programming featuring top-tier talent and Netflix-exclusive in-tournament announcers, the streaming platform said.

IMG will also support Netflix’s live coverage of the soccer tournament’s final draw on Dec. 11.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is one of the fastest-growing events in global sport, showcasing the best football and captivating new audiences worldwide,” IMG president Adam Kelly said. “As Netflix makes its live football debut, we’re excited to help bring this tournament and its extraordinary athletes to new and existing fans in the U.S and Canada. Netflix’s scale, discoverability and storytelling, combined with IMG's best-in-class production expertise, make this a huge moment for football and women’s sport.”

More information is available on the Netflix TUDUM website.

NEW YORK—Last December, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube struck a multiyear deal to give the streamer exclusive global rights to the Oscars starting in 2029, it marked an inflection point in the transition of live marquee TV events from traditional broadcast to streaming,

Now the Emmys have followed suit.

The Television Academy said it has inked a six-year deal to make Amazon’s Prime Video the exclusive home of the Emmy Awards starting next year.

The agreement succeeds the rotation among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, which concludes with this year’s telecast. This new alliance ensures that TV’s premier honors will continue to adapt to a changing media landscape, embracing the future of how audiences consume great television, the Academy said.

The 2027 ceremony will continue to anchor the fall TV season by streaming live in September and will not be paywalled, Amazon said. The Emmys stream will be made available free to audiences worldwide.

This year, the Emmys telecast on NBC and Peacock drew 6.7 million viewers, down from the 7.42 million that watched the 2025 ceremonies on CBS and Paramount+, its highest ratings since 2021.

Prime Video thinks it can greatly expand that number by leveraging its offerings and services to elevate the Television Academy’s mission, delivering new experiences and entry points for fans to discover, engage with and celebrate what they love about TV, it said.

“Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share,” said Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy. “Now Prime Video audiences in more than 200 countries will be able to experience the Emmys live with no subscription required.

Abrego thanked broadcasters but said it was time to move on.

“Our broadcast partners have been tremendous stewards of the Emmys for many years, helping to build them into the cultural institution they are today,” he said. “Having a dedicated home with Prime Video allows us to build on that legacy with unprecedented global reach and a broader commitment to the Television Academy and our mission throughout the year. Amazon shares our deep respect for the history of the Emmys and brings the investment, innovation and scale to help us shape their next chapter.”

More information is available on the Television Academy’s website.

Anthony James Partners (AJP) and the Florida Panthers have completed a comprehensive modernization of the broadcast production facility at Amerant Bank Arena, transforming the arena’s existing production environment into a fully IP-based system designed to support Panthers games and the venue’s year-round sports and entertainment schedule. The new facility went live for its first game on Sunday, September 20, marking the first live event produced using the Panthers’ new SMPTE ST 2110 production system.

Designed by AJP and implemented by broadcast integrator BeckTV, the project represents the next phase of a multi-year technology program at Amerant Bank Arena. The new production environment transitions the venue from its previous 3G infrastructure to a full SMPTE ST 2110 1080p workflow, providing significantly greater flexibility across production, replay, content creation and signal distribution while establishing a scalable foundation for future expansion.

The project went well beyond replacing production equipment. The existing production facilities were completely demolished and rebuilt, with AJP redesigning the layout of the production spaces to improve workflow between production, engineering, replay, graphics and audio personnel while supporting the operational requirements of the new broadcast environment.

Beyond the control room, AJP designed a major expansion of the arena’s broadcast connectivity infrastructure. Thirty-five new junction box locations were installed throughout the venue, replacing legacy cabling with new single-mode fiber, SMPTE fiber and audio connectivity. New truck-dock panels and six new truck-dock racks further integrate mobile production units with the arena’s broadcast infrastructure and Technical Operations Center.

Together, the improvements create an integrated production ecosystem extending from cameras and field locations throughout the arena to the production control room, Technical Operations Center and visiting broadcast trucks.

The broadcast modernization follows the recently completed LED and venue technology program at Amerant Bank Arena, also designed and managed by AJP. That work included the arena’s new 4K HDR-capable center-hung display, LED halo, ribbon boards and additional displays throughout the venue, together with associated hoist and rigging systems and reconfiguration of the bowl audio system.

With the completion of the new production facility, the Panthers now have a broadcast platform designed to take full advantage of those venue-wide systems while supporting the organization’s continued development of live game presentation and content production.

Brazilian broadcast network SBT has turned to Pebble’s automation platform to launch 24-hour network SBT News and enable future enhancements, including that country’s TV 2.5 standard, interactivity and dynamic ad insertion.

SBT (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão) is Brazil’s third-largest television broadcaster. Headquartered in Osasco, northwest of São Paulo, the network’s owned-and-operated stations and regional affiliates deliver national and local programming.

Pebble, which already serves as the foundation of SBT’s national channel automation, is supporting the broadcaster’s continued modernization of playout.

The project began when SBT’s legacy automation system was approaching the end of its life, limiting its ability to expand operations and improve efficiency. SBT evaluated playout automation solutions from vendors around the world against an extensive set of technical and operational requirements.

Working with its local distributor and systems integration partner Videodata, Pebble developed a comprehensive proof-of-concept demonstration to validate the proposed integrations, workflows and operational efficiencies. SBT said the successful demonstration gave it confidence the new platform could integrate with its existing infrastructure while providing the flexibility required for future development.

Pebble Automation provides precise, real-time control of graphics systems, servers, redundant routing and master control switching across SBT’s channels. It also integrates closely with the broadcaster’s traffic, scheduling and advertising systems.

The platform provides the media management layer, including movement, preparation, validation and approval of content for transmission. Its architecture delivers full redundancy for SBT’s national channels, supporting on-air reliability, operational resilience and continuity.

Pebble Remote provides secure, web-based access for authorized users to monitor and control the playout environment from any location, further increasing operational flexibility. Local and remote users can also access high-resolution content previews directly from their desktops without affecting critical transmission resources, Pebble said.

“First, Pebble Automation provides a much more advanced and user-friendly interface than our previous technology,” said Levy Kroiss Neto, director of TV technology and operations at SBT. “Even more importantly, it brings modern software that makes us much more agile.

“With this project, we are ready for a new generation of TV, including greater interactivity and dynamic ad insertion,” Neto continued. “This is the first stage of a major program to renew our complete delivery infrastructure, and Pebble Automation is the foundation for everything to come.”

The addition of SBT News is an example of that flexibility. The news channel was integrated into the existing Pebble playout environment rapidly and with an excellent cost-benefit ratio, allowing SBT to expand its channel portfolio without requiring a fundamental redesign of its infrastructure.

The wider SBT modernization program is designed to support SBT as television in Brazil moves from TV 2.5 into a new generation, alongside evolving requirements around interactivity, new services and advanced advertising models.

By combining automation, media management, integrated channel control, redundancy and secure remote access, Pebble provides SBT with a flexible foundation that can evolve alongside its delivery requirements.

The Pebble Automation platform at SBT Network Origination first went live at the end of 2025.

More information is available on Pebble’s website.

WHYY has announced that Fred Vigeant has been named general manager of Pennsylvania’s WPSU(TV-FM), effective Oct. 26.

According to a release, Vigeant will lead a WPSU team already in place, with several staff members taking on new roles.

Vigeant’s appointment follows the Oct. 1 completion of WHYY’s acquisition of WPSU from Penn State University. WPSU is licensed to State College, Pa., and its full-power licenses and translators cover 24 counties for television and 13 counties for radio across central and northern Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia-based WHYY has retained WPSU’s name and call letters, and said the public media outlet remains locally focused and locally run.

WPSU’s updated personnel structure includes:

• Jeff Hughes, interim general manager during the transition
• Jon Widmer, director of technology
• Emily Reddy, news director
• Jeff Benzing, director of content and audience engagement
• Susan Chyzewski, director of education, grants and government relations

Search processes are underway to fill two additional leadership positions: director of advancement and director of broadcasting and programming.

Vigeant joins WPSU from WITF(TV-FM) in Harrisburg, Pa., where he served as vice president and chief audience officer since 2022. He previously served as WITF’s director of programming and promotion for TV and radio, a role he began in 2012.

He also spent 12 years at WRVO(FM) in Oswego, N.Y., serving in several roles, including program director and operations manager.

This article initially appeared on Radio World, sister brand to TV Tech.

BRACKNELL, England—As broadcasters grapple with a spectrum crunch stemming from the FCC’s C-band spectrum-reallocation efforts, Techex will show NAB Show New York attendees how its tx darwin platform can be used to combine satellite and IP delivery.

Techex, set to exhibit in Booth 623 during the Oct. 21–22 show at Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center, says its solution helps broadcasters maintain reliable affiliate feeds while adapting programming and advertising to individual markets.

With the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum reallocation efforts set to reduce available satellite bandwidth in the C-band, broadcasters are looking for other options. The Ku-band offers additional capacity, Techex said, but it is susceptible to rain fade. This creates a practical concern for stations, according to Techex: how to switch satellite bands without risking feed interruptions. The company said tx darwin solves for this by combining Ku-band delivery with IP to keep feeds available when the satellite path degrades.

The platform also supports SRT and RIST protocols for IP transport, Techex said, with SMPTE ST 2022-7 protection across separate IP paths strengthening delivery resilience.

“Ku band can provide the capacity, but nobody wants to explain a rain-fade outage to an audience during a live event,” Tim Jackson, senior director of sales and business development at Techex, said. “Using technology and vendor-agnostic IP solutions to seamlessly cover the affected services lets broadcasters move affiliates to Ku-band now with confidence.”

The tx darwin platform also supports local blackouts and seamless content replacement directly in the compressed domain, Techex said, avoiding quality loss from re-encoding and additional encoding latency. Time delay and content replacement allow broadcasters to create market-specific programming across time zones, the company said, while SCTE-35 manipulation allows affiliate stations to insert local advertising. Forensic watermarking supports content security and traceability at scale and comprehensive delivery analytics provide visibility into the streams, Techex said.

Hybrid satellite and IP distribution, master control and affiliate delivery run on the same modular tx darwin platform, according to Techex. Broadcasters can deploy it on premises, in the cloud or across hybrid environments, the company said.

DALLAS—Applications have opened for the 2026 LAUNCH Mentorship Program, a yearlong program run by Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) and the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) that, for the first time this year, will be expanded to involve women working for broadcast technology partners and vendors.

LAUNCH, which began in 2023, is a program created to develop and advance women pursuing careers in broadcast engineering, audio production and technical operations. The yearlong program pairs a rising professional with an experienced industry mentor for one-on-one guidance, professional development and deeper exposure to broadcast technologies and operations.

Mentees will gain insight into Federal Communications Commission compliance, RF systems, the Emergency Alert System, IP-based broadcast systems, automation, network operations and other crucial areas. The program also explores IT, remote broadcasting, digital audio, streaming and systems integration. Participants will also have an opportunity to attend the 2027 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

“As technology continues to transform every part of the broadcast business, we need more women building, operating and leading the systems that will take our industry forward,” said Sheila Kirby, board president of MIW. “Expanding LAUNCH to include women working with our technology partners and vendors allows us to reach talented professionals across a much broader part of the broadcast ecosystem. This program is about giving women access to the mentorship, technical knowledge and relationships that can help turn career potential into long-term leadership.”

This year, organizers have expanded eligibility beyond those working directly for broadcasters to include broadcast technology partners and vendors, allowing more women pursuing technical careers to participate, MIW and NABLF said.

“By expanding LAUNCH to include women at technology partners and vendors, we can reach more professionals whose expertise is essential to how our industry operates and evolves,” NABLF President Michelle Duke said. “We are proud to continue partnering with MIW to provide meaningful mentorship, industry exposure and opportunities that help women grow their careers and become leaders in broadcast technology.”

Applications will be accepted from Oct. 6–30. To apply for the Mentorship, click here.

The LAUNCH Mentorship Program is sponsored by Mr. Master, a provider of content distribution and compliance software to radio stations.

WALTHAM, Mass.—Zixi, a provider of live IP video-transport software, has named John Towers as chief financial officer.

Towers is a 20-year media and entertainment technology veteran who most recently was chief financial officer at video metadata firm Fabric Data.

Towers is tasked with leading Zixi’s finance function as the firm scales up to meet growing demand from broadcasters, sports leagues and streaming platforms looking to shift live video delivery from satellite and legacy infrastructure to IP, the company said.

“John has spent his career inside the kind of transition our customers are going through now,” Zixi CEO Marc Aldrich said. “He understands the economics of moving from physical to digital and from legacy to IP, and he has scaled finance and operations at both a global media company and a fast-growing SaaS business. That combination is exactly what we need as Zixi grows.”

Prior to Fabric Data, where he was CFO for three years, Tower worked for two years in corporate development at Deluxe, which he joined following its purchase of Sony’s digital video distribution business, a transaction which he oversaw.

Towers had been chief operating officer and president of Sony’s digital video distribution division, having joined the unit in 2012 as CFO. Prior to that, he was CFO of the Sony division that handled U.S. Blu-ray Disc manufacturing. He worked on the launch of Blu-ray in 2006.

Tower started his career in pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a five-year stint in Paris.

“One theme has run through my whole career, from pharmaceutical manufacturing onwards: helping businesses move from old infrastructure to new,” Towers said. “I have lived through this kind of transition before, and I am looking forward to bringing that experience to the finance function as Zixi scales.”

Former Deluxe, Technicolor and Sundog Media Toolkit exec Richard Welsh has joined Molinare Creative Group in the new role of chief innovation officer.

Welsh, who is also president of SMPTE, will work across the company’s five specialist businesses to identify where emerging technology can “make a meaningful difference” to creative and production workflows, the client experience and how the Group operates.

His remit will span AI and automation alongside the development of new technology-led products, services and ways of working.

Welsh began his career at Dolby, working across film sound and digital cinema, before taking on a senior role at Technicolor. In 2013, he founded Sundog Media Toolkit, where he developed cloud-based automated mastering technology for film and television. Following its acquisition by Deluxe, he went on to serve as SVP of innovation at Deluxe.

Speaking about Welsh’s appointment, Nigel Bennett, CEO of Molinare Creative Group, said: “Richard is a significant appointment for Molinare Creative Group. He understands this industry, but also has a track record of looking ahead to where technology is taking it.

“This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about making the experience of working with us better, giving our teams better tools and building services that respond to where our clients and the industry are heading.”

Welsh added: “I’ve spent much of my career working through major technology shifts in our industry, from digital cinema to cloud production, and AI has the potential to be the most significant change our industry has ever seen.

“What excites me about joining Molinare Creative Group is the opportunity to build on such a strong technical and creative foundation. I’m looking forward to working across the Group to explore how new technologies can solve real challenges, improve workflows and give our teams the tools and freedom to focus on creative work,” he added.

“I believe innovation is much broader than AI, of course. The goal is to harness technology to deliver practical improvements today, while developing the products, services and workflows our clients will need tomorrow.”

SAN JOSE, Calif.—TiVo One advertising platform revenue climbed 54% year over year in the second quarter as it garnered more than 6.3 million monthly active users worldwide as of June 2026, the company said today.

The company also continued to expand its advertising inventory, audience data capabilities and distribution footprint as brands increasingly sought more effective ways to reach engaged television audiences, it said.

"Advertisers are looking for measurable outcomes, premium experiences, trusted audience intelligence and incremental unduplicated reach," said Matt Milne, chief revenue officer at Xperi and president of TiVo Ads. "We're performing on all fronts. Over the last year, we've significantly expanded our footprint, grown advertising inventory, added powerful new audience data capabilities and helped advertisers achieve meaningful business results. As connected TV continues to evolve, TiVo Ads is proving that advertising can be both highly engaging for viewers and highly effective for brands."

The company released other metrics on TiVo Ads performance year-over-year, including:

• 310% increase in annual ad impressions.
• 90% growth in home screen advertising engagement.
• 320% increase in monthly viewership of FAST content on TiVo Channels.
• Significant expansion of advertising distribution through multiple reseller partnerships across North America and Europe.

TiVo Ads recently expanded its audience intelligence capabilities through the introduction of enhanced automatic content recognition (ACR) data across the United States and U.K., combined with clickstream insights to provide a more comprehensive view of viewer behavior.

The expanded capabilities support campaign planning, audience segmentation, attribution and measurement.

Beyond the TiVo Ads platform, Xperi continues to expand advertising opportunities across its broader entertainment ecosystem. Through the company’s AutoStage Broadcaster Portal, broadcasters can access enhanced audience analytics, content insights and emerging advertising opportunities designed to help radio operators better understand listeners, increase

engagement and unlock new revenue streams in connected vehicles. With over 17 million vehicles on the road, AutoStage is one of the largest audio and video platforms for connected cars worldwide.

WOOD RIVER, Ill.—Hollywood River Studios broke ground this week on a new film and television production campus here that will offer six large modular soundstages from global purpose-built modular structure specialist Spantech International.

Located about 15.5 miles north of St. Louis, the campus will give the U.S. market a permanent studio infrastructure capable of hosting major film, TV and streaming productions.

The project reflects a developing trend in the industry. As production incentives grow outside traditional locations, such as Los Angeles, London and Atlanta, new regions are building their own studio capacity.

Hollywood River Studios is built on a simple premise: productions follow infrastructure. The 45-hectare (110-acre) Wood River campus will combine six soundstages totaling about 144,000 square feet (13,400 square meters) of production space with production offices, warehousing, more than 1,000 parking spaces and a planned esports arena.

A second site—a 55,000 square foot (5,100 square meter) facility at America's Central Port in nearby Granite City, Ill., will serve as an equipment warehouse and base camp. Its position on the Mississippi River lets productions work across both Illinois and Missouri, and in some cases draw on both states' film incentives.

"Producers need two things before they commit to a region: the right incentives and the right stages," said Christopher Breakwell, founder and CEO of Hollywood River Studios. "Illinois has the first. Spantech's modular soundstages let us deliver the second at the speed this industry moves."

Spantech will deliver the soundstages using its Grand I-Novation system, a patented foldable steel truss structure. Each stage offers a column-free interior of roughly 130 x 160 feet (40 × 50 meter) and 42 feet (13 meters) high, giving crews the open floor and overhead clearance large sets, rigging and lighting require. The company expects stages to be ready in about 12 months.

The campus also benefits from Illinois' film incentives. In 2025 the state raised its film tax credit to 35% of qualifying in-state labor and vendor spending, with an extra 5% for productions filming outside the Chicago metropolitan area.

Hollywood River Studios projects that the campus could support more than 1,000 permanent jobs, with individual productions employing 300 to 500 people each and creating recurring business for local crews, suppliers, hotels and restaurants across the greater St. Louis region.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was on hand for the groundbreaking.

More information is available on the Spantech International and Hollywood River Studios websites.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.—Cobalt Digital will showcase its end-to-end ST 2110/IPMX ecosystem, solutions geared to address the C-band spectrum transition and multiviewer products at NAB Show New York, set for Oct. 21–22 at Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center.

A main focus at Cobalt’s NAB Show New York exhibit (Booth 226) will be its end-to-end approach to ST 2110/IPMX, which the maker of signal-processing products said will show how broadcasters can transition from SDI to IP at their own pace while supporting hybrid environments and protecting their existing investments.

Cobalt said it will spotlight the expansion of its IPMX capabilities with support for JPEG XS Temporal Differential Coding (JXS TDC), which enables IPMX-certified products to discover, establish and transport visually lossless, ultralow-latency JPEG XS media streams. The enhancement strengthens IPMX environments with plug-and-play deployment and low-latency JPEG XS workflows while maintaining compatibility across mixed-vendor systems, it said.

Support for JPEG-XS is available across Cobalt ST 2110/IPMX-capable products, including its SAPPHIRE miniconverters, Indigo gateways, PACIFIC encoders/decoders, TOPAZ processing platforms, Aria audio monitors and UltraBlue multiviewers, it said.

To help broadcasters navigate the C-band spectrum transition, Cobalt has added support for hybrid satellite/internet operations to its Cobalt PACIFIC compression line. The enhancement complies with VSR TR-06-4 Part 7 and uses internet connectivity to recover data affected by satellite transmission losses.

The Pacific ULL-DEC with SAT-DEMOD uses a factory-installed DVB-S/S2 demodulator to receive satellite signals and make them available through both ASI and IP, the company said. In hybrid operations, it uses the Ku- and Ka-bands for bulk distribution and the internet for lost packet recovery, offering broadcasters a practical approach to maintaining reliable content delivery and adapting to changes in satellite distribution, the company said.

Cobalt will also exhibit its blueCORE family of standalone signal processors, which debuted at April’s NAB Show in Las Vegas. blueCORE delivers multifunction audio and video processing in a compact 1-RU form factor and supports both SDI and ST 2110/IPMX signal processing, providing extensive flexibility for infrastructure transitioning to IP, Cobalt said.

The company also plans to demonstrate its latest UltraBlue MV-SW multiviewing capabilities, which provide flexible monitoring for facilities working with compressed streams, SDI, ST 2110, IPMX or hybrid environments. It’s available as a turnkey package or as software that runs on customer-supplied hardware and incorporates support for IPMX, Cobalt said.

Cobalt will also display its enhanced audio capabilities, including optional fiber input/outputs added to its line of 9935-AUD4-DANTE openGear advanced audio processor cards to support Dante Audio Interfaces. Direct fiber connectivity simplifies Dante installations, supports longer-distance deployments and eliminates the need for external media conversion in fiber-based network infrastructures, it said.

Cobalt will also showcase its ARIA audio monitoring line, featuring full IPMX compliance alongside support for 16 SDI or 64 MADI channels in a compact rack-mount chassis with touch-display and web-based controls.

Other pieces of Cobalt’s broader product portfolio on display will include Sapphire miniconverters, Indigo gateways, Pacific compression tools and its openGear card lineup.

“The industry is no longer asking whether it will move to IP; it is asking how to make that transition practical,” Cobalt Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing Suzana Brady said. “At NAB New York, we will demonstrate an end-to-end ecosystem that provides broadcasters with the tools they need to move at their own pace, while also addressing challenges such as the C-band transition. From IPMX and ST 2110 to standalone processing and multiviewing, our goal remains the same: provide practical solutions that make complex workflows easier to deploy and operate.”

For more on Cobalt Digital’s NAB Show New York plans, visit its website.

INDIANAPOLIS—Andrew Sveum has joined the Society for Broadcast Engineers as marketing and growth director, an expansion of the group’s leadership team under its new strategic plan.

The position is intended to reflect SBE’s commitment to expand its reach, strengthen member engagement and support long-term growth, the group said.

A 20-year business owner and nonprofit veteran, Sveum is the founder and executive director of Freedom Rising, a group that combats human trafficking and supports vulnerable communities around the world. His background in business ownership, nonprofit leadership, international experience, marketing grant research and partner development gives Sveum a broad perspective on organizational growth and community engagement, SBE said.

The SBE is a professional organization supporting television and radio engineers and those in related fields with more than 4,000 members in 117 chapters across the U.S., Hong Kong, Eastern Europe and in more than 25 other countries. It offers educational programs, networking opportunities, a U.S. technical broadcast certification program and an expansive list of educational programs for broadcast engineers, operators, technicians and IT professionals, as well as advocacy for its members with federal agencies and the U.S. Congress.

For more information, visit SBE’s website.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from Nexstar Media Group that could allow a DirecTV lawsuit against the nation’s largest TV station group to proceed, according to Reuters.

At issue is a 2023 complaint from DirecTV accusing Nexstar of colluding with Mission Broadcasting and White Knight to fix the prices of retransmission consent fees in markets where both Nexstar and either Mission or White Knight own a Big Four station.

DirecTV alleged that Mission and White Knight shared a common negotiator who was, in fact, an agent of Nexstar. It also claimed that this negotiator improperly shared confidential rates and other financial information with Nexstar, and that the three defendants coordinated their respective blackout dates and media responses. The satellite operator claimed that the station goups' actions resulted in channels that went dark for approximately 1 million of its customers.

A federal district court dismissed the case in 2024, but in December 2025, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York affirmed DirecTV had standing to sue under antitrust laws and could prosecute its claims against Nexstar and its sidecars.

Nexstar has argued that it would only be liable for price fixing if the other party ended up paying the inflated price.

In its case before the Supreme Court, Nexstar argued that the December 2025 ruling conflicts with decisions from other federal courts; DirecTV claimed that there was no conflict. It also argued that the 2nd Circuit’s decision could broaden liability issues.

BURBANK, Calif.—Matthews Studio Equipment has made available its 40-inch Sliding Leg C-Stand 2-Pack, which delivers a pair of the company’s stands.

Setups often call for a second C-stand to hold the light, diffusion, backdrop or fill. The 2-Pack provides both in a choice of chrome or black finish. Each offers Matthews’ patented sliding-leg design that enables quick, adjustable leveling on stairs, curbs and uneven ground with no extra hardware, the company said.

Each stand reaches a maximum height of 127 inches (321 centimeters), a minimum height of 53.25 inches (135 cm) and carries a load capacity of 22 pounds (10 kilograms), while weighing 16 pounds (7.2 kg). With a footprint of 27.5 inches (70 cm), each stand folds down to a 21-inch (54 cm) base.

Each stand comes with a Matthews 40-inch Hollywood Arm (exclusive to C-stand purchases). It features a knurled baby pin with 1/4-20 tap, complete with Matthews’ safety features, which enable the attachment of any number of items in addition to booming out a fixture. It pairs well with the included 2.5-inch grip head. Also known as “gobo heads,” their serrated jaws and 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch holes ensure set-it-and-forget-it positive locking in every direction, Matthews said.

The 40-inch Sliding Leg C-Stand 2-Pack is available now in chrome with stainless-steel Hollywood Arm (SKU 999101) and black with black powder-coated Hollywood Arm (SKU 999102). Standard shipping is free in the continental U.S.

More information is available on the Matthews website.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) today announced SMPTE Bootcamp: Precision Timing for ST 2110, a one-day program to take place Wednesday, Oct. 21, at NAB Show New York.

The program will run from 9:20 a.m.–4:30 p.m. in SMPTE Program Room 3D-03 of the Javits Convention Center, where NAB Show New York will take place Oct. 21–22.

Precision Time Protocol (PTP) now sits underneath ST 2110 facilities, networked audio systems and a growing range of live production and pro AV equipment. Speakers with deep experience in clocking, network design, networked audio, and test and measurement bring a vendor-neutral, working view of how timing is distributed, designed, measured and maintained, along with the lessons gathered from real systems.

Attendees leave able to explain how timing moves through a facility; to configure and verify a grandmaster and the clocks beneath it; to read PTP traffic and design redundancy that holds at failover; and to know what to ask of a supplier before purchase.

The program is produced with Douglas Gillette, an independent engineer and SMPTE member, who also opens the day and moderates a field-experience panel.

"Timing touches every part of an ST 2110 facility, and the best way to learn it is from the practitioners who design, build and run these systems every day," said Maja Davidovic, SMPTE director of education.

“The boot camp moves from fundamentals through network design, measurement and deployment practice, so attendees leave with a clear understanding of how timing works and the confidence to apply it in their own facilities. Having experts from across the industry share one stage and compare notes with the people in the audience makes for a rare learning opportunity,” she said.

Whether the next project is a migration, a new IP facility or an upgrade to an existing one, the day offers a practical starting point, SMTE said. The full-day boot camp costs $500, with a $400 rate for National Association of Broadcasters, SMPTE members or government attendees and $250 rate for students. Registration includes an NAB Show New York Floor Pass for both days of the event.

For full program details and registration, click here.

The Day at a Glance
Morning: fundamentals and network design

• Why Precision Timing Matters in ST 2110, with Douglas Gillette
• Inside PTP: How Precision Timing Actually Works, with Andrew Scott of Telestream
• Designing PTP Networks for Scale, Resilience, and Failover, with Ryan Morris of Arista Networks
• ST 2059 Today: What’s Changing in Media Timing, with Leigh Whitcomb of Meinberg, a SMPTE Fellow and co-chair of the committee behind the standard
• PTP Lessons from the Field: Problems, Fixes, and What We’ve Learned, a panel moderated by Douglas Gillette with Ken Stiver, Ryan Morris, John Salt and Steve Holmes

Afternoon: practice, measurement and deployment

• Keeping Networked Audio in Sync: PTP, Dante, ST 2110, and AES67, with John Salt of Audinate
• Locked Isn’t Enough: How to Know Your PTP Timing Is Really Right, with Steve Holmes of Leader Electronics
• Inside the Network: How Switches Handle Precision Timing, with Alex Pendleton and Devan Cress of Netgear
• Building the Reference: Grandmaster Design for Hybrid Facilities, with Evertz
• Watching Timing in Real Time: PTP Analysis on a Live Network, with Bridge Technologies
• Eleven Commandments for PTP Deployment, with Steve Kolta of Meinberg
• Keeping Media in Sync Across Redundant and Long-Haul Networks, with Andreas Hildebrand of Lawo

Why Attend?
The program also covers the latest standards work, including an update from the co-chair of the committee behind ST 2059, the differences between editions of ST 2059-2 and the integrity features added in IEEE 1588-2019.

SMPTE designed the day to be vendor-neutral. Speakers draw on experience that applies across equipment from many manufacturers, and sessions center on how systems from several suppliers behave together on the same network, which is the question that matters most on a show day.

The bootcamp is designed for broadcast and media engineers, systems integrators, live and remote production teams, media IT professionals and anyone responsible for keeping IP media systems in step.

Skydance CEO David Ellison announced late last week that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery will be named “Skydance.”

The merger, which took nearly a year to complete and will be finalized Oct. 6, is valued at approximately $111 billion and will create a studio that’s a “creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling,” he said. Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, founded the original Skydance production company in 2006.

“We chose this name for a few important reasons,” Ellison wrote in a post on X last week. “First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic. Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations.\

“We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one,” Ellison added. “Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros.—and all our extraordinary brands—to remain in the spotlight.”

A federal judge gave the green light to the merger on Sept. 30. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín called the deal a "reasonable factual and legal resolution“ and rejected objections seeking broader restrictions.

The merger has its share of opponents, not least from Hollywood. Actor Mark Ruffalo called the move "incredibly disappointing" and warned that creativity and people’s livelihoods will be threatened.

“This merger will stifle creativity, weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs—it is a bad deal for this country and should never have been approved,” Ruffalo wrote in a post on X.

“This is an incredibly disappointing outcome for the hundreds of thousands of us who stood up to block it, but it's also not the end,” he continued. “This grassroots movement isn't going to fade away and neither is our resolve. This was never about just one merger: this was about fighting back against corrupt oligarch billionaires trampling the interests of everyday people to line their own pockets.”

Ellison will probably have more immediate concerns when the merger is completed this week, given the disastrous debut of Warner Bros.’ movie “Digger” this weekend. Despite its Tom Cruise star power, the film—estimated to have cost upwards of $250 million, including marketing— grossed just $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally at the box office.

Local TV advertising has long been built around a core concept: reach. An advertiser buys a spot against a program or daypart, then the commercial goes out to the audience watching at that moment.

In 2026, that model remains hugely valuable, but it sits alongside a digital advertising economy where buyers have grown used to defining audiences more precisely and following campaigns across different screens.

Advanced advertising is beginning to change that relationship.

In simple terms, broadcasters can make parts of their inventory addressable and automate more of the buying process, while streaming and connected TV (CTV) create room for formats beyond the familiar 30-second spot.

Better measurement naturally also gives advertisers a clearer view of who they reached and, importantly, what happened next. TV and digital ad models essentially become mixed.

Hearst Television is already putting this new model into practice. At WLWT Cincinnati, selected inventory can be replaced at the household level for eligible viewers reached through an integrated multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) partner, giving advertisers a more targeted way into a traditional local broadcast environment.

The technology has begun to move from concept to deployment; the harder work now lies in extending that reach and making the various systems behind it function as one coherent market. To make sense of advanced ads, TV Tech spoke to executives across the TV stack.

Local TV Gets Personal
For a local advertiser, the appeal of addressability is fairly simple: a business may want TV’s reach and premium environment without paying to cover every household in a market.

At WLWT, Hearst identifies specific inventory for replacement and sends the required SCTE signaling into a workflow shared with Viamedia and an MVPD distribution partner.

Viamedia’s ad-decisioning technology, Parrot ADS, can then insert a different commercial for an eligible household, while viewers outside the addressable footprint continue to see the original linear spot.

“We are still early, but we like what we are seeing from a performance standpoint,” John Robertson, vice president of distribution at Hearst Television, said. Based on its experience at WLWT, Hearst said the dynamic ad-insertion capability could unlock an increase of up to 25% in monetizable impressions.

Robertson is also cautious about reading too much into the deployment at this stage, saying there is not yet enough impression volume to draw broader conclusions around demand or pricing.

For Viamedia.ai, the audience comes first. Its president and chief strategy officer, Evan Rutchik, said advertisers can begin with viewers they want to reach, using demographic or geographic signals alongside first-party data where appropriate.

A car dealer, for example, could concentrate spend around its local customer base, while a healthcare provider can focus on communities close to its locations. “The point is not to make the audience as narrow as possible,” Rutchik said, but to give advertisers more control over who they reach while retaining TV’s scale.

Sinclair is exploring another route into advanced local advertising.

In June, Sinclair announced a strategic investment in IRCODE, a company specializing in computer vision and AI aimed at making television interactive and shoppable. It also set plans to roll out IRCODE Lens at stations in Salt Lake City and Austin, Texas, using station apps and image recognition to connect what viewers see on TV with interactive content and commerce. Sinclair’s ONE Media Technologies also included dynamic ad insertion in the test program for its June ATSC 3.0 interoperability event.

For Hearst, scaling household addressability will require a wider footprint. “We need greater scale across MVPDs and eventually vMVPDs,” Robertson said. Hearst also wants better ways to forecast and price the addressable share of a linear unit.

Ultimately, measurement has to value both sides of the break—the households receiving an addressable replacement and the linear audience that remains. For now, household-level targeting remains available across selected parts of the local TV audience, rather than the whole market.

From Spots to Audiences
Hearst said its addressable inventory can already be bought directly or programmatically, with the same basic aim of reaching specific households inside a local market.

Making that kind of buying routine calls for a different commercial setup behind the screen. Linear and digital inventory have traditionally been planned and fulfilled through separate systems, even as viewers move between broadcast TV and internet streaming.

Dan Walsh, senior vice president of product management at Imagine Communications, said his customers have largely accepted the case for convergence. The focus now is on how to make it happen.

“The technology is ready,” he said. “But it requires both advertisers and broadcasters to start shifting from a spot-based mindset and toward an audience-based solution.”

Imagine still sees limits to how much inventory broadcasters should hand to programmatic platforms. Walsh argues automation works particularly well for inventory that direct sales struggle to monetize, while premium spots can remain under tighter control. “The key metric is profit; optimizing both revenue and cost,” he said.

For local buyers, Walsh says automation could also reduce the cost and complexity of direct sales, opening TV to businesses that might otherwise avoid it.

The same convergence is reaching the back office. Operative’s recent platform launch combines advertising and broadcast management with agentic workflow tools that entered beta in September, with wider availability planned for December.

Beyond the 30-Second Spot
Streaming is creating more room to sell ads outside of the traditional TV break.

Yospace said it stitched 11.57 billion one-to-one ads into live streams during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 13 million in a 2-minute window at the start of halftime during the England-Norway match.

Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) is one route into a more flexible streaming environment, separating ad delivery from the main content stream while retaining server-side guidance.

Yospace’s recently launched Ad Presentation solution is designed to support pause-screen ads, overlays, squeeze-backs and L-banners across both server-side ad insertion (SSAI) and SGAI workflows.

“Pause ads have already gained meaningful traction because they create an ad opportunity when the viewer has already chosen to pause the content,” said Paul Davies, head of marketing at Yospace.

IAB Tech Lab finalized signaling guidance for its CTV Ad Portfolio in July, while Warner Bros. Discovery used its 2026 upfront to unveil shoppable pause ads and dynamic creative that can respond to the scene immediately before the break.

Creating Enough Ads
More precise targeting also creates a practical production problem: Advertisers may need far more versions of the same campaign.

Broadcast technology company ENCO Systems said generative AI is one way to make that manageable, especially for local businesses that lack the budget or resources for traditional video production.

ENCO President Ken Frommert said AI is already changing the sales process. “We have customers using SPECai to analyze an advertiser’s website and create a spec spot before they ever walk through the door,” he said. SPOTai extends the concept into video, making it easier to produce finished commercials and alternate versions.

“The more precisely advertising can be targeted, the less sense it makes for every audience to receive exactly the same creative,” he said. Frommert expects demand for versioning to grow, while keeping human approval in the workflow before anything goes to air.

Making Advanced Advertising Work at Scale
Advanced advertising is moving closer to the everyday business of local TV.

Hearst’s WLWT deployment shows household-level replacement working in a real market, and the wider industry is making audience-based buying and newer streaming formats easier to use.

The pace of adoption will depend on wider distribution support and the development of common standards. Broadcasters also need measurement that can follow campaigns across the viewing paths advertisers increasingly treat as one market.

“Addressable television really reaches scale when advertisers stop having to think of it as a specialized product,” Rutchik said.

That may be the clearest marker of where the market is heading. Once the machinery can disappear into the background, the shift from spots to audiences becomes part of the normal business of local TV.

NEW YORK—Ads aired during Spanish-language television broadcasts were 50% more impactful than English-language TV ads over the past year, according to research released today from EDO.

The research, presented in the analytics firm’s third annual “Spanish Language TV Outcomes Report,” is based on 1.3 million ad airings and 332 billion impressions across 631 brands. EDO said it applies the same measurement standard to each advertiser, network and language, giving the industry a single, comparable view of what's actually driving outcomes across an increasingly fragmented TV landscape.

The report comes following 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny performing a solo headline Super Bowl halftime show—two contributors to a landmark year in Latino culture, EDO said.

The average Spanish-language ad was 24% more effective than the average English-language ad on a per-person, per-second basis—even after controlling for audience size. That edge held across genres, with Spanish-language content outperforming English-language programming by 44% in scripted entertainment, 48% in news and 9% in reality programming.

“Spanish-language TV (SLTV) is no longer just the most overlooked opportunity in advertising—it’s also one of the fastest-growing,” said Laura Grover, senior vice president and head of client solutions at EDO. “For years, the average SLTV ad has delivered more bang for the marketer’s buck by driving stronger engagement than the average English-language TV ad. But over the past year, this delta has grown even wider, delivering stronger outcomes across brand categories and measurable business impact for advertisers.”

The report also highlights standout brand performance during the World Cup. Telemundo's on-screen hydration-break sponsorships, a first for the tournament, drove 39 times as much impact as a typical ad on English- or Spanish-language TV.

McDonald’s ads during the hydration break were 438% more effective than the average SLTV World Cup advertiser, while creative from Airbnb and Ford both outperformed the World Cup field by triple digits.

The value didn't end when the final whistle blew. Only 19% of creatives that debuted during the World Cup ran elsewhere on SLTV afterward, EDO reported, but those that did kept performing, driving 43% greater effectiveness than the SLTV average when airing during soccer coverage post-tournament and 15% more during nonsoccer programming.

The “Spanish Language TV Outcomes Report” is available for download.

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Producing niche sports for online fans faces challenges that mirror larger sports broadcasts, like long-distance signal transport. One video production company here is overcoming them with several solutions from AJA Video.

Bantaray Mobile Sports Production has developed a mobile production pipeline for niche sports content. The company regularly deploys AJA FiDO Mini-Converters alongside several other AJA SDI/HDMI Mini-Converters and Ki Pro recorders to ensure reliable signal conversion between fiber and SDI and transport signals across venues.

“Every event is different, and each venue presents unique challenges,” Bantaray Founder Steve Banta said. “Sending signals across long distances is almost always a hurdle. We have to find simple ways to get reporter feeds back to the truck, send program feeds to in-venue LED displays, and route audio and video signals safely across the venue. Our AJA FiDO Mini-Converters support these needs and have been incredibly dependable through rain, extreme heat, and constant travel—they just keep working.”

Since the company was founded in 2009, Bantaray has refined its mobile production pipeline for live sports. Today, its team uses that workflow to produce high school sports for Spectrum in Orange County and Riverside, Calif.; support Coachella Valley Firebirds event productions; and to produce other niche sports broadcasts. Rarely given the luxury of scouting a location beforehand, Bantaray taps into Google Earth to preview the space before arriving, determine where to park the OB truck and plan cable runs.

“That’s the beauty of fiber,” said Jeff Highbaugh, a freelance camera operator who works with Bantaray. “The truck can be parked anywhere on-site, and we can still quickly deploy audio and video using our FiDOs and daisy chain as much length as we need. The setup is so fast, and we can run four cameras down one fiber line.”

Bantaray owns 24 AJA FiDO Mini-Converters, including single-, dual- and four-channel models. They are mounted inside a portable booth kit containing an I/O panel and audio gear. Multiple cameras positioned around the commentator booth feed SDI signals into Bantaray’s booth kit, which converts them to fiber using the FiDOs and sends them back to the production truck over a four-pair tactical fiber-optic cable capable of carrying four signals.

“Each production typically involves a production truck, a commentator booth—which has the most signal paths going to it—and sometimes a video scoreboard, so we need to be able to move video and audio signals across long distances without power limitations,” Banta said. “Our longest fiber reel is 1,000 feet, and we often use Dante for audio. Fiber lets us barrel as many of those fiber reels together if we have a FiDO on each end."

Bantaray also relies on AJA Mini-Converters to convert SDI feeds to HDMI for monitoring, distribution amplifiers for signal management and AJA Ki Pro recorders for capture. “We don’t have a giant crew and everyone is wearing multiple hats,” Highbaugh said. “So, we need gear that is reliable, consistent and easy to use. Our AJA FiDO Mini-Converters provide reliable conversion between SDI and fiber, giving us additional flexibility to convert signals on the fly or extend them much farther than traditional SDI allows.”

As niche sports continue to find dedicated audiences through streaming platforms, Bantaray sees growing opportunities ahead and is focused on expanding further into the multicamera production space.

"Streaming continues to grow, so I'm looking at technology that can help me send high-quality, low-latency signals efficiently,” Highbaugh said. “Whether we're working with limited bandwidth or remote locations, finding reliable ways to get content on the air remains a major priority.”

More information is available on the Bantaray Mobile Sports Production and AJA Video websites.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau has officially changed its rules to reflect the fact that broadcasters aren’t required to report employee demographic data to the agency.

This change doesn’t have any practical effect on station operations because the collection of such data stopped 25 years ago.

But in 2024, the FCC, under the previous presidential administration, had tried to revive the program. A federal appeals court in May of 2025 then blocked that, and now the Media Bureau has changed the wording of its rules accordingly.

The outcome does not affect other aspects of the FCC’s EEO rules for broadcasters.

Background
Starting in 1970, the FCC had used Form 395-B to collect race, ethnicity and gender data until the practice was suspended in 2001.

In 2024, under the Biden administration, the FCC reinstated the form to collect employment data from most broadcasters, though collection never actually resumed.

The FCC argued the data would give it a better understanding of workforce composition. It said collection was in the public interest and required under law and that the information would not be for enforcement but for analyzing broadcast industry trends.

But the data would have been available to the public, an aspect of the vote that raised the stakes around this issue.

The National Religious Broadcasters, one of its members and the Texas Association of Broadcasters filed separate suits to block the mandate; those cases were later consolidated.

They said the order violated the First and Fifth Amendments and that the FCC lacked authority for the change. Religious broadcasters also were concerned about the inclusion of a “non-binary” gender option, saying it could force them to recognize genders outside of male and female.

In 2025 a panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said the FCC had overstepped its bounds and lacked the statutory authority to require disclosure.

Now, under the Trump administration, the FCC did not appeal. Chairman Brendan Carr considered the FCC’s 2024 move “an unlawful effort to pressure businesses into discriminating based on race and gender,” as he wrote in a social media post last year.

The Media Bureau now has updated Parts 73 and 74 of its rules to conform to the court ruling. It said this is also part of its efforts in the “Delete Delete” proceeding to remove rules that are no longer in effect.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand Radio World.

PHILADELPHIA and UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa—WHYY and Penn State University announced the completion of WHYY’s acquisition of WPSU, ensuring the continuation of public media service for approximately 1.5 million residents across central and northern Pennsylvania and beginning a new chapter for the station and the communities it serves.

With the transaction officially complete, Philadelphia public broadcaster WHYY now operates WPSU’s television and radio stations under the WPSU name and call letters. WPSU will remain locally focused and locally run, serving viewers in central and northern Pennsylvania with local television, radio and digital content in addition to PBS and NPR programming.

“Today is both a continuation and a beginning,” said Bill Marrazzo, WHYY president and CEO. “For more than 70 years, WPSU has been a trusted resource for the people of central and northern Pennsylvania. Our responsibility now is to honor that trust while building an even stronger and more sustainable WPSU for the generations ahead.”

“We are deeply grateful to the growing number of generous donors from Centre County and southeastern Pennsylvania who have stepped forward at this pivotal moment. Their early support is providing the working capital necessary not only to keep WPSU’s vital service strong during this transition, but to begin investing in its future and growing its impact over time.”

The completion of the transaction follows nearly two years of planning and collaboration between WHYY and Penn State, culminating in the Federal Communications Commission’s September approval of the transfer of WPSU’s broadcast licenses to WHYY.

Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and George Whitesides (D-Calif.) have called for an investigation into President Donald Trump’s use of taxpayer funds to produce and distribute ads that promote the administration just weeks ahead of the midterm elections, Politico reported.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel, the congressmen asked the GAO to investigate the “source, accounts, and total amount of taxpayer funds used by the Executive Office of the President to produce and distribute this advertisement across major television markets and official White House social media channels.”

Raskin, currently the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee could potentially lead a Congressional investigation if Democrats take control of the House, which is widely expected next month.

In their letter, Whitesides and Raskin also asked the Office of Special Counsel to determine if the ads “paid for by millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, constitute a violation of the Hatch Act, and determine who should be held accountable.”

The ads, which began running on Sunday, promote what Trump calls his administration's “successes,” declaring that “America will never be a Communist country,” and end with the phrase “paid for by the U.S. government.”

“These ads constitute an illegal use of taxpayer funds, perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that they are virtually identical to the ones Donald Trump used during his 2024 presidential campaign, and in fact use the same footage and the same inept ideological messaging,” they wrote.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr dismissed such concerns over the ads. When asked about them this week during a press conference, the chairman said, “there’s nothing in there that strikes me as out of the ordinary or that would merit any sort of FCC review,” adding: “There are groups on the left that have long worked and pushed to weaponize the FCC’s license-renewal process. I’m sure they’ll do it again in the future. Again, with respect to these, they are normal PSAs that don’t raise any red flags.”

Several senators are accusing the administration of diverting $20 million from Customs and Border Protection to “bankroll the obscene political ads,” an accusation confirmed by an official and a top Republican senator to NBC News.

The White House also dismissed such concerns.

A spokesperson described them as “public service announcements,” despite the timing, saying such ads are a reminder to viewers “to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad. The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”

Prominent names and faces from across the media and entertainment industry gathered at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom on Sept. 29 for the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the gala annual industry event that is a Future B2B sister brand to TV Tech.

Among the honorees this year were CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Bravo reality maven Andy Cohen and celebrity chef Bobby Flay; leading executives including NBCUniversal Telemundo chairman Luis Fernandez, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and Disney President, Global Advertising Rita Ferro; franchise of the year “Star Trek,” celebrating its 60th anniversary and, from the tech world, smart TV pioneer William Wang, founder and CEO of Vizio.

Click the gallery below to view photos from the evening’s festivities.

For more on the B+C Hall of Fame class of 2026, read the digital edition of the event program here.

(Photos by Mark Reinertson)

The case for broadcasters’ transition to IP-based live content production is stronger than ever as suppliers of every stripe roll out products built to standards that support vendor interoperability and common approaches to creating customer-specific AI solutions.

Much of this transformation is fueled by increased interest in how MXL (Media eXchange Layer) is impacting product development. Launched as part of the European Broadcasting Union’s Digital Media Facility initiative in 2024, MXL promotes software interoperability via shared compute, allowing the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to standardize how AI agents and large language models (LLMs) connect to broadcast systems.

Although these specifications were in tire-kicking mode just a year ago, solutions introduced at September’s IBC Show in Amsterdam are equipping broadcasters with unprecedented levels of efficiency and functionality as they transition to ever-greater reliance on IP production workflows. From now on, producers of sports, news and other live content will be able to seize new opportunities to serve consumers whenever and wherever they arise without enduring the learning curves and forklifting that have long plagued industry advancement.

Or, as Grass Valley Chief Revenue Officer Tim Banks put it at a customer gathering in Amsterdam, “Transformation has become business as usual.” With AI tools at hand and hardware- and software-level vendor lock-in in the rearview mirror, the widely shared goal of doing “ever more for ever less” is no longer out of reach, Banks said.

AI Everywhere
Those are bold assertions, but at IBC they were backed by a chorus singing the same tune wherever you turned. While “doing ever more” has long been a selling point for the IP-based software versatility associated with general-purpose commodity processors, the notion of “doing everything for ever less,” as enabled by AI, might be what seals the case for IP.

As at NAB Show, AI was ubiquitously present in vendor solutions of every stripe. The big difference at this event was the extent to which vendors facilitated customer-built agentic AI solutions using open LLMs without being shoehorned into prebuilt AI tools. Critically, along with enabling customization, the DIY approach avoids opening broadcasters’ databases to third-party suppliers.

For example, Imagine Communications has adjusted its strategy to ensure customers can use its core products while leveraging the liberating force of commonly supported MCP interfaces to infuse workflows with AI capabilities, according to Chief Revenue Officer Glodina Lostanlen. Imagine, now an independent operating unit of Lumine Group, is focused on seamless integration, she said.

By providing their AI systems with secure, governed access to Imagine’s platforms through standardized gateways, “we’re able to show customers how to personalize their own experiences instead of us trying to cover everything,” Lostanlen said. “We’re going to focus on what we’re good at and make it easier for our channel partners and customers to take it to the next level.”

Those benefits also extend to deploying vendor-built AI solutions. By using MCP interfaces, Imagine and all others working in this new environment make it easier for customers to choose between their own custom-built agents and supplier-developed AI tools.

As vendor support for MCP helps broadcasters maximize the benefits of AI, growing adoption of the EBU’s DMF guidelines and MXL specifications is transforming cross-vendor interoperability. Together, these open standards allow media organizations to get the most from their real-time production workflows. DMF, a work in progress that’s formalizing standards for software-based media processing, and the MXL SDK are game-changers. That’s true for a company like Grass Valley, whose AMPP platform has long supported vendor interoperability across different infrastructure environments on-premises and in the cloud.

“We don’t believe customers have to make economic bets on which technologies are best,” said Grass Valley CEO Jon Wilson. Answering the question of “how do I modernize without disrupting what I have?” won’t be “about one technology replacing another,” he added. “It’s about having the right technology in the right place as needs evolve.”

In one of the many instances where the new approach to interchanging competing vendor options has taken hold, Grass Valley and Lawo are leveraging DMF and MXL to enable customers to validate orchestration, control and media exchange integration between the AMPP and Lawo HOME platforms, both of which provide a software-based foundation for live production and media workflows across cloud, edge and hybrid environments. A broadcaster working with an AMPP-based workflow “can route HOME into Grass Valley infrastructure and control it from there or do it the other way around where Lawo can control AMPP,” Wilson said.

Andreas Hilmer, chief marketing officer at Lawo, said this allows the company to offer “far greater flexibility following the principles of DMF with generic support for processing any function on the same stack of commodity hardware.”

“In live production, we can spin up whatever processing support we need on a per-app basis,” he added. While Lawo supports screen conversions in real time across NDI, SRT and ST 2110, ST 2110 is proving itself as the go-to solution for IP-based live production, he said.

MXL Takes Center Stage
Kevin Cottam, vice president of global sports and live events at Ross Video, agreed with that assessment.

Touting the release of Ross’ new high-capacity Ultrix FR30 routing and signal processing platform at IBC, Cottam said the company has “made leaps and bounds with 2110 right through to filling every pixel with real-time data-driven graphics.” For in-venue and distributed sports productions alike, “we’re able to take in scores with automated updates bound to producers’ graphics templates,” he added.

The 30-rack-unit Ultrix FR30 is a “huge leap,” offering the capacity to scale routing, audio and video processing, and production switching across ST 2110, SRT, NDI and Dante AV flows to new levels, Cottam added. Ross is also seeing strong demand for its XPression.cloud platform, which uses AI to identify appropriate templates and expedite graphics-related asset retrieval, creativity and generation, he said.

“AI is changing everything we do,” he noted. And MXL is taking center stage as “part of the whole distribution strategy.”

That impact is also being felt by Telos Alliance, which has announced a spate of new hardware and software products that leverage partnerships touching on every aspect of the audio workflow.

“In the past, we would have had to develop solutions for companies X, Y and Z,” said John Schur, president of Telos Alliance TV Solutions Group. “Now, because we’ve embraced MXL with both arms, we don’t have to do a lot of additional work to be running in all those places.”

Currently, the “biggest area we’re working on is observability applied to analysis of audio streams and generation of notifications,” Schur added. “Unlike video, where with multiviewing you can pick out anomalies across multiple channels, you can’t listen to 100 streams of audio at once. Our platform’s new enhancements allow us to do the listening for you in an automated fashion.”

‘Fundamental Backbone’
On another front, Sony is using DMF-aligned products with MXL and AI support to expand multivendor interoperability in software-defined live productions large and small by tying workflows directly into camera capture across premises and public cloud locations.

“IP is the fundamental backbone connecting all these tiers of production,” said Rob Thorne, category head for networked live solutions at Sony Europe. “We’re automating and configuring the whole production environment with global management solutions.”

At IBC, Sony’s Nevion division launched its first commercial applications for the recently introduced MOXELA broadcast platform. One product bridges contribution transport over unmanaged networks between on-prem and public cloud processing, and the second supports software-defined broadcasting workflows for more agile, scalable and infrastructure-independent live production environments that integrate with Nevion’s VideoIPath media orchestration platform. Supported functions include multiple A/V compression formats, logo insertion and audio matrix routing, Thorne said, noting, “You don’t have to be an AWS cloud expert to support automation.”

Among other significant developments, Sony brought high-end AI-assisted autoframing capabilities into smaller production PTZ cameras, including the SRG-AS10 and SRG-XS10 models. “AI support tracks images and people, delivering high-quality capture for an immersive viewing experience that takes into account the environment you’re in,” Thorne noted. “Until now, this capability was only available in our top-tier cameras.”

Matrox Video is another longtime production hardware supplier that has been among the most aggressive users of MXL in the migration to IP software-defined workflows. A little over a year ago, Matrox was one of six companies committing to MXL as its software development kit (SDK) hit the market. “Now everybody is talking about DMF and MXL,” said Matrox Senior Marketing Manager Kimberly Brown.

But that doesn’t mean customers should be expected to abandon reliance on powerful hardware workhorses like the Matrox Monarch Edge remote production encoder, she said. “It’s not a software versus hardware story, and we’re sticking with that story,” Brown said. The case was made in a live feed at IBC covering Targa Newfoundland, North America’s only tarmac rally, a long-distance automobile race over paved roads which, in this instance, covered over 2,000 kilometers of remote roads in Newfoundland.

The multivendor project was anchored by blended satellite and terrestrial connectivity provided by Dejero, with Monarch Edge-encoded coverage fed into the GlobalM GMX software-defined cloud media platform using containerized processing for output relayed from reception in Waterloo, Ontario, to Amsterdam. “It’s the first time we’re doing intercontinental remote live production,” Brown said. “What we’re showing really opens up a lot of workflows that stick to the story of doing more with less.”