WASHINGTON—At its annual NextGen Broadcast Conference this week, ATSC honored Julia Kenyon of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) with the 2026 Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award.

“Julia is an excellent consensus builder and techno-diplomat who is a graceful and very competent leader,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. “She knows how to help groups get things done efficiently and collegially, which is a real art. Not only has she led multiple ATSC committees, but Julia also has a terrific sense of humor and is able to blend levity with the serious nature of standards work. She is always curious, and most recently has been helping ATSC participants really lean into the benefits of developing artificial intelligence tools.”

Kenyon has served as Vice Chair of ATSC Specialist Group on Interactive Environment (TG3/S38), Vice Chair of ATSC Implementation on Conformance (IT-3), and Chair of ATSC Specialist Group on Management and Protocols (TG3/S33). Additionally, for more than three years, she has served as CTA’s lead technical representative for the NextGen TV Test Suite development, working not only with ATSC but as chair of CTA’s own groups that work with the test suite.

Kenyon also guided ATSC in the development of A/381, the recommended practice for use of the broadcaster application for NextGen TV.

“Julia Kenyon brings unique skills to the challenge of ensuring NextGen TVs work properly with the advanced services ATSC 3.0 broadcasts provide,” said Brian Markwalter, vice chair of the ATSC board of directors and senior vice president of research and standards for the CTA. “Besides her visible leadership in ATSC and CTA standards groups, Julia directs the TV testing program that backs the NextGen TV logo. CTA commends Julia on this recognition of all she has done for ATSC and the industry.”

“Julia is an exceptional contributor to ATSC 3.0,” added Dr. Paul Hearty of Technology Advisors, an ATSC board member and ATSC Technical Group 3 (TG3) chair. “She leads and contributes to standards and compliance development both in ATSC and in CTA, covering the spectrum from origination of services at broadcast to consumption at consumer devices. She maintains balance, fairness, and technical rigor—as well as humor—throughout.”

The Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award is given each year to an ATSC member whose technical and leadership contributions have been exemplary. It is named for its first recipient, the late Bernard Lechter, retired staff vice president, Advanced Video Systems at RCA Laboratories, whose 30-year career covered all aspects of television and display research.

Lechner Award recipients:

• 2000 – Bernard Lechner, Consultant
• 2001 – Rich Chernock, Triveni Digital
• 2002 – Regis Crinon, Microsoft
• 2003 – Glenn Adams, Extensible Formatting Systems
• 2004 – Graham Jones, National Association of Broadcasters
• 2005 – John Henderson, Hitachi
• 2006 – Art Allison, NAB
• 2007 – Mark Eyer, Sony Electronics
• 2008 – Michael Dolan, TBT
• 2009 – Wayne Bretl, Zenith/LG Electronics
• 2010 – Pat Waddell, Harmonic
• 2011 – Jim Starzynski, NBC Universal
• 2012 – S. Merrill Weiss, Merrill Weiss Group
• 2013 – Mark Aitken, Sinclair Broadcast Group
• 2014 – James Kutzner, PBS
• 2015 – Luke Fay, Sony
• 2016 – Madeleine Noland, Zenith/LG Electronics
• 2017 – Skip Pizzi, NAB
• 2018 – Mark Corl, Triveni Digital
• 2019 – Adam Goldberg, AGP/Sony
• 2020 – Jae-Young Lee, ETRI
• 2021 – Alan Stein, InterDigital
• 2022 – Youngkwon Lim, Samsung Electronics
• 2023 – Glenn Reitmeier, NBC Universal/Sarnoff Labs
• 2024 – Ali Dernaika, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• 2025 – Aldo Cugnini, AGC Systems
• 2026 – Julia Kenyon, Consumer Technology Association

WASHINGTON, SAO PAULO, SEOUL, South Korea—ATSC, Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital Terrestre (SBTVD) Forum from Brazil and South Korea’s Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) May 12 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a formal framework for cooperation on the development, harmonization and worldwide promotion of next-generation terrestrial broadcasting standards.

“This agreement represents an important milestone for the global broadcasting industry,” said president ATSC Madeleine Noland. “By aligning efforts across North America, South America and Asia, we are creating a stronger foundation for interoperable next-generation broadcasting technologies that will benefit broadcasters, manufacturers, developers and viewers worldwide.”

The agreement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening global interoperability for advanced broadcasting services and to accelerating international collaboration around the evolution of ATSC 3.0 and related technologies. The collaboration was made official during a signing ceremony in Seoul.

“This MOU reinforces the importance of international cooperation in shaping the future of broadcasting,” said Raymundo Barros, president of SBTVD Forum. “A harmonized standards ecosystem enables greater innovation and creates new opportunities for broadcasters and technology providers globally.”

Under the MOU, the organizations will collaborate on the development of broadcasting standards and recommended practices, support testing and certification activities, exchange technical and strategic information and coordinate joint industry engagement efforts across key global markets. The partnership is particularly significant as broadcasters worldwide continue transitioning toward IP-based, software-defined and integrated broadcast-broadband delivery systems enabled by ATSC 3.0 and related next-generation standards.

All three standards organizations agreed to hold regular coordination meetings aligned with major international broadcast industry events, including NAB Show in Las Vegas, KOBA Show in Seoul and SET Expo in Sao Paulo.“TTA is pleased to collaborate with ATSC and the SBTVD Forum to support the evolution of next-generation broadcasting technologies,” said TTA president Seunghyun Son. “Closer cooperation between standards organizations is essential to ensuring global compatibility and sustainable industry growth.”

The MOU establishes cooperation on:

• Collaboration on next-generation broadcasting standards and recommended practices. 
• Promotion of worldwide interoperability for terrestrial broadcasting services and products. 
• Coordination on testing and certification of broadcasting equipment and services.
• Support for cross-referencing and harmonization of technical standards.
• Exchange of technical and strategic information between organizations.
• Joint communication initiatives, including sharing press releases and member newsletters.
• Appointment of liaison officers to coordinate collaborative activities.

The organization will also consider expanding participation to additional standards development organizations adopting 3.0 or related technologies.

By strengthening coordination among standards organizations in the Americas and Asia, the agreement is expected to help reduce market fragmentation, encourage economies of scale for device manufacturers and accelerate innovation in areas, such as immersive media, advanced emergency information, targeted services, datacasting and mobile reception.The agreement also recognizes the importance of maintaining flexible collaboration structures that can potentially include additional standards development organizations in the future while respecting each organization’s intellectual property policies, governance models and legal frameworks.The MOU takes effect immediately and reflects the Parties’ mutual intent to deepen international cooperation in support of the future of terrestrial broadcasting worldwide.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

At the NAB Show in Las Vegas last month, Pearl TV, the consortium of broadcasters, manufacturers and industry advocates showcased prototypes of new converter boxes that would allow consumers to upgrade to ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV) without having to purchase a new TV or one of the more expensive converter/DVR boxes currently available.

TV Tech Content Director Tom Butts recently discussed the status of the new campaign and reaction at NAB Show with Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle. Here is an edited transcript.

TV Tech: Can you give us an update on what Pearl and the ATSC were showing in terms of NextGen TV advances at the NAB Show?
Anne Schelle: Pearl was focused on the converter box program and meeting with SOC companies that we invited to come to the show, as well as some of the current box makers and others that would be part of the ecosystem. The FCC also had an opportunity to come by and learn about the program. So there were great conversations, and it's just continuing to move the program along in terms of the mechanics, with the special pricing conversations, with the ecosystem that would be involved with making the box, the testing, certification, all of those business parts of the program.

TVT: What's the biggest challenge right now that you face? Is it time or technology?
AS: We’re waiting on a signal from the FCC, which we're hopeful is coming soon. We were also having conversations about just updating the whole [3.0] system, the transmission vendors and everybody that's involved in selling equipment to support a transition to the boxes themselves. And the more time lags on this, resources get reallocated, investments get reallocated. So we've been expressing the urgency to the FCC.

TVT: Will you need government support to bring it to a sub-$60 price level?
AS: We're following the NTIA model [the basis for the ATSC 1.0 converter box program established in the 2000s], where we're establishing specifications, testing rigor around elements that don't exist today for other devices—specifically around sensitivity and recepetibility—and then the program would allow for a certification logo that makes us a very distinct category of a box.

Given its distinction, part of the program is to go out and broadly negotiate lower building material costs, whether that's in IP or in components, and we've been successful on that route. In essence, we're helping to establish a pre-, lower-cost box, or presubsidized in the sense that the industry is doing it, the players (as the component parts), are doing it, knowing that this device is a bridge device. It's very much needed to enable the consumers who can't afford to buy a television to have access to something readily available in the marketplace.

So by coalescing around a program, we're able to sort of recreate what occurred [with the NTIA program], if you look at that pricing point too, that is based on research that might change over time, and overall rises and seed pricing due to supply chain and other global events. But what we're coming in with is essentially almost lower than the NTIA program did back in the day without a subsidy, the economics being such that we're able to deliver something a consumer would be willing to purchase, which is what our study showed. The other part about our study was what really needs to be on this very affordable box, and how do consumers think about features vs. cost vs. value in over the air.

In terms of government funding, that's not available, so I don't know why we would be asking that.

TVT: What kind of feedback have you gotten from broadcasters?
AS: Well, this is broadcast-led, so they're very supportive of this. At the end of the day, we need a signal from the FCC, because consumers will go purchase this box that we've made very affordable if they know that they need to go purchase it. There is no global transition that's ever really happened until there is a transition end date and concurrently an update to standards, so we need that.

We’re getting ready for that by developing and answering the question of the affordable device for the consumer that does not want to change out their television and otherwise wants. That's why we did the [Magid] study to see what their willingness would be to go purchase this device and at what price point. And what we heard was overwhelmingly over 81% saying yes, they would purchase and the price points were $60 and below.

TVT: So is your goal to have this in place and get it moving as soon as you get the word from the FCC?
AS: We’re developing all the program mechanics. We did all the research, and now we have an understanding of the messaging and how the consumer feels about it. We're working with early development set-top box makers to understand what are the components and what are the feature sets that are doable at these price points, and does that match up with willingness from consumers to buy it? The answer is yes, and that's our specification that was announced.

We have a utilization of the current connected TV umbrella logo. All of these require agreements and mechanisms and processes to be able to onboard a set-top box maker for them to understand what the specifications are, to go through the certification to ultimately get the logo, for that logo to have some teeth to it.

So we make sure that the logo, if it's misused, can be revoked, and at the same time, that logo is what these set-top box makers would take to the IP holders, as well as the component makers that we've negotiated with to get that favorable pricing for this device category.

So we're putting in all of the program mechanics and working with three manufacturers [ADTH, Skyworth, and Zinwell] through that process to harden that and ensure that we've got the right systems in place so that once we have the go light, we're able to effectively turn this on. We have not focused fully yet on the go-to-market strategy, other than to say that we do have a website that we currently know works and consumers go to. That would probably be our initial funnel, alongside promotional marketing that the station groups would undertake, but that whole program is really reliant on timelines.

TVT: Pearl TV has joined others in asking for a sunset year, a date of 2028, for the top markets, followed by remaining markets by 2030. How would you characterize your conversations with the FCC in terms of this plan… what kind of feedback have you gotten from them, and do you believe that this is going to help them reach a final decision?
AS: We're looking for something in that range, specifically for a go date, on an update to the receiver rules that could happen, and within three years, the majority of receivers could be upgraded. I think the idea still stands around moving top markets and then looking to smaller markets but the exact timing is really up to the commission.

Pearl has been focused on helping the industry establish a way to find an affordable device path for consumers. We met with the FCC and there's high interest in it that I think helps in terms of getting a favorable rulemaking from the commission.

TVT: The Consumer Technology Association has been very vocal in their opposition to a tuner mandate. Do you believe their concern is justified? In other words, do you see the possibility of a tuner mandate on the horizon?
AS: We are asking for a receiver upgrade. I don't think you have a transition without it. And I think every past transition has proved that this is not the first time that the commission has taken that path, and again, globally, I don't know how you move forward without that.

We're in a situation where the marketplace took it as far as it could, and this is what's needed in order to really fully realize a full transition. So that's basically my answer to that.

TVT: Do you believe retailers have done a good job promoting NextGen TV? Do you think that they'll be ready to market these new boxes?
AS: Again, when there's a signal for a full transition—just like in the last go round, nobody stepped in to really market until that happened, because you have something to organize around, both retailers, CTA and broadcasters. So you can't take one without the other. Retailers are pay to play and they're organized around the manufacturers telling them what to do.

So you can't really fault their involvement, yet. You can just look at history, the last DTV transition, the minute it got organized—between a transition end date and upgrade to the receiver requirements—you had everybody step in with some terrific marketing.

TVT: Will you put these boxes on the market before the FCC makes a decision on the deadline?
AS: We're working on the development with the three main manufacturers and hoping we can get something out by the end of the year, [but] we are facing some headwinds in regards to the supply chain, and that's no surprise. There's memory shortages out there and price hikes, plastic has gone up 20%.

So it's a timing question for us because without the volume guarantee, it's hard for us to be able to come out with a box, and so it just depends.

We’re agnostic to the chip, to the OS, we really leave that up to the box manufacturer. We just have this price ceiling, and they're working right now to figure that out, and getting pretty creative and looking at lowering memory and using various OS systems that take up less memory. I think you're going to see that in everything going forward for a couple years.

[The initiative] is really similar to NTIA. It's just commercially implemented and commercially executed.

Sinclair/ONE Media’s kiosk in the ATSC booth at the 2026 NAB Show said it simply and succinctly: “ATSC 1.0 Must Go!”

Sunsetting the original digital TV standard on a certain date (or dates) is essential to the future success of the broadcast industry, ATSC 3.0 proponents say.

While 3.0 channel-sharing has served its purpose, neither broadcasters nor the public can truly realize the full benefit of NextGen TV without an end to 1.0. In other words, as things stand, broadcast spectrum cannot be used to its full potential.

Laurence Zimmerman, a wireless industry veteran, agrees. On April 15 as the broadcast industry was traveling to Las Vegas for its annual gathering, Zimmerman’s company, Landover Saturn 5 LLC, filed a petition with the FCC seeking a rulemaking “to permit the repurposing of UHF Channels 28-36 (554-608 MHz) into a contiguous nationwide block of low-band spectrum for flexible 5G and future 6G use.”

In the petition, Landover proposes serving as a “neutral Sponsor” coordinating broadcaster participation, managing spectrum clearing, repacking broadcasters below channel 28 and “implementing the monetization” of the repurposed spectrum—for a cut of the proceeds.

The company says it can generate more than twice as much money for the federal government –some $15 billion—as the FCC’s Auction 1001.

Whether or not Landover’s proposal has merit is for the commission to decide. In the end, it may derail the efforts of U.S. broadcasters to make better use of their spectrum via 3.0. Ironically, it would enable 5G and 6G wireless providers to leverage the spectral efficiency of 3.0 to clear the desired 50MHz block of TV spectrum and as a consequence inhibit broadcasters’ full ability to develop a new, recurring revenue stream as wireless data service providers.

Regardless of the petition’s datacasting implications, however, the proposal identifies ATSC 3.0 channel sharing as one of two key lynchpins (the other being relocation) for clearing the spectrum without forcing broadcasters to give up their local voice. As the petition puts it: “Broadcasters retain their market presence and program distribution rights by transitioning to shared ATSC 3.0 capacity below Channel 28, at no cost to Broadcasters.

“This allows them to continue delivering their full broadcast signal while simultaneously aligning with industry-wide movement toward streaming distribution. In other words, Broadcasters will convert under-monetized spectrum into immediate enterprise value without forfeiting brand identity, local programming obligations, retransmission eligibility or the growing opportunities that ATSC 3.0 offers for data, multicast, and digital-first delivery.”

NextGen TV proponents have told the commission for some time that continued, indefinite 1.0 and 3.0 transmission is a path to nowhere. As a Gray Media senior executive has put it, the current approach delivers the “worst of both worlds” for broadcasters and viewers alike.

Perhaps the Landover petition will underscore for FCC Commissioners why there’s little room to move forward—whether that’s for licensed broadcasters or a third-party disrupter with a new point of view—when the vast majority of TV spectrum in a market is devoted to transmitting via 1.0.

While individual broadcasters may or may not favor Landover’s petition, Sinclair’s NAB message and the petitioner’s appear to have something in common: “ATSC 1.0 Must Go!”

LAS VEGAS—The growing international reach of ATSC 3.0, the next-generation broadcast technology developed by members of ATSC, The Broadcast Standards Association, will be on full display during the upcoming 2026 NAB Show.

“Beyond better, free over-the-air television, ATSC 3.0 can deliver an expansive array of new services and opportunities for broadcasters – from precise Broadcast Positioning System services to datacasting services for new enterprise customers and highly-targeted and informative emergency messages for TV audiences,” said Madeleine Noland, ATSC’s president. “We’re very encouraged by the strong interest from a variety of countries and broadcasters worldwide, and by the potential of ATSC 3.0 as a leading communications system capable of reaching millions of people and devices at once,”

ATSC 3.0 will be the subject of some 30 informational sessions and panels during the NAB Show, including a series of sessions offered in the ATSC booth (LVCC Central Hall 1655) that begins on Sunday. Speakers from Sinclair, Pearl TV, Magid, EdgeBeam Wireless, HCL Tech, Ryarc, USSI, Google, Apple, Grab TV, and Monsen Engineering will be on stage in the ATSC booth for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. A detailed schedule and comprehensive listing of ATSC 3.0 exhibitors is available on ATSC’s “Guide to ATSC 3.0 at the Show,” which is made possible by Rohde & Schwarz.

Nearly 40 ATSC members are exhibiting at the 2026 NAB Show, including a dozen companies and organizations showing technology and services inside the ATSC booth. Live ATSC 3.0 signals from Las Vegas broadcasters will be brought into the booth by antenna reception expert Televes.

Key ATSC exhibits in booth 1655 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center include:

• AT&T Business demonstrating enhanced connectivity and engagement with ATSC 3.0, enabling instant and reliable communications at venues and in high-traffic environments.
• HCLTech enabling broadcasters to streamline ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 operations with a cloud-ready model and unified control plane centralizing monitoring and workflows.
• Pearl TV showcasing low-cost NEXTGEN TV converter prototypes developed with industry partners and announcing the program’s specifications, requirements, and consumer benefits; A3SA introducing new receivers for consumers and broadcasters that are verified to seamlessly work with A3SA content protection, including offerings from MyVelo, Zapperbox, and Airwavz; and Run3TV highlighting the interactive application platform built natively for ATSC 3.0, now deployed by key broadcasters.
• Sinclair showing ATSC 3.0 content delivered simultaneously across TV, tablet, and mobile devices, all with the same high-quality pictures and sound.

Key ATSC exhibits in booth 1655 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center include:

• Advanced HDR by Technicolor demonstrating how it enables the Standard Dynamic Range to High Dynamic Range transition in ATSC 3.0 and streaming by live dynamic conversion and a single stream SDR/HDR format.
• DTVKit showcasing its standards‑based, royalty‑free ATSC 3.0 solution integrated on an Android White Label Reference Set‑Top Box, developed in partnership with leading set-top manufacturer EKT.
• EdgeBeam Wireless leveraging ATSC 3.0 as a last-mile, one-to-many data distribution network—delivering enterprise data capacity efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Mirakulo featuring AstroTV NEXT, an all-in-one platform for live TV, OTT, hybrid interactivity, metrics and dynamic ad insertion. Built for ATSC 3.0 & Brazilian DTV+.
• Silicondust showing how to bring ATSC 1.0 channels to ATSC 3.0 BEST (Broadcast Enabled Streaming Channels) with Silicondust AVSend, the turnkey no-upfront-cost solution.
• Tolka featuring ATSC 3.0 mobile devices, conditional access, affordable receivers, network tuners, and solutions for datacasting and original equipment manufacturers.
• Triveni Digital showing its complete delivery platform for ATSC 3.0 and TV 3.0, including broadcast chain, stream analysis and monitoring, broadcast chain orchestration, redundancy, and translator solutions.
• VBox Communications highlighting expertise in digital TV, delivering live broadcast services (DVB-T/T2, DVB-C, DVB-S2, ISDB-T, ATSC 1.0 / 3.0) to IP streams with years of product development and manufacturing experience.

The free ATSC 3.0 Guide to the 2026 NAB Show is available here.

While U.S. television broadcasters await a Federal Communications Commission rulemaking on the completion of the transition from DTV to NextGen TV, the organization responsible for ATSC 3.0 has been hard at work on ways to maximize the standard’s grasp.

Case in point is 5G Broadcast. While some broadcasters, particularly a group of LPTV stations, have expressed support for 5G Broadcast, an ATSC technical group has been working to develop technical guidance on how ATSC 3.0 broadcasters can interleave 5G Broadcast waveforms in their 3.0 over-the-air signal.

While the 3.0 standard was created with a bootstrap to enable this sort of thing, the latest work of the standards body advances this capability from theory to practical implementation, complete with testing to prove the real-world use case.

That work, along with other ATSC work on Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) and a bridge architecture to enable some B2X use cases to be implemented with backward-compatible ATSC 3.0 extensions, is the subject of this Q&A.

In this interview, Luiz Fausto, vice president of standards development at the Advanced Television Standards Committee, discusses these developments.

(An edited transcript.)

TV Tech: What was the thinking behind the proposal to ensure it’s possible to interleave 5G Broadcast with ATSC 3.0?

Luiz Fausto: ATSC 3.0 was designed from the outset to be flexible and extensible. Its physical layer implements basic mechanisms for coexistence and forward compatibility, enabling ATSC 3.0 transmissions to be discontinuous and, if/when needed, to share time on the same RF channel with other waveforms.

Until now, this feature had not been explored in depth in the field. Once this proposal was made by some ATSC members, the capability was readily available and no normative changes to ATSC 3.0 were required.

Instead, our experts tested this interleaving approach and produced detailed documentation to provide clear guidance on implementing it in a practical, receiver-aware manner. This information was included in an amendment to ATSC Recommended Practice A/327, which provides guidelines for the ATSC 3.0 physical layer protocol. This amendment is currently under membership ballot and is expected to be published soon.

TVT: Which technology group did the work? When did the work start? When will ATSC members vote on it?

LF: This work emerged from ATSC TG3 (Technology Group on ATSC 3.0) / S32 (Specialist Group on the Physical Layer). Discussions on this topic began in S32 in 2024 and progressed through testing, contributions and drafting into an amendment to ATSC Recommended Practice A/327.

Process-wise, the amendment has been approved in a TG3 ballot and is currently under an ATSC membership ballot through March 10. Upon approval in the membership ballot, it will be published.

TVT: Was there representation from the wireless community on the technical group? If so, who?

LF: Some ATSC members, including one deeply involved in the wireless community, proposed that ATSC test and, if necessary, clarifying the use of interleaving between ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast, and participated throughout the process.

Other participants also contributed through testing, review and discussion across the broader ATSC membership—consistent with ATSC’s multi-industry model, which includes organizations from broadcast, professional equipment, consumer electronics and semiconductors, among others.

ATSC 3.0 is a wireless system capable of delivering data to any number of receivers simultaneously under any specified conditions. Its IP-based transport, along with its flexibility and extensibility, makes it suitable for integrating with and complementing other wireless systems, such as those used in unicast telecommunications. At ATSC TG3/S32, we have the privilege of working with a great number of world-class wireless technology experts.

TVT: Can you please clarify whether this work is part of the work involved in enabling Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X)? Is the work on what’s is known as the bridge architecture involved, and is there a relationship between interleaving 5G Broadcast and the bridge architecture?

LF: The bridge architecture, which we call BR architecture, is under development in another specialist group, TG3/S44 (Specialist Group on Broadcast-to-Everything). This group is developing the new, nonbackward-compatible system (B2X), further optimized for broadcast/multicast applications beyond fixed television reception and for deeper integration with other IP networks, such as 3GPP networks.

Because introducing a nonbackward-compatible system is a long process and because ATSC 3.0 is already IP-based, flexible and extensible, some of the new use cases envisioned for B2X can be implemented to some extent with backward-compatible ATSC 3.0 extensions.

That is exactly what the bridge architecture provides. B2X and BR share the same Broadcast Core Network architecture. Although B2X and BR enable greater integration with IP networks in general and 3GPP systems in particular for B2X, they are not directly related to the LTE-based 5G Broadcast.

TVT: Does work like this promote harmony with 3GPP standards and protocols? If so, why is that relevant?

LF: Yes, both the time-domain channel sharing documented in S32 and the new developments in S44 contribute to integrating ATSC technologies with 3GPP technologies.

Network integration is a natural trend in the current evolution of technology. Wi-Fi, an IEEE standard, and 3GPP standards, such as 4G and 5G, have converged in many respects over time. Terrestrial and non-terrestrial mobile systems, specifically satellite, and technologies are also converging toward greater integration.

ATSC 3.0 was designed with technology convergence and integration as a guiding principle. Interleaving it with other technologies is an example of many integrations already possible. The ongoing work under S44 to develop the B2X system and the BR architecture, along with their shared Broadcast Core Network architecture, will take this path even further.

Different systems, technologies, and networks can complement each other, combining their strengths. Market demand often drives integration and convergence. Having technologies developed across multiple, separate standards developing organizations (SDOs) is not an obstacle to integration or convergence. Each SDO has its own field of expertise, which is necessary because there is no “one-size-fits-all” technology. As long as the technologies are based on publicly available standards, there are opportunities for integration and convergence.

This approach increasingly provides consumers with seamless connectivity, with devices using the best system, technology and network for each use case, while the underlying technical aspects remain largely transparent to the end user.

TVT: What are the takeaways for readers?

LF: One of the most important takeaways is the significant headroom built into ATSC 3.0 by design. ATSC 3.0’s physical layer and signaling were designed for extensibility and forward compatibility, enabling the industry to explore new operational models—such as time-domain sharing—without destabilizing the core standard.

At the same time, ATSC continues to innovate beyond today’s deployments, extending the value of ATSC technology to broader IP-centric and broadcast-to-everything use cases—while maintaining a deliberate roadmap that protects existing investments and enables future growth.

WASHINGTON—ATSC has appointed Indian broadcasting executive Anil Bhardwaj as director of Technology & Strategy for India and Emerging Markets, the committee said today.

Bhardwaj’s appointment reinforces the organization’s strategic engagement across India and key international markets and demonstrates its commitment to advancing next-generation broadcast standards, it said.

He will represent ATSC’s interests in India and have a focus on collaborating with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDSI), India’s telecommunications standards development organization, while driving broader relationship-building efforts across the region.

Bhardwaj is an electronics and communication engineer with postgraduate qualifications in marketing and information technology. He has two decades of broadcast industry experience, specializing in terrestrial broadcasting across South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Bhardwaj has successfully led international sales operations, expanded market presence and secured high-value broadcast projects throughout his career.

“Anil’s extensive international experience, strategic mindset, and deep understanding of both technology and regulatory landscapes make him an exceptional addition to the ATSC team,” said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC. “As Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) commercialization gains momentum in India, his leadership in will be instrumental in building strong partnerships, advancing standards collaboration and accelerating the adoption of next-generation broadcast technologies for mobile and more.”

Bhardwaj has held leadership positions with globally recognized organizations, including GatesAir, Jampro Antennas and Triveni Digital. In these roles, he was instrumental in strengthening market share, cultivating strategic partnerships and advocating for advanced broadcast technologies in emerging markets.

Besides his technical and commercial expertise, Bhardwaj holds a law degree and is a Registered Advocate with the Delhi High Court. His legal background provides valuable insight into regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements, as well as government tender processes—an increasingly important dimension of international standards adoption and market development, ATSC said.

Bhardwaj has also completed an executive program in FinTech and financial blockchain from IIM Calcutta and has been recognized with the Indian Achievers Award and the CEO’s Award for Sales Excellence.

Over the past several months, as ATSC’s senior advisor in India, Bhardwaj has engaged industry stakeholders, strengthened partner networks and contributed strategic insights that support ATSC’s objectives in the region. His focus on collaboration with TSDSI and other key organizations is expected to help ensure alignment between global standards development and regional market needs.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON—The Board of Directors of ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association™, has elected its 2026 Chair and Vice Chairs, welcomed new directors and appointed 2026 officers.

At the Board’s January meeting, John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA was re-elected Chairman, while representatives of two ATSC founding member organizations – Lynn Claudy of the National Association of Broadcasters and Brian Markwalter of the Consumer Technology Association – were re-elected Vice Chairmen.

“ATSC and our members are fortunate to have a strong and engaged Board of Directors driving our strategy at this critical time for next-generation broadcasting in the United States and around the world,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland.

Rounding out the 2026 Board leadership team, Dr. Rikin Thakker of NCTA , the Television & Internet Association, has been named to the ATSC Executive Committee, succeeding Richard Friedel, whose term with the ATSC Board of Directors ended in December 2025.

The Board also welcomed new directors. The Chief Technology Officer of Brazil’s largest TV network, Raymundo Barros of Globo, was appointed to the ATSC Board, while Javier Ruano, President & General Manager at Televes USA, participated in his first ATSC Board meeting as a director.

ATSC’s 2026 officers appointed by the Board are President Madeleine Noland, Vice President Luiz Fausto, Secretary Anh Ngo and Treasurer Lynn Claudy.

Taylor, longtime ATSC board member and communications chair who was first elected Board Chairman a year ago, brings a high level of creativity and energy to his role as Chairman, according to Noland. “John’s future-focused vision, unique perspectives and extensive experience with broadcast and consumer technology issues make him well qualified to spearhead the Broadcast Standards Association’s strategic direction at this milestone moment for multimedia broadcasting,” she said.

In his current position as a Senior Vice President at LG Electronics USA, Taylor serves as LG’s most senior U.S. government affairs, corporate communications and industry relations executive. He has been an influential figure in shaping the digital television landscape in the U.S. for decades. “I am honored to serve as ATSC Board Chairman for 2026, and I look forward to working closely with President Noland, our Board, members and industry stakeholders to continue our momentum in advancing the development and deployment of ATSC 3.0 standards in U.S. and around the world, while continuing to assure ATSC’s key role in the rapidly evolving media and technology landscape,” said Taylor.

Members of the 2026 ATSC Board of Directors are:

• Mark Aitken, SVP, Advanced Technology, Sinclair
• Raymundo Barros, CTO, Globo
• Zandra Clarke, Broadcast Content Transmission Specialist, WarnerBros. Discovery / SMPTE
• Lynn Claudy, SVP, Technology, NAB
• Dr. Ed Czarnecki, VP, International & Government Affairs, Digital Alert Systems
• Fred Engel, Principal, Fred Engel Technology Consulting, LLC
• Adam Goldberg, Director, Technical Standards, Sony Electronics
• Dr. Paul Hearty, Chief Standards Strategist, Samsung Research America
• Brian Markwalter, SVP, Research and Standards, CTA
• Kerry Oslund, VP, AI Strategy, E. W. Scripps Company
• Javier Ruano, President & General Manager, Televes USA, LLC
• Anne Schelle, Managing Director, Pearl TV
• Ling Ling Sun, VP, Technology, Maryland Public Television
• John Taylor, SVP, Public Affairs & Communications, LG Electronics USA
• Dr. Rikin Thakker, CTO & SVP, Technology, NCTA
• Dr. Yiyan Wu, Research Professor, Western University / IEEE

LAS VEGAS—On the eve of CES 2026 here, Jan. 6-9, the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) has announced two compliant NextGen TV home gateways that will enable viewers to distribute and watch encrypted content delivered via ATSC 3.0 on multiple home screens while protecting broadcast content from piracy.

BitRouter, owner of ZapperBox, will display its hardware-based gateway with support for A3SA verification at CES 2026, while Atlanta Direct to Home (ADTH) is developing software that enables gateway functionality with its existing ATSC 3.0 receivers. The company plans to release the software update at an unspecified future date.

A3SA broadcast content security is designed to protect content owners, broadcasters and consumers against viruses, hacking, and theft, the authority said. “Sports leagues and owners of premium content generally require their content to be delivered with content security which is why over-the-air broadcasting needs content protection to remain competitive with secure streaming options. We are very pleased that electronics manufacturers continue to work to extend the availability of ATSC 3.0 secure content throughout the home in the form of set top boxes, digital video recorders and now home gateways, so that one receiver can provide NextGen TV signals to a variety of screens in the home,” said Joe St. Jean, managing director of A3SA.

“Both BitRouter and ADTH are working on unique solutions aimed at different price points and consumers, and both approaches can deliver content in a secure way that is seamless to viewers and yet also assure content producers that their valuable programming will be protected in a network environment.”

First announced at the 2025 NAB NY Show, the ZapperBox gateway approach is to send content from a main multi-tuner receiver with a single household antenna to client miniature receivers connected to other screens. With the ZapperBox solution, content can be viewed, recorded and then played back securely on the main ZapperBox and other miniature devices. Content can also be streamed live to all ZapperBox devices in the home from the main multi-tuner ZapperBox.

ADTH is testing a secure, Android-based home gateway solution that enables over-the-air ATSC 3.0 content received by an ADTH receiver to be discovered and viewed across a wide range of devices throughout the home, with support delivered to existing ADTH receivers through a software update. Using a software-driven architecture, a single receiver and antenna can be installed where reception is optimal, while protected content is securely streamed over the home network to Android TV devices, tablets, and smartphones.

The ADTH platform is designed to support additional consumer operating systems, with planned expansion to Roku, Samsung Tizen and LG webOS environments. The ADTH products also will be displayed at CES 2026.

Both the ZapperBox and ADTH will be shown in the ATSC booth near Starbucks in the Central Hall lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

LAS VEGAS—ATSC will promote successful deployments of ATSC 3.0, new NextGen TV home receivers and several other new developments at kiosks in the organization’s booth at CES 2026, Jan. 6-9.

“ATSC 3.0 is free, local and connected, delivering better picture, better sound, better access and better choice over-the-air to viewers throughout the U.S., South Korea, the Caribbean and Brazil,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland.

A variety of home receivers for ATSC 3.0, including solutions from ADTH, SiliconDust and ZapperBox will be on display at the ATSC booth. A range of affordable prototype converter boxes newly announced by Pearl TV and planned for introduction in 2026 will also be shown. The new products join dozens of NextGen TV models now available from TV manufacturers.

ATSC's exhibit space in the newly- renovated Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center will feature informational kiosks sponsored by three ATSC members highlighting various NextGen TV technology innovations.

Televes USA will showcase solutions for the reception, distribution and verification of free over-the-air television supporting the rollout of NextGen TV in residential and commercial environments.

At its kiosk, Televes will demonstrate how modern antenna systems, programmable signal distribution and professional test and measurement tools, including internationally award-winning solutions, enable reliable reception, flexible channel management and scalable delivery of free local broadcast television across homes, multiple dwelling units, hospitality and enterprise installations without requiring pay TV subscription services.

Mirakulo at its kiosk will demonstrate AstroTV NEXT, the platform for Brazil’s DTV+ (TV 3.0), a standard based on ATSC 3.0. The demo highlights how innovations defined for DTV+, such as Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), immersive MPEG-H Audio and advanced video compression with Versatile Video Coding (VVC) enhanced by Low Complexity Enhanced Video Coding (LCEVC), can be seamlessly applied to the next-generation TV ecosystem. AstroTV NEXT offers a fully integrated broadcast-broadband experience, delivering better picture, better sound, interactivity and new monetization models while preserving free over-the-air television.

At its kiosk, SiliconDust, best known for the ATSC 3.0-compatible HDHomeRun TV tuners, will also feature its new HDGrandSlam for multiple dwelling buildings, offering live channels and two-week DVR playback with no monthly fees.

For broadcasters, the AVSend CDN + Encoder is the solution for ATSC 3.0 BEST (Broadcast-Enabled Streaming Television) with real-time viewership analytics and station monitoring. SiliconDust is also now an ATSC 3.0 Certificate Authority for NextGen TV to ensure that broadcast television stations meet all signing security requirements.

A3SA, the Consumer Technology Association, DTVKit and Heartland Video Systems are sponsoring the organization’s CES 2026 booth.

See ATSC at CES 2026 in the Central Hall Grand Lobby, booth GL-5.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON—Members of the Advanced Television Systems Committee have elected four industry veterans to three-year terms on the organization’s board of directors, starting Jan. 1, 2026.

Javier Ruano, president and general manager of Televes USA, was elected to the board for the first time. Current directors re-elected for a second term are Adam Goldberg, director of technical standards for Sony Electronics; Anne Schelle, managing director, Pearl TV; and John Taylor, senior vice president, LG Electronics USA.

“Our newly elected directors will join a board that guides ATSC in its mission to develop next-generation broadcast standards and foster innovation across the industry,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland. “This election cycle saw 10 highly qualified candidates run for these important roles. We deeply appreciate their engagement and the record-setting voting participation from our membership.

“This diverse and experienced group of executives will help us continue empowering a new era of broadcasting,” she continued. ”With strong leadership and continued collaboration, ATSC remains firmly committed to driving the future of broadcasting.”

Noland thanked outgoing director Richard Friedel, principal at Broadcast.Advocate, whose term ends Dec. 31. “ATSC extends its deepest gratitude to Richard for his invaluable contributions both as a director and former board chair, and his steadfast support of ATSC’s work, including the international advancement and adoption of ATSC 3.0,” she said.

ATSC board leadership will be named at the beginning of 2026. The new board will include:

• Mark Aitken, senior vice president of advanced technology, Sinclair. 
• Zandra Clarke, broadcast content transmission specialist, Warner Bros. Discovery/SMPTE.
• Lynn Claudy, senior vice president of technology, NAB.
• Dr. Ed Czarnecki, vice president of international and government affairs, Digital Alert Systems.
• Fred Engel, principal, Fred Engel Technology Consulting.
• Adam Goldberg, director, technical standards, Sony Electronics.
• Dr. Paul Hearty, Chief Standards Strategist, Samsung Research America.
• Brian Markwalter, senior vice president, research and standards, Consumer Technology Association.
• Kerry Oslund, vice president of AI strategy, E.W. Scripps.
• Javier Ruano, president and general manager at Televes USA.
• Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV.
• Ling Ling Sun, vice president of technology at Maryland Public Television.
• John Taylor, senior vice president of public affairs and communications at LG Electronics USA.
• Dr. Rikin Thakker, chief technology officer and senior vice president of technology, NCTA–The Internet & Television Association.
• Dr. Yiyan Wu, research professor, Western University/IEEE.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON—The ATSC broadcast standards group has outlined a growing list of international activities that the group said is expanding its influence and solidifying its position as an international leader in next-generation broadcasting standards.

Those activities include a growing portfolio of influential contributions to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that underscore ATSC’s commitment to international collaboration.

“This level of involvement and recognition reflects ATSC’s growing stature as a key voice in international broadcasting innovation and standards,” said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC. “Our participation helps underscore that ATSC 3.0 is not just an American standard, but a truly international technology — one that’s adaptable to the needs of broadcasters and regulators around the world as they explore new opportunities and reimagine how to serve audiences. More importantly, we’re opening eyes to what broadcasting can do when powered by advanced technologies — and once that potential is seen, the continued, evolving value of broadcasting becomes clear.”

At the recent semi-annual meetings of the ITU-R Study Group 6 and its Working Parties (6A, 6B, 6C), ATSC participated as an official Associate Member for the first time, marking a significant milestone in its international engagement. ATSC and its collaborators successfully advanced seven ATSC-related documents, including three that were formally approved for publication — bringing the total number of ATSC contributions adopted or recognized by ITU-R to an impressive 23 documents.

More specifically, in terms of ATSC’s ITU-R contributions, key ITU documents recently approved or advanced include:

• Report BT.2526-1: Field trials of mobile multimedia broadcasting systems – approved for publication;
• Report BT.2343-10: Field trials of UHDTV over terrestrial networks – revisions accepted and awaiting further contributions;
• Expanded scope of the Rapporteur Group on ATSC 3.0 to include the development of new documents, reinforcing ATSC’s role as a forward-looking partner in global broadcasting innovation.

These ITU-R reports serve as valuable tools for national regulators and broadcasters worldwide to harmonize their policies with emerging international standards, accelerating the global transition to next-generation television.

“Globally, regulators and broadcasters are looking for trusted, interoperable, and scalable solutions. ATSC 3.0 offers exactly that,” said standards expert Aldo Cugnini, who represented ATSC at the ITU meetings in Geneva alongside other international delegates. “Our contributions to the ITU are helping align global standards and pave the way for broader adoption.”

The growing international interest in ATSC 3.0 was also evident at the 45th meeting of CITEL PCC.II (the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Telecommunication Commission), held recently in Salvador, Brazil, the group reported.

ATSC President Noland serves as Chair of the Working Group on Broadcasting, the group that guides regional conversations on spectrum, broadcasting modernization, and the evolution of radio and television services in the Americas.

Working alongside the group’s Vice Chairs from Brazil, Paraguay, and Trinidad & Tobago, ATSC said that it is helping guide the region toward a cohesive digital broadcasting future.

Notably, ATSC 3.0 technologies like Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) are being actively promoted for integration into national strategies.

The Brazilian Ministry of Communications also took advantage of their country hosting the meeting to showcase various aspects of their new ATSC 3.0-based digital TV system, TV 3.0, also known as DTV+. An impressive group of 300 delegates from the Caribbean and the Americas was treated to 6 large TV sets with 6 different demonstrations – from user interface to emergency alerting to accessibility and more. The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) briefed attendees on a groundbreaking project underway in Calgary, Canada, whereby NextGen broadcast infrastructure is being tested for novel “smart city” municipal use cases. This project is headed via a partnership with the City of Calgary, Humber Polytechnic, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), and ATSC.

ATSC also reported that plans are already in motion for the upcoming PCC.II meetings in Dominica and Colombia in 2026. Building upon the Calgary Smart City presentation this year, future ATSC demonstrations and engagement are also in the works for CITEL’s 2027 PCC.II meetings in Ottawa, Canada, including potential “smart city” and Direct-to-Mobile showcases that highlight how ATSC 3.0 can transform public services and information delivery.

Brazil’s recent Presidential Decree outlining new TV frequency allocations has opened up exciting opportunities for digital TV throughout the Americas, while South Korea continues to lead in deployments and innovation around ATSC 3.0 technologies, the group also reported.

“With growing adoption across the globe and strong partnerships in key international forums like the ITU and CITEL, ATSC is committed to delivering future-ready solutions that meet the diverse needs of broadcasters and audiences worldwide,” Noland said.

WASHINGTON—In response to effort by the Federal Communications Commission to modernize the country’s alerting systems, the ATSC, the broadcast standards association has submitted comments to the FCC saying that “the ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast standards developed by ATSC, is designed to provide accessible, multi-lingual, rich-media, geo-targeted emergency messaging over the air…[with features that offer]...”substantial benefits to public safety and emergency communication.”

The ATSC submitted the comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the FCC’s PS Docket No. 25-224 concerning the potential improvements to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).

The filing signed by ATSC president Madeleine Noland, stressed that while the standards group “does not advocate for regulatory change” it felt that “it is important to inform the Commission and the public about the technical capabilities of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard—specifically, its optional Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) features—that align with and could complement many of the use cases discussed in the NPRM. These optional technical features also may provide examples of how such functions could be supported in other settings.”

The filing explains that ATSC 3.0’s AEI service "represents a valuable, voluntary innovation that can enrich public warning with media-rich content, multilingual resources, and accessibility features. Because AEI is an optional element within a voluntary standard, it should be recognized as a supplemental enhancement—not a substitute—for core alerting mechanisms such as EAS (and, where appropriate, WEA). Properly framed, AEI can complement these systems by expanding the ways in which the public receives and engages with emergency information, while preserving the primacy and reliability of the nation’s baseline alerting infrastructure.”

The filing also stressed that its AEI capabilities were designed with input from emergency management professionals. Those capabilities include:

• Text, audio, and video alerts, including sign language video and multi-lingual support.
• Location-targeted messaging to specific geographic areas down to the broadcast cell level and further filtered for location at the device level using multiple shapes such as polygons, circles, and postal code identifiers.
• Iterative “update” and “cancel” message types, making it suitable for fast-moving or evolving emergencies.
• Content to fixed and mobile devices, public signage and more, even in the absence of internet or cellular connectivity.
• Broadcaster applications that enable customization based on user preferences such as language preference, alert type, severity level, dismiss/redisplay message, and geographic area of interest to help reduce alert fatigue.
• Content scoped to a particular audience, such as the general public or first responders

The filing also stressed that "a number of impactful pilot projects in the United States have demonstrated the viability of AEI in real-world conditions, including delivery of tornado warnings with embedded video, wildfire evacuation notices with maps and visuals, and multilingual alerts in communities with diverse populations."

The full filing is available here.

SAO PAULA Brazil—ATSC will show the latest range of ATSC 3.0 developments supporting Brazil’s DTV+ next-generation broadcast system at SET (the Brazilian Society of Television Engineering) Expo 2025, which opens tomorrow an concludes Aug. 21 at the Anhembi District Convention Center.

During the largest gathering of broadcasting, media, and entertainment executives in Latin America Cleverlogic/ETRI, DigiCAP/MaruENG, ENENSYS Technologies, HCLTech and MBC will demo their technologies for the DTV+ transition in the ATSC booth. Dielectric and Triveni Digital will exhibit their DTV+ solutions in their own booths.

“ATSC’s presence at SET Expo 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the adoption of ATSC 3.0, particularly in Latin America, and offers a great opportunity for the organization to meet with its growing membership and other influencers in the region,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland. “The event highlights how the standard’s inherent extensibility –designed from its inception with evolving needs in mind—makes it ideally suited to serve Brazil’s DTV+ initiative. From multi-antenna delivery to advanced spectral efficiency, these innovations collectively represent the next evolution in broadcast technology.”

“Brazil’s TV 3.0 initiative is one of the most ambitious and forward-looking broadcast projects in the world, and SET Expo provides an essential venue to showcase how ATSC 3.0 technologies are being customized and deployed to support it. The demonstrations in our exhibit reflect the power, flexibility, and international reach of ATSC 3.0, and we’re proud to stand alongside our members and partners as we help enable the future of broadcasting in Brazil and beyond,” Noland said.

Noland will speak this evening on the eve of the expo during the “Internationalization of the Standard – from Alaska to Patagonia” panel during the SET Expo 2025 Technology Congress at 5 p.m.

ATSC booth demos will include:

• Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and Cleverlogic, demoing advanced ATSC 3.0 MIMO extension technology, featuring real-time RF signal transmission and reception using a fully integrated FPGA-based system and support for Layered Division Multiplexing (LDM), Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) and Transmitter Identification (TxID).
• DigiCAP, featuring its DigiCaster air chain featuring VVC+LCEVC and MPEG-H encoder support complemented by a Spectrum Resource Management (SRM) system that optimizes Physical Layer Pipes (PLP) and maintains high quality of service (QoS).
• HCLTech, showing its Broadcast Core Network featuring an Agentic AI framework to empower broadcasters to monetize spectrum, delivering advanced datacasting and managing media intelligently.
• ENENSYS Technologies, which will unveil an end-to-end DTV+/TV 3.0 transmission solution supporting UHD, immersive audio, datacasting and emergency alerts—an interoperable system that includes MediaCast ATSC, SmartGate ATSC and Vortex III to enable MIMO, LDM and TxID.
• Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. (MBC), demonstrating a broadcast-based Enhanced GPS system offering centimeter-level position accuracy.

Cleverlogic and Kathrein will sponsor receptions at the ATSC exhibit on Aug. 19 and 20 at 5 p.m., respectively.

During the expo, Dielectric will be highlighting its new partnership with Foccus Digital, a Brazilian company specializing in integration of transmission and production solutions.

The companies will join forces to supply a broad array of TV and FM radio projects, including low-power systems, with Foccus Digital’s full-service approach across distribution, integration and local service, Dielectric said.

During the show, Dielectric will preview a new ATSC 3.0 antenna and filter developed for the Brazilian DTV market, it said.

Dielectric’s development of a new specialized ATSC 3.0 antenna will support Foccus Digital’s efforts for the latter, providing their in-country sales with a dual-input solution built to deliver “TV 3.0” services within Brazil’s 300MHz band. Dielectric’s new TEM Series MIMO antenna will adapt the same horizontal and vertical polarization ratio of its other ATSC 3.0 antennas to improve mobile penetration and increase data throughout, it said.

Triveni Digital will exhibit its comprehensive TV 3.0 lineup during the expo, including its advanced broadcast chain, service delivery and quality assurance solutions.

The company’s product suite simplifies broadcast chain orchestration, enhancing service quality assurance and streamlining configuration management. Triveni will also demonstrate support for BAMT and BALD tables in GuideBuilder XM, MIMO/LDM capabilities in its Broadcast Gateway and cloud deployment options across its TV 3.0 product line.

Triveni Digital will feature its Station Manager, which simplifies configuration management and orchestration of broadcast chain elements. Station Manager offers centralized control of diverse workflows, including virtual channels, with support for both on-premises and cloud deployments, it said.

The company will demo its StreamScope XM family, which includes a stream analyzer, monitor and enterprise-wide Service Quality Assurance product. Designed to support TV 3.0 environments, StreamScope XM provides real-time diagnostics and quality assurance for ROUTE, MMTP, and STLTP streams, it said.

See ATSC at SET Expo 2025 Booth 25.

See Dielectric at SET Expo 2025 Booth 33C.

See Triveni Digital at SET Expo 2025 Booth P20.

More information is available on the ATSC, Dielectric and Triveni Digital websites.

(Editor’s note: The Brazilian initiative to identify the technologies upon which to build the nation’s next-generation broadcast system has been and is referred to as “TV 3.0.” The nation’s new broadcast system, which includes the ATSC 3.0 physical layer and other components of the standards suite, is now called “DTV+.”)

I’ve competed against him. I’ve worked for him. I’ve crossed paths with him at numerous industry events, and I’ve even interviewed him a time or two. Now it is time to say goodbye to him as he retires from ATSC as its Vice President of Standards Development after 25 years with the organization.

Of course, I’m referring to Jerry Whitaker, one of the true gentlemen of the industry. With an affable temperament and love for radio and television engineering, he has conquered many career mountains over the years.

Going to work full-time for KCRA radio in Sacramento, Calif., at the age of 19, Whitaker worked as a morning news editor and later as a producer. “But my real interest was in engineering,” he said, so Whitaker got his FCC First Class License and found a job as an engineer at an AM station in Eureka, Calif., market 183, in the late 1970s.

“I loved radio engineering. It was fun. I would have done it for free. Well, come to think of it, it was almost free,” he mused. Shortly after joining the station, he recalled driving home from dinner and the station intermittently going off and on air.

“We had a Gates BC5H transmitter,” he said. “I had seen meter readings on the IPA, intermediate power amplifier, for the 5H, which had been varying over time. But I didn’t have enough history with the machine to know if it was significant or not.

“So, I pull out the exciter and looked at it. Maybe it’s the output transistor. I thought 'that’s not a very good diagnosis.' But I looked around to see what I could find, and there’s this 25uF, 50V electrolytic capacitor with goo on the one side. And I thought, I know what that is, and replaced the capacitor, put it back together, pushed on and was a hero. And the rest is history as they say.”

By 1983, Whitaker joined Broadcast Engineering as the magazine’s radio editor. Eventually, he became editorial director of BE and was then promoted to associate publisher.

One of his favorite magazine memories occurred at the Fall SMPTE Conference in Los Angeles when, as the newly minted radio editor, he visited Solid State Logic’s booth with the magazine publisher.

“We sat down at his SSL board with [the late] Doug Dickey,” he recalled. “It was eight-feet long—just enormous. And I’m used to a radio board, which if it had 10 channels was a lot. He’s telling me about this, and here’s the send, and here’s the return. And I’m thinking, 'what the heck is this?' But I managed to bluff my way through and say: ‘Mm-hmm, I see.’”

But if you do something long enough, you learn along the way, especially if you write articles read by broadcast engineers. That’s doubly so if you’re writing and editing technical tomes, which Whitaker has done in spades.

Over his career, he has written or edited some 50 books and counts the 2,500-page “The Electronics Handbook,” published by CRC Press in 1996, as his most important work.

In the year 2000, he joined ATSC as Technical Director, a title which the organization changed a few years later to Vice President of Standards Development. In that role he has helped shepherd standards development, including the industry’s most significant effort since A/53 (ATSC 1.0) was published in 1995, namely the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.

“When I joined the staff in 2000, I knew a lot about broadcasting, at least I thought I did, but I didn’t know about standards development. It’s a specialized thing,” he said. “I found that the people I worked with were very willing to explain the process, explain the details that I didn’t understand and were forgiving if I asked dumb questions.”

During his early days at ATSC, Whitaker found standards meetings to be a bit intimidating. “I’d walk into a room and look around the table, and there was [the late] Joe Flaherty [CBS] and there was Renville McMann [CBS], and there was Tom Hankinson [ABC]. It was like, ‘What am I doing here?’”

But with time, Whitaker grew comfortable at those meetings. “At a certain point, you’d be sitting in meetings and think, 'I’m going to ask this question, and then no, that’s probably a dumb question.' Then somebody else asks it, and the speaker says, ‘That’s a good question.’ People were willing to sit down and explain why we wanted to do things in certain ways.”

As he prepares to depart at the end of August, the industry awaits what the FCC will decide to do about sunsetting ATSC 1.0 to make way for 3.0. Whitaker was quick to point out that he does not get involved with the regulatory side of broadcast standards.

Still, sitting in the seat he has occupied for a quarter century, Whitaker seemed to be the perfect person to ask about how the industry and standards body made the decision to develop a non-backward compatible TV transmission standard—one of the biggest hurdles the industry faces in a 1.0 sunset.

ATSC put out a public call seeking input what the new broadcast standard should be, he said. “People presented their ideas on what was possible today [at the that time] and what was possible tomorrow. That detailed report led to ATSC 3.0.

“We realized clearly that if we’re going to develop a new television system, it needs to offer benefits that the current system simply cannot and so it needs to be a pull. Consumers need to want to have it. That’s what we set out to develop.”

What are his plans post ATSC? “Well, I have hobbies as you can see,” Whitaker said during our Zoom interview as he sat amidst the vintage radio gear he has restored.

“When I was in Eureka, I rebuilt the AM station and put the FM, KPDJ-FM, on the air, Class C, from a construction permit. Thanks to eBay and a lot of repair work, I’ve collected pretty much everything we had there down to the automation system and the carousel cart machines and all of that fun stuff.

“So, I’ll keep up with that and keep trying to come up with answers to the question I get from my family members, which is: ‘Why dad? Why would you do this?’”

As part of its mandate, the Advanced Television Systems Committee—the U.S. organization tasked with developing advanced broadcast TV standards—promotes ATSC 3.0 as a global standard. Promoted in the U.S. as “NextGen TV,” 3.0 has been adopted by S. Korea, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and is also being tested in India and Canada. In the U.S., approximately 76% of U.S. households are within reach of a 3.0 signal.

One year ago this month, Brazil announced that it was adopting the “physical layer” portion of the standard for its “TV 3.0” advanced TV standard (the physical layer defines how data is transmitted over a 3.0 signal).

The decision to adopt a key part of the 3.0 standard is expected to have a significant impact on global adoption of the standard, as Brazil is not only one of the world’s most populous countries with the largest economy in Latin America, it also has a comparably larger portion of consumers who view TV over the air than in other countries that have adopted 3.0.

The ATSC’s close ties with Brazil was brought into sharper focus recently with the announcement that Luiz Fausto, a former tech executive with Globo TV, Brazil’s largest TV network, will be the new vice president of standards development for the ATSC. Fausto, who was most recently Globo’s technology regulatory specialist, was also technical module chairman of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital (SBTVD) Forum, which made the final recommendation to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications that resulted in the adoption of 3.0. Fausto is succeeding Jerry Whitaker, who served in the position for 25 years and is stepping down in August.

Fausto will oversee standards development processes, guide industry adoption and foster relationships with global stakeholders, the ATSC said in its announcement earlier this month.

TV Tech recently spoke with Fausto and ATSC President Madeleine Noland about his new duties. Here is an edited transcript:

TV Tech: Congratulations on your new position, why did you apply?
Luiz Fausto: That's a good question. Well, maybe the best point to consider is that ATSC has a great potential for reaching many countries. I was previously working with the SBTVD Forum, which standardized digital TV for Brazil and for Brazil only. But that doesn't prevent other countries from adopting the same standards, and the SBTVD Forum promotes that.

But the Forum does not have its own representative of other regions or other countries—it's basically focused on Brazil. As we got to know the ATSC 3.0 candidate standard as the most flexible and powerful set of technologies, I personally believe it has the potential to reach many other countries and territories—as it did with Brazil—because the way the system was conceived and designed is an extensible way; it's designed to evolve over time and to accommodate future evolutions. It’s such a flexible toolbox that we can make it fit with the different requirements that different countries may have for the future of digital terrestrial television. So that's what's most exciting about joining ATSC, the opportunity of bringing this evolution to countries other than Brazil.

TVT: You have some big shoes to fill. How will you be able to continue the excellent work done by your predecessor?
LF: I think ATSC has done a very good job in designing a very powerful and very flexible system, and also very efficient in terms of spectrum usage and energy usage, and these things are really important these days.

But the current issue I see with ATSC 3.0 is that many countries consider this to be a standard for the United States and not, for example, a ‘global standard.’ It’s a pity that digital television didn't evolve in such a way that it converged worldwide to a single framework of systems.

So we have different families of systems around the world, but I do believe ATSC has a lot of potential because of the way it was designed. Of course, the system will continue to evolve over time, but I’d like to make this system and its characteristics and features known to different countries, and also to listen to them and understand what are their requirements, so that we can use the flexibility of 3.0 to provide, for example, a tailored solution for them.

TVT: Madeleine, how impressed were you with Luiz? And what does bringing him onboard say about the ATSC’s efforts to promote 3.0 as a global standard?
Madeleine Noland: Luiz was the most qualified candidate, and he has a terrific enthusiasm for what ATSC is. He has a great understanding of how standards development is done and how the international standards development community operates. He's already well known on the international stage, so we found in Luiz the strongest candidate among, quite frankly, a lot of really, really, really good candidates, it was not an easy choice.

The fact that Luiz is coming out of Brazil certainly does make a strategic statement. And it's a testament to the entire hiring team that we would look at candidates who are not from the United States. It wasn’t a strategic move to specifically look for someone outside of the United States, but I think that it's an indication of the way ATSC sees itself, that we would entertain candidates from outside of the United States. I think there might have been a time in the organization when they would not have, but Luiz is our guy.

TVT: Luiz, what would you say is your top priority over the next 12-18 months?
LF: I still have a lot to learn but I'll be lucky enough to work in parallel with Jerry for a month while he's still full time at the ATSC. I have to learn about the inner processes and I hope that I can add to that with some international experience and how to approach the international standardization community and potential adopting countries over time.

TVT: You were heavily involved in evaluating ATSC, 3.0 for Brazil’s TV 3.0. What was it about the evaluation process that made you interested in seeking out this new position?
LF: Yes, it was a long process that is still ongoing in a sense; not the technology selection, but now the process of publishing the standards and the regulations. But it was a process that we started formally in 2020 and Brazil decided to open an international call for proposals. And this call for proposals was designed in such a way that we would receive proposals for our candidate technologies for each of the system components.

So we designed an architecture of the system and the set of requirements for each component; then we would evaluate candidate technology, more or less separately for each component. We were aware that this strategy would potentially result in a system that would be a mix and match of different systems

But we also needed to make sure that these components worked together as a system and at that stage we didn’t expect that one particular system would be dominant over the majority of components but somehow it ended up happening with ATSC.

Of course, we had the opportunity to because the original 3.0 standard is about eight years old but has kept evolving over time. For example, when it was designed for the United States and South Korea, the best video codec available at the time was HEVC and nowadays the best codec available is VVC.

But as I said, we could have ended up having a system so blended with a mixture of different systems that it could not be easily identifiable as a variety of one system, it could be a different thing with a different set with an independent set of technologies. But it was a good surprise that most components were selected from the original ATSC proposal, and it made our lives easier in the sense of making sure the components work together as a system, because we had only to replace a few things.

It was not only the technical standards that we were evaluating; we were doing real laboratory and field tests with the candidate technologies and ATSC proved to have excellent performance and it ended being selected for the majority of the components in such a way that the SBTVD Forum is looking to establish a stronger partnership with ATSC to keep the evolution of this system harmonized from now on with ATSC.

We see TV 3.0 as a variant of ATSC 3.0 that we want to harmonize with the global ATSC 3.0 standard. And that's how I see ATSC 3.0 going forward: not as a closed box where you would need to choose everything or nothing, but flexible enough to accommodate small variations within the same framework and still be seen as a single family of standards.

If you look for example, at DVB T and DVB T2, there are many variants of DVB-T and DVB T2 used in different countries, in Europe and so on.

TVT: Madeleine, how has the role of VP of Standards Development for ATSC evolved over time?
MN: The role has always required a certain range of talents. And by that, I mean it's not so easy to find people like Jerry and Luiz who, on the one hand, can prepare documents and check the formatting and dot the i's and cross the t's, and on the other hand, can think strategically and get in front of audiences and promote the standard and think “big picture.”

It's really hard to find a person who's interested and capable of fulfilling that range of tasks. And we've been very lucky with Jerry, and we're very lucky again with Luiz, to find someone who can do those things. So that aspect of the role has not changed, but the technology that lives underneath it has. The processes by which standards are being developed is changing. What is the role of AI in standards development going forward? That's something that's on ATSC's strategic roadmap right now.

Are we going to think about this as a very flexible standard where you've got a toolbox of things; the DVB project has been doing that for many, many years, but ATSC, not so much. I think that the job has definitely changed, but I think the underlying need for a person who can know the intricate details of a Microsoft Word document all the way to understanding the big picture remains the same. And we were lucky to have Jerry for some 25 plus years, and I can just see Luiz picking up where Jerry left off.

TVT: Madeleine, what will be in the stack of papers you hand to Luiz on his first day on the job? What big projects do you expect him to be working on first?
MN: We have quite a number of active groups, and I would say that there are a few projects that stand out over the others. There's a couple of aspects to this—what is actually being worked on in the groups and then the other question is, how do the groups get work done?

So in terms of what the groups are actually doing, I think that there are some really interesting projects, including the “Broadcast to Everything Project" (B2X) which is just now taking on the core network effort, is a really interesting project. It's working to align the ATSC 3.0 physical layer more closely with the 5G physical layer, as well as taking in what we've done with the broadcast core network so far, and looking at alignment with the 5G core and a potential future 6G core. It's right on the cutting edge of technology, of what's being developed for broadcast.

We also have development going on where people want to put all kinds of stuff over ATSC 3.0, so now, yeah, you can carry linear video services, and you can carry radio services, and you can carry emergency services for public or private audiences, and datacasting services. Now we have a project where they want to carry Digital Radio Mondiale (a set of digital audio broadcasting technologies designed to work over the bands currently used for analog radio broadcasting) services over 3.0 and they're working on that.

So what the groups are working on is very exciting and interesting, but I also think that where Luiz is going to be focusing his time is how the groups get work done. Can we use AI to find inconsistencies in a standard or areas where clarification is needed? Can we use AI to make sure that all the acronyms are defined the same across all the standards? We use AI to help implementers understand the standards more quickly and more accurately. Can we use AI to help our group chairs manage the work of the group? These are other areas where I think we need to develop.

In addition, a lot of the implementation of these kinds of digital terrestrial standards is software based, whereas in previous times, it was very much hardware based, and that also impacts how we might develop standards.

LF: Yeah, I think Madeleine made some excellent points and just to bring one practical example that is already to some extent being used in ATSC and also now in our Brazilian TV tutorial, is that instead of defining everything you want in the standard in—let's say natural language—we say that the one piece of the system should be in compliance with the format which is in the front, which is defined in a file, and the file itself. So it's kind of a normative part of the standard.

So with natural language, sometimes you can have ambiguities and differences in interpretation and so on, but when you go to the file, the file is clear in the sense that there is no possibility of understanding it differently, the syntax, the semantics and so on. And as Madeleine said, as we're moving more towards software instead of hardware, our standards will be more and more filled with files as references instead of text, and that would make the implementer's life easier, because they have to check if their implementation is in compliance with the standard, which means at the end of the day, less problems with interoperability.

That is an issue that happens when you introduce new technologies and you have different implementations and they are not perfectly interoperable, and then some things don't work as they should. But as we can make the standards more precise and clear, these ambiguities will be reduced. That's a good thing, because, of course, the complexity of the standards is getting higher and so the chances for human errors are getting higher. And if we can get the standards more precisely defined, we can get these human errors low again.

In some parts of the world, there is this sense that maybe digital terrestrial television will not continue to evolve, and maybe it will be replaced by the internet or something else. But so far we haven’t seen anything capable of having an efficient delivery for hundreds of millions of people or billions of people to watch the same content live at the same time.

So there are lots of opportunities where the broadcast system is, let's say, a tool to transport bits in a broadcast or fill gaps in the current infrastructure for the internet, which is limited by its unicast nature. So broadcast can fill those gaps with this capability of delivering simultaneously the same bits to lots of devices. And there are lots of use cases for that now, and there will be lots more in the future. So for me, there's nothing better for this particular use case—to deliver the same data to a huge audience at the same time—and for many other use cases, it's proven to be very attractive as well.

WASHINGTON—In response to a request by LPTV broadcaster HC2 that the Federal Communications Commission allow its stations to become datacasters using 5G broadcasting, Sinclair and the Advanced Television Systems Committee have both filed responses with the regulator raising a number of concerns about the idea.

In its petition, Sinclair noted: “There are a number of issues in HC2’s petition which are not fully addressed in the record of this proceeding. First, HC2 has not demonstrated that its proposal will not cause harmful interference to other broadcast services. Second, HC2’s petition inaccurately characterizes the potential benefits for the broadcast industry of 5G Broadcast. Finally, HC2’s proposal to eliminate any obligation to transmit television services for low-power television stations (LPTV) would entirely sever the LPTV service from longstanding public service commitments. For these reasons, we oppose HC2’s petition.”

In a separate petition, ATSC President Madeleine Noland did not completely reject the request but raised a number of concerns, particularly in the area of available devices.

“Those who support the Petition (and the Petition itself) repeatedly imply that 5G Broadcast can be received by ‘ubiquitous’ 5G devices,” Noland wrote. “This is misleading. While 5G unicast-capable mobile devices are indeed widespread, 5G Broadcast-capable devices are not commercially available as of this filing. No commercially available smartphones or tablets that we are aware of in the U.S. market can receive 5G Broadcast transmissions.”

“Contrary to assumptions underlying the HC2 Petition and some supportive comments, today’s mobile phones—even 5G models—cannot be updated to receive broadcast signals from television spectrum allocations delivered via either 5G Broadcast or ATSC 3.0,” the ATSC argued later in the petition. “The frequencies and bandwidths used in television broadcasting (i.e., 6, 7, and 8 MHz bandwidths at VHF and UHF frequencies) differ from those used in cellular networks, and existing phones cannot be updated to accommodate these differences in spectrum bandwidth and frequency. Prototype cellular phones for both ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast do exist, but commercial availability has yet to develop.”

The ATSC also noted that “the HC2 Petition claims that ‘5G Broadcast will over time be available to the hundreds of millions of mobile screens that already receive 5G signals.’ However, this statement either conflates existing 5G unicast devices with non-existent 5G Broadcast devices or speculates on the future availability of new 5G Broadcast capable devices … Cell phone feature design is heavily influenced by mobile network operators, particularly in the U.S. This dynamic significantly impacts the adoption and integration of mobile broadcasting technologies like 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0 into cell phones. U.S. mobile network operators have not yet embraced broadcast technologies for consumer use, focusing instead on unicast services. A viable business model for mobile network operators to support broadcast technologies may be important for mobile broadcast services to fully develop.

“ATSC encourages the Commission to support innovation while ensuring technical accuracy and regulatory consistency in its decision-making,” the ATSC petition concluded. “Proposals to introduce new transmission standards in the LPTV service must be evaluated rigorously. ATSC appreciates the Commission’s efforts to foster technological advancement and stands ready to provide additional technical input as needed. We respectfully recommend that the Commission proceed with caution and ensure that any new technologies introduced into the broadcast ecosystem are accurately described and fully understood by all stakeholders.”

In its petition, Sinclair also raised the issue of the lack of compatible devices capable of receiving 5G broadcasts.

“Beyond the potential for interference with other services, the Petition [by HC2] misstates the facts and their implications. The Petition states that ‘5G Broadcast signals may be received by any 5G mobile device, including phones, tables …’ That is inaccurate. In fact, there is not a single widely available consumer device that can receive 5G Broadcast signals on the market today. While the Petition goes to great lengths to suggest that 5G Broadcast technology offers a smooth path to mobile reception of broadcast signals, whether data or television service, that is untrue with respect to future adoption of 5G Broadcast in mobile devices. Again, as of this writing, there is not a single consumer device on the market that can receive 5G Broadcast signals, and it is misleading to suggest that broadcast television could become instantly scalable in mobile devices by virtue of being part of 3GPP. The broadcast mode of 5G, FeMBMS or 5G Broadcast, is not implemented in existing mobile devices. It is a separate mode, with its own antenna, filtering, LNA, silicon and other required components and software stack, none of which is found in current consumer devices. For such devices to get to market, manufacturers would need to install broadcast band antennas and new radio frequency filtering and front ends in mobile devices – exactly what they would need to do to receive ATSC 3.0 signals.”

Sinclair also argued that ATSC 3.0 offers a much better path to mobile reception.

“Indeed, manufacturers are already working on incorporating ATSC 3.0 receivers into consumer devices for the Indian market, which has over a billion mobile phone users,” the Sinclair filing noted. “Furthermore, the standardization of the next ATSC 3.0 release, currently referred to as Broadcast to Everything (B2X), will accelerate the availability of 3.0 receivers in mobile devices. B2X is a backwards compatible evolution of ATSC 3.0 that harmonizes with 3GPP standards – including Release 17 and anticipated extensions – providing a true path toward converged broadcast-broadband delivery without abandoning the robust ATSC 3.0 foundation. Sinclair agrees that a mobile future is critical for the broadcast industry. But 5G Broadcast offers no advantages over ATSC 3.0 in terms of achieving that future. What 5G Broadcast does offer is measurably inferior performance to ATSC 3.0.”

The full petitions for Sinclair is available here; and for the ATSC here.

More on the plans for LPTV broadcasters for 5G broadcasting can be found here and here. The full filing by HC2 with the FCC is available here.

Who knew that former FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington could be so quotable? But he let some doozies fly June 12 at the 2025 ATSC Meeting and NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington, D.C., that one can only hope reflects the future direction of the reconstituted commission.

Looking down the road at the broadcast business, Simington said he sees datacasting as a means for broadcasters to get into the business of connectivity in a big way.

“You’ve got three legs of the stool right now: You’ve got connectivity, which is more like a toothpick than a leg; you’ve got ad sales; and you’ve got retrans,” he said. “With the pressure on others, the connectivity business is the only one that has a clear engineering advantage over any plausible entrant.”

Highlight, underscore and boldface that critical clause: “the connectivity business is the only one that has a clear engineering advantage over any plausible entrant.”

Whether that’s connectivity to back up GPS data from vulnerable satellites, connectivity to reach internet of things (IoT) devices simultaneously with a single transmission or connectivity to offload certain traffic from unicast wireless networks, broadcasters have a technical advantage upon which they must capitalize.

What makes the (now) former commissioner’s ATSC keynote even more powerful is that elsewhere he demonstrates a clear understanding of what connectivity and datacasting can mean to the health of the broadcast business.

“Long-term, I look at datacasting as enabling broadcasters to switch their primary source of revenue from connectivity and away from ad sales,” he said. And elsewhere in the speech, he said, “There’s really no option but to allow datacasting to flourish.”

All of this should be music to the ears of Conrad Clemson, the new CEO of EdgeBeam Wireless, the datacasting joint venture of four major broadcast groups. It should be the same for any broadcaster who recognizes the competition for ad spend only gets stiffer with each passing quarter or wonders how long the retrans gravy train can continue as cord-cutters chip away at MVPD subscriptions.

As this is being written, Olivia Trusty, a Republican, has been sworn in as FCC commissioner, joining FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump nominee confirmed in 2017 and named chair with the incoming administration, and Democrat Anna Gomez.

Even with Trusty now on board, the agency is still two commissioners short—and perhaps most importantly, one shy of a quorum—one can only hope that eventually it will be constituted of members who see things a bit more like Simington and a bit less like former Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

Three short years ago, Rosenworcel told an NAB Show audience that ATSC 3.0 was “the right framework for right now” and that the “voluntary market-based” transition—with no new channel assignments for simulcasting as was done during the analog-to-digital transition—gives “broadcasters the opportunity to experiment with this technology [3.0], develop use cases and try to figure out what use cases work at scale.”

Even if one were to accept that ATSC 3.0 at that time was enabling broadcasters to experiment—something that would have surprised major TV manufacturers committed to NextGen TV—it’s clear that the use case testing phase is over, and it’s time to clear the way to let that toothpick grow into a titan.

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee named Luiz Fausto vice president of standards development, succeeding ATSC vice president Jerry Whitaker, who will retire at the end of August.

Fausto has held various engineering positions at Globo TV Network in Brazil since 2006. Most recently, he was Globo’s technology regulatory specialist and recently concluded his tenure as technical module chairman of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital (SBTVD) Forum by delivering the TV 3.0 (DTV+) project technology selection recommendation to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications. Fausto will oversee standards development processes, guide industry adoption and foster relationships with global stakeholders, ATSC said.

“My strategic vision for ATSC standards development is to build on its strength as a comprehensive, flexible toolbox,” Fausto said. “I believe ATSC standards should evolve within a unified framework that empowers broadcasters worldwide, making it easy to mix, match and extend standardized technologies,” said Fausto.

“By fostering strong international relationships, staying ahead of broadcast technology trends and ensuring that the standards remain responsive and relevant, I aim to help ATSC further increase the adoption our standards in the Americas and worldwide,” he said.

In his new role, Fausto will lead the ATSC’s technical and strategic efforts in evolving and deploying its standards internationally. He will develop and oversee processes for harmonizing standards among countries adopting ATSC and participate in ATSC’s overall strategic development with a focus on the technical roadmap.

He will work with ATSC technology, specialists and ad hoc groups as well as manage ATSC’s participation in international organization, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), India’s Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDSI) and the Organization of American States’ InterAmerican Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

“Luiz Fausto brings to ATSC deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and leadership in the international broadcasting and standards communities,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said.

Whitaker, who joined ATSC in 1990, is a fellow in both the Society of Broadcast Engineers and a the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. He has also been an SBE board member and vice president. He is the author and/or editor of more than 30 books on technical topics.

“Jerry Whitaker’s incredible career over the past 25 years has spanned the ATSC 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 standards, the launch of HDTV, the U.S. digital transition, the pioneering development of next-generation standards and ATSC’s international expansion,” said Noland. “ATSC stakeholders around the world join me in thanking Jerry for his significant contributions, and we wish him all the best for this next chapter.”

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON—Sunsetting ATSC 1.0, expanding business opportunities for NextGen Broadcast and increasing international adoption of the ATSC 3.0 standard were top of mind at the ATSC’s NextGen Broadcast Conference yesterday.

The meeting here hosted representatives from numerous industries with a stake in advancing ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV). With the Future of TV initiative in the rearview mirror and the National Association of Broadcasters’ petition to the Federal Communications Commission to end ATSC 1.0 by 2030, there was no shortage of topics for debate.

‘A Little More Candid’
The conference was keynoted by former FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, who resigned his position last week. Simington prefaced his remarks by noting that he could now “be a little bit more candid than I was able to be when I was sitting on the commission.”

He opened by lambasting broadcast critics who claim that its technology has had its heyday.

“The idea that we can scrap the broadcasting sector is so wrongheaded and misguided that it shocks me that anyone has ever taken that idea seriously,” Simington said, adding that the industry has “never been more threatened than they are today,” and that if certain actions are not taken soon, “we should expect to start seeing bankruptcies and disaffiliations.”

Among such proposals is quicker response from the FCC when determining host stations in markets launching NexGen TV, he said. “I think the FCC could issue guidance tomorrow that ATSC 3.0 hosting evaluations must be done in under 30 days, and every day that they don’t do that, it strikes me that that’s a conscious choice not to take that step.”

He called for quick action on establishing a date certain to sunset ATSC 1.0 by 2028 for the top 55 markets and by 2030 for the remaining DMAs.

“The FCC should definitely start a process for getting the date certain to sunset DTV, that’s simply nonnegotiable at this point,” Simington said. “The burden of running both ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 is obviously a major barrier to adoption, but just as important, it crowds out necessary spectrum for developing other services that are going to be key to the continued viability of broadcasting and to its ability, over time, to continue fulfilling the load bearing functions of local journalism and emergency alerting.”

Simington also strongly advocated the concept of datacasting over 3.0, particularly in the enterprise sector. The launch earlier this year of EdgeBeam Wireless, a joint venture between Sinclair, Nexstar Media Group, Gray Media and E.W. Scripps, is indicative of the lucrative potential of NextGen Broadcast, given broadcasters’ already installed infrastructure and national footprint.

“There’s really no option but to allow datacasting to flourish,” he said. “Fortunately, providing a consistent, interoperable backend at maximum possible geographic scale—ideally internationally—is readily achievable once regulatory barriers are removed. It would not be a heavy lift of permission, in my opinion, to just snap our fingers and make that transition start to happen, thus enabling the sales cycles and R&D investments that all of you would need to cross that threshold and make datacasting more of a paying proposition and less of an interesting side project.”

Simington said datacasting could transform broadcasters’ business models, calling broadcast IP connectivity “unique and valuable.”

“Long-term, I look at datacasting as enabling broadcasters to switch their primary source of revenue from connectivity and away from ad sales,” he said. “You’ve got three legs of the stool right now; you’ve got connectivity, which is more like a toothpick than a leg; you've got ad sales; and you've got retrans. With the pressure on others, the connectivity business is the only one that has a clear engineering advantage over any plausible entrant.”

Standards Progress
Advanced Television Systems Committee President Madeleine Noland opened the conference, updating attendees on progress made over the past 12 months.

“We have a number of forward-facing projects in flight right now, including ‘B2X’ or ‘Broadcast to Everything,’ which further aligns ATSC 3.0 with 5G new radio waveforms, enabling new mobile applications,” Noland said. “We have the broadcast gateway control protocol, a system that links System Managers and broadcast gateways, adding efficiency to datacasting operations. And we’re working on carriage of Digital Radio Mondiale services over ATSC 3.0 waveforms, which opens up a whole brand new list of questions.”

Noland mused about the future of the standard: “Someone I was talking to yesterday said, wow, ATSC is just going to be delivering apps. It’s almost like going to be a host as a platform, and the fact that we’re carrying Digital Radio Mondiale over it is the tip of the iceberg.”

Noland noted that when it comes to exploring new services for 3.0, the association is “casting a wide net.”

“We're listening to partners on nearly every continent; we’re studying verticals from automotive to agriculture; we’re tracking trends in streaming and spectrum management, public safety and media convergence,” she said. “And now we’re in a position to start refining that net, to prioritize, to invest, to set the framework for our future, not by chasing every shiny object, but by placing strategic bets, informed by data, insight and collective wisdom.”

The View from Brazil and the Caribbean
Raymundo Barros, president of the SBTVD Forum (Brazil’s TV standardizations group) focused on the reasons why the country—the second most populous in the western hemisphere—adopted portions of the ATSC 3.0 standard for its next generation broadcast protocol last year, adding the protocol’s physical layer to its “DTV+” digital broadcast service. With over-the-air television viewed by an estimated 60% of that country’s households, Barros called broadcast “the most important platform in Brazil.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make broadcast digital in the way we relate with the consumers and advertising, and we have a very important footprint that we are trying to speed up as much as we can in order to deploy the services throughout the country,” he said.

Singling out YouTube as perhaps broadcasters’ biggest competitor, Barros said DTV+ can succeed. “You want to compete against YouTube; YouTube is the only company that has captured the advertising on connected TV in Brazil,” Barros said, adding that with the connectivity and applications provided by DTV+, “I think we can be a very serious competitor when you take into consideration connected TV digital ads and integration with retail media.”

Barros said the country is already testing ATSC 3.0 for advanced advertising via layered division multiplexing (LDM)—a technology that overlays multiple data streams in a common RF channel—and datacasting with Sinclair Broadcast Group.

“We are already using the pilot station in Rio de Janeiro, using LDM to segment advertising for different areas of the city,” he said. “We have some interactivity, social TV, and we are collaborating and working in close collaboration with Sinclair and other broadcasters here in the U.S. to be part of this big datacasting network.”

Dr. Claire C. Grant, vice chair of the IT-7 Caribbean Team and a founding member of the ATSC Business Advisory Council, updated attendees on the progress of 3.0 in the region, which consists of 30 countries.

Over the past several years, both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have adopted the standard, with Jamaica having fired up its first 3.0 transmitter in 2022. There are currently eight 3.0 transmitters in a total network of 22 to penetrate the entire island, per government mandate, according to Grant.

Trinidad and Tobago switched on 3.0 last November and is now running a pilot station.

Grant noted the unique characteristics driving industry and business when it comes to broadcasting in the region. “Generally speaking, spectrum shortage is not an issue,” she said. “The only challenge is that there is no digital dividend to be earned in the Caribbean. There’s nobody to buy any spectrum.”

Grant said one of the main impediments for the region to go all digital is that “there are still people transmitting analog—you have to transition or not transition. If you don’t transition, you will die, because there’s nobody making analog equipment as it stands.”

Grant added that regulatory challenges to end analog are also hindering progress. “There is an eagerness for the state to get to a position of analog switchoff,” she said. “A lot of the Caribbean territories think that we should be able to make that decision now.”

Power in Numbers
In a session on new services and business models enabled by ATSC 3.0, Skip Flenniken from Sinclair Broadcast Group, representing the EdgeBeam datacasting startup, discussed the advantages of combining the resources and coverage of four of the nation’s largest broadcast station groups into one entity targeting the enterprise market.

“We looked around and decided we need to do this together, and so we created EdgeBeam, and we provisioned it with what we think are the tools required to be successful,” he said. “We created a datacasting business, not just for our four companies, but for the entire broadcast industry—so those provisions, those things we think are really required for success.”

EdgeBeam is encouraging other broadcast groups to join in otis effort, touting the power of numbers. “There are approximately 700 stations between the four broadcasters really committed to EdgeBeam, so we can credibly go into datacasting customers and say we can bring you nationwide coverage,” he said, adding that even this number is “not sufficient.”

“What we are bringing to market here is a differentiated edge network, one-to-many completely different capabilities and features than other broadcast networks,” he said, “and just like every other data-distribution platform and method that’s ever existed, demand is going to exceed supply on a permanent basis.

“We’re going to need spectrum from other broadcasters,” Flenniken added. “We really view EdgeBeam as an operating company by which we bring, actualize and create datacasting, not just for the four founders, but for the industry.”

The Promise of BPS
NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny updated attendees on the efforts the association is taking towards making BPS a reality. The Broadcast Positioning System, which provides precise timing and—with a sufficient number of stations—accurate positioning using 3.0 signals, is being touted as a “complement” and even an eventual backup to GPS.

The importance of satellite-based GPS to the nation’s economy and safety cannot be overstated, Matheny said.

“A potential GPS outage can throw the U.S. economy into free fall … but it’s not just about navigating; GPS has become an invisible utility,” he said. “Over $2 billion a year goes to operating the GPS network, and it has been adopted by everybody.”

BPS was demonstrated at the 2025 NAB Show and, after receiving accolades from a number of government officials involved in the technology who saw the demos, Matheny—who credited NAB Vice President of Advanced Technology Tariq Mondal for his role in leading research into the technology—is optimistic about its future potential.

“We’re engaging multiple agencies and their words can speak for themselves,” he said. “The key thing that they talked about is that the building blocks are already there. We’re already up and on the air and broadcasting in 3.0 [and] what we need to add is really very minimal to be able to offer BPS.”

Although the bulk of the discussions surrounded the promise of new services and business models for NextGen Broadcast, the underlying thread to most of them was the need to end ATSC 1.0 by 2030 so broadcasters can realize its full potential.

​​”We can’t literally do this tomorrow, but we can do it by 2028 and 2030,” Alison Martin, vice president of innovation and strategy for NAB, said. “And then once we’ve committed to it, then everything else is going to fall in place, from the consumer electronics ecosystem to the MVPDs to all of the little details that have to happen at the broadcaster side. We just have to actually commit to doing it, and no individual broadcaster can do this on their own. It's just the nature of our industry. We have to all get together, set a date and follow it.”

The day ended with the ATSC honoring Aldo Cugnini with the 2025 Lechner Award and Clarence Hau of NBCUniversal with the 2025 Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal.

WASHINGTON—The ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, honored veteran technologist Aldo Cugnini and Clarence Hau, Senior Vice President of Standards, Policy & Advanced Engineering at NBCUniversal at its annual meeting this week.

Cugnini is recipient of the 2025 Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, which is bestowed once a year to an individual representative of the ATSC membership whose technical and leadership contributions to ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary. The Lechner Award recognizes the first recipient, the late Bernard Lechner, for his outstanding service to the ATSC. Lechner was the retired Staff Vice President, Advanced Video Systems of RCA Laboratories. His 30-year career at RCA covered all aspects of television and display research.

“Aldo Cugnini’s long-standing dedication to ATSC and his pivotal work in ITU-R have been instrumental in positioning ATSC 3.0 as a truly international broadcast standard,” said Madeleine Noland, President of ATSC. “His technical expertise, collaborative spirit, and international leadership make him richly deserving of the 2025 Lechner Award.”

Cugnini, AGC Systems principal, is a distinguished broadcast engineer whose career spans over 45 years, marked by significant contributions to digital television standards and technologies. He played a leadership role in developing ATSC digital television systems, contributing to both ATSC 1.0 and the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standards. Cugnini also serves as the International Telecommunication Union’s Co-Chair of the ITU-R SG6 WP6A Rapporteur Group on ATSC 3.0, actively participating in international standardization efforts to incorporate ATSC 3.0 into global broadcasting frameworks. Credited with 14 issued patents in digital television, audio, broadcasting, and spectrum management, Cugnini’s extensive experience and contributions have been instrumental in advancing digital broadcasting technologies.

Cugnini is a recognized expert in the fields of digital television, consumer technology and product development, technology policy, and intellectual property. He founded AGC Systems in 2003 after holding various technical and management positions at Philips Electronics and interactive TV developer ACTV. Prior to his work in digital TV, he developed broadcast technologies at CBS Laboratories and was a radio engineer for WKCR, WABC, and WPLJ in New York. Cugnini has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University. A musician as well as a technologist, he is a timpanist with the Hanover Wind Symphony and the South Orange Symphony Orchestra and also performs with several groups in Frederick, Maryland.

The ATSC also recognized Clarence Hau, Senior Vice President of Standards, Policy & Advanced Engineering at NBCUniversal, as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal.

The annual award honors individuals or teams who demonstrate exemplary leadership in advancing ATSC’s mission and embody the vision, tenacity, and commitment that defined the legacy of former longtime ATSC President Mark Richer. The 2025 Richer Medal will be presented to Hau next month during the 2025 ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. Registration for the June 12-13 event is open until June 3.

Hau has been unanimously recognized by the ATSC Board of Directors for his outstanding contributions to the progress and implementation of NEXTGEN TV powered by ATSC 3.0 standards. His leadership within NBCUniversal and across the industry has played a pivotal role in bringing audiences the very best of ATSC 3.0, delivering better picture quality, immersive sound, and award-winning interactivity that is driving real-world adoption of the technology.

“Clarence’s passion, determination, and deep technical insight have made a lasting impact,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland. “His efforts are not only helping to shape the future of television but are also directly enhancing the viewing experience for audiences everywhere – including me. With this honor, we’re recognizing Clarence’s bold, forward-looking leadership and also NBCUniversal’s key role in the NEXTGEN TV rollout.”

“I’m very appreciative of our longstanding partnership with ATSC, and proud of NBCUniversal’s role in bringing enhanced and innovative experiences to local audiences through NEXTGEN TV,” said Hau. “This is a tremendous honor, and one that was made possible due to the ingenuity and collaboration of my NBCU colleagues, and our partners, who’ve dedicated themselves to delivering on the great potential of the new broadcast standard.”

The Mark Richer Medal is named for the longtime ATSC President who led the organization through two decades of transformative innovation, from the original ATSC 1.0 standard to the launch of ATSC 3.0 next-generation standards.

Lechner Award recipients:

2000 – Bernard Lechner, Consultant

2001 – Rich Chernock, Triveni Digital

2002 – Regis Crinon, Microsoft

2003 – Glenn Adams, Extensible Formatting Systems, Inc

2004 – Graham Jones, National Association of Broadcasters

2005 – John Henderson, Hitachi

2006 – Art Allison, NAB

2007 – Mark Eyer, Sony Electronics

2008 – Michael Dolan, TBT

2009 – Wayne Bretl, Zenith/LG Electronics

2010 – Pat Waddell, Harmonic

2011 – Jim Starzynski, NBC Universal

2012 – S. Merrill Weiss, MWG Group

2013 – Mark Aitken, Sinclair Broadcast Group

2014 – James Kutzner, PBS

2015 – Luke Fay, Sony

2016 – Madeleine Noland, LG Electronics

2017 – Skip Pizzi, NAB

2018 – Mark Corl, Triveni Digital

2019 – Adam Goldberg, AGP/Sony

2020 – Jae-Young Lee, ETRI

2021 – Alan Stein, InterDigital

2022 – Youngkwon Lim, Samsung Electronics

2023 – Glenn Reitmeier, NBC Universal/Sarnoff Labs

2024 – Ali Dernaika, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

2025 – Aldo Cugnini, AGC Systems

WASHINGTON—Clarence Hau, NBCUniversal senior vice president of standards, policy and advanced engineering, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Advanced Television Standards Committee’s Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal.

“Clarence’s passion, determination, and deep technical insight have made a lasting impact,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. “His efforts are not only helping to shape the future of television but are also directly enhancing the viewing experience for audiences everywhere, including me. With this honor, we’re recognizing Clarence’s bold, forward-looking leadership and also NBCUniversal’s key role in the NextGen TV rollout.”

The award honors individuals or teams who demonstrate exemplary leadership in advancing ATSC’s mission and embody the vision, tenacity and commitment that defined the legacy of former longtime ATSC president Mark Richer.

The ATSC Board of Directors is recognizing Hau for his outstanding contributions to the progress and implementation of NextGen TV. His leadership within NBCUniversal and across the industry has played a pivotal role in advancing ATSC 3.0, the committee said.

“I’m very appreciative of our longstanding partnership with ATSC, and proud of NBCUniversal’s role in bringing enhanced and innovative experiences to local audiences through NextGen TV,” said Hau.

“This is a tremendous honor, and one that was made possible due to the ingenuity and collaboration of my NBCU colleagues, and our partners, who’ve dedicated themselves to delivering on the great potential of the new broadcast standard.”

The 2025 Mark Richer Medal will be presented to Hau during the 2025 ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference, June 12-13 in Washington. It is named for the longtime ATSC president who led the organization through two decades of transformative innovation, from the original ATSC 1.0 standard to the launch of ATSC 3.0 next-generation standards, ATSC said.

Registration for the event, available online, is open until June 3.

LAS VEGAS—As broadcasters gather for the 2025 NAB Show, Pearl TV has outlined some of the industry’s success in advancing the spread of NextGen TV aka ATSC 3.0, which are now available in 76% of American households in 78 viewing markets offering spectacular High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and immersive Dolby Atmos audio from local broadcasters.

In addition, two dozen companies from around the world will showcase new options for next-generation broadcasting in the 2025 NAB Show’s epicenter for ATSC 3.0 standards, located in booth W3056 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, starting Sunday, April 6 and continuing through Wednesday afternoon, April 9. (Read: ATSC To Showcase NextGen TV Progress at 2025 NAB Show)

“Local stations and national networks are beginning to add new service enhancements to over the air broadcasts,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle. “One significant improvement is HDR, which greatly improves video quality and is now available to 86 million households. Theater-like sound from Dolby Atmos is another enhancement, now available in more than 66 million households through NextGen TV. And new interactivity options like Program Re-Start and new sports and gaming content are being rolled out to viewers, made possible by internet connections found on virtually every screen.”

Beginning in January, GameLoop signed agreements with Sinclair Broadcasting and Gray Media to enable real-time family games through NextGen TV, including a variety of engaging games that can be played with a TV remote control. GameLoop is a NextGen TV channel where the audience can watch and play free, casual games designed for the best screen in the house.”

Pearl TV reported several notable updates in the development and deployment of NextGen TV:

• The just announced low-cost $69.99 USB receiver now available from electronics manufacturer ADTH that upgrades existing Android TV and Fire TV televisions to become NextGen TV receivers.
• In addition, GameLoop is now live in 37 markets around the country with commitments to grow to 55 markets this year. Nearly half of GameLoop’s viewers are repeat visitors, and new games are being added. GameLoop will be demonstrated live at the Run3TV kiosk of the ATSC booth during NAB Show (Sunday through next Wednesday), in West Hall 3056 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
• Sinclair is now delivering 91 services (or channels) throughout the country with High Dynamic Range, including 61 that have Dolby Atmos audio. Sinclair has also launched Broadcast Enabled Streaming TV (BEST) sports channels T2Tennis and PickleballTV in HDR, now available to millions of viewers.
• The fourth annual NextGen TV promotional campaign has boosted awareness. Pearl TV and its network broadcast partners have wrapped a fourth annual on-air and digital campaign to boost consumer awareness of NextGen TV and its groundbreaking features. The campaign promoted the NextGen TV logo as a key symbol for consumers to look for at retail, delivering a clear and persuasive brand message about the future of television. The winter promotional effort alone resulted in over 53,000 on-air TV spots and a robust digital campaign across 91 markets, generating more than 100 million impressions.

“We’re very pleased with the impact of Pearl’s NextGen TV campaign, which has driven over 2,000,000 to the consumer informational website WatchNextGenTV.com," Schelle said. " Since launch more than 250,000 consumers have explored the site to find out what NextGen TV channels are available in their area, and we've seen over 100,000 click-throughs to manufacturer websites selling NextGen TV receivers."

Since the start of these seasonal campaigns four years ago, local broadcasters have aired more than 300,000 commercials spotlighting the NextGen TV logo and its transformative capabilities—both current features and those on the horizon.

“We’re excited to see the momentum growing,” Schelle added. “Broadcasters like Gray Media are now promoting NextGen TV year-round, not just on-air but across digital platforms and even billboards, making it easier for viewers to discover the technology and tune in.”

Gray Media rolled out Dolby Vision and HDR10+ High Dynamic Range video and Dolby Atmos audio at their 11 CBS-affiliated NextGen TV stations in time for the 2025 college basketball tournament, giving millions of fans the ability to enjoy one of the year’s premiere sports events in the highest quality. Next month, WAVE-TV, Gray’s NBC affiliate in Louisville, plans to produce local news and coverage of the local pre-race festivities for the Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs in native HDR – the first broadcast of native HDR content in the U.S.

“Gray is committed to innovating and investing in NextGen TV wherever we have the opportunity in order to provide our viewers with superior pictures, immersive sound, and the most interactive experience possible,” said Rob Folliard, Gray’s senior vice president and currently the chairperson of NextGen TV business group Pearl TV.

ATSC's 2025 NAB Show Plans

In addition the ATSC provided detailed plans for 3.0 demos at its booth W3056 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, starting Sunday, April 6 and continuing through Wednesday afternoon, April 9.

“As the Broadcast Standards Association, ATSC is proud to count nearly 60 ATSC member companies exhibiting throughout this year’s NAB Show. It’s through their innovations and collaboration that we can empower the broadcasting ecosystem, which is our mission. The center of attention for next-generation broadcasting will be our own ATSC West Hall exhibit, which includes a wide variety of international companies, brands, products and services that demonstrate how internet protocol-based transmissions can enhance entertainment and information for viewers and provide a new delivery pipe for data through ATSC 3.0,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland.

NAB Show attendees also have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge about ATSC 3.0 and its applications, with more than 20 conference sessions highlighting the capabilities of the flexible broadcast standard.

The largest displays inside the ATSC booth will be from AT&T Business, HCLTech, Sinclair / ONE Media, and Tejas Networks.

AT&T Business will demonstrate enhanced connectivity and engagement with ATSC 3.0 enabling instant and reliable communications at venues and in high-traffic environments.

HCLTech will showcase its Broadcast Core Network, a cloud solution that allows flexible deployment of applications and services across different markets leveraging AI and integrates components from various sources, independent of the underlying infrastructure.

Sinclair and ONE Media are planning demonstrations of the variety of ATSC 3.0 features that will be possible when broadcasters sunset ATSC 1.0 – including 4K High Dynamic Range video, emergency alerting and information, and data services from Broadspan.

Tejas Networks will show direct-to-mobile content delivery, integrating broadcast and broadband, enabling real-time media access with low network congestion.

New NextGen TV Equipment

NAB Show will also be the place to see new ATSC 3.0 consumer products that are now available for purchase in retail stores. Broadcasters will find a display of a dozen different brands of NextGen TV sets and upgrade accessory receivers for consumers.

NextGen TV sets will be on display from recent entrants Panasonic and RCA, as will models from Hisense, Samsung, Sony, and TCL. Upgrade Accessory Receivers are coming in a variety of implementations, from the tiny USB receivers to more fully-featured digital video recorders and combo ATSC 3.0 over-the-air / over-the-top media players. Upgrade Devices will be on display from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, VBox, Zapperbox, and Zinwell.

Showcasing HDR 3.0 Offerings

“Broadcasters are moving to enhance the viewing experience for NextGen TV, ramping up High Dynamic Range using HDR10, Advanced HDR by Technicolor, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ to reach 86 million households," Noland added. "Interactive applications are also being rolled out, with some 40 million households now able to take advantage of these new capabilities, as well as new gaming and sports channels. One of my personal favorites is Program Re-Start."

In the ATSC booth, Advanced HDR by Technicolor will demonstrate its premium High Dynamic Range viewing experience for broadcast and streaming of live sports and entertainment, delivering any content, anytime and anywhere in high-quality HDR and legacy standard dynamic range.

Also on display, HDR10+ Technologies LLC will be demonstrating TV sports content in High Dynamic Range with HDR10+ metadata on the latest compatible ATSC 3.0 televisions from Panasonic and Samsung.

Eight international exhibitors are also featured at kiosk displays in the ATSC exhibit in West Hall. Software providers Fraunhofer (Germany), Happiest Minds (India), Mirakulo (Brazil), Run3TV (USA), Tolka (Singapore), and Yotta Media Labs (United Kingdom) will each show different applications of how ATSC 3.0 can be applied to benefit broadcasters and viewers. Advanced HDR by Technicolor (USA and Netherlands) and VBox (Israel) are also exhibiting.

Fraunhofer IIS will demonstrate ATSC 3.0 with MPEG-H Audio, which is part of DTV+, Brazil’s Next Generation TV System, and an advanced audio system for broadcast and streaming applications providing more realism through immersive sound and unique personalization features.

Happiest Minds will show how to unlock the power of ATSC 3.0 with their NextGen TV app that enabled enhanced engagement, personalized content, and location-aware television.

Mirakulo will present AstroTV NEXT, integrating hybrid interactivity, over-the-top, live TV, metrics, and dynamic ad insertion.

Run3TV will highlight the business case for Smart Broadcasting, which is now available from hundreds of U.S. broadcasters and offers the ability to launch new consumer-friendly services like Program Re-Start.

Tolka will show a wide variety of devices with built-in ATSC 3.0 – including a model that offers real-time Artificial Intelligence automatic translations from English to Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and more.

VBox will demonstrate an ATSC 3.0 Datacasting Terminal, as well as a commercial ATSC 3.0 receiver for use in hospitality and senior living centers.

Yotta Media Labs will showcase how broadcast can add stations on ATSC 3.0 via a hybrid model, including using magicBOX for station delivery, event streams, exciter protection, and more.

As broadcasting technology evolves to potentially include sending broadcast TV signals to mobile devices, it’s important to understand the landscape from the terms being used, the systems being considered and the progress of technical development and adoption.

What is 5G Broadcast?
“5G Broadcast,” officially named “LTE-Based 5G Broadcast,” was developed by the Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP). This global system is designed for cellular devices (e.g., phones) and is not being promoted as a solution for delivering content directly to television sets in the home. (Televisions could be reached through an intermediary device such as a set-top box or gateway device.)

5G Broadcast and its precursors were specified for operation in both cellular networks (typically with many small towers creating a dense network) and in traditional TV broadcast configurations (typically with fewer tall towers, each reaching a wider geographic area).

While not currently commercially deployed, 5G Broadcast is being eyed by TV broadcasters in several countries, including Europe. Cellphone operators, on the other hand, are not currently considering commercial adoption of 5G Broadcast that we are aware of.

Note that 5G Broadcast is different from 5G Multicast/Broadcast Service (5G NR MBS), also developed by 3GPP. 5G Broadcast is based on 4G LTE radio technology, whereas 5G MBS is based on 5G New Radio technology. 5G MBS is not being used for direct-to-consumer services but instead is finding its place in private networks for business use cases. Of course, this could change over time. 5G Broadcast, on the other hand, is being promoted as a potential direct-to-consumer service.

What is ATSC 3.0, and can it be used for mobile broadcasting?
ATSC 3.0, developed by ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, is an international next-generation broadcasting standard designed for robust transmission of IP bits over-the-air to televisions, cellular phones, moving vehicles and other devices.

Currently, ATSC 3.0 is commercially deployed in South Korea, the United States and Jamaica. Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil are moving forward with plans for commercial launches beginning in 2025. While these countries may aspire to launch a direct-to-mobile service with ATSC 3.0, none has yet established a commercial direct-to-mobile service offering. Using ATSC 3.0, TV broadcasters are distributing content for television sets and other receiving devices for the home. India, in contrast, is considering ATSC 3.0 for direct-to-mobile services​ as the leading use case for the technology.

Which system is more efficient?
Tests comparing the spectral efficiency of ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast have shown that ATSC 3.0 is the more-efficient system, and thus would require fewer transmitters to deliver comparable service. A project is underway within 3GPP to add time and frequency interleaving features to 5G Broadcast, which is intended to enhance 5G Broadcast’s efficiency and transmission robustness.

Can I use my current mobile phone for a future broadcast?
In a word, no. Today’s mobile phones—even 5G models—cannot be updated to receive broadcast signals from television spectrum allocations delivered via either 5G Broadcast or ATSC 3.0.

The frequencies and bandwidths used in television broadcasting (e.g., 6, 7, 8 MHz) differ from those used in cellular networks, and existing phones cannot be updated to accommodate these differences in spectrum bandwidth and frequency. Prototype cellular phones for both ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast exist, but commercial availability has yet to develop​.

Proponents of 5G Broadcast anticipate it will be easier to develop a broadcast-capable mobile phone ecosystem with 5G Broadcast because it is a global standard. Theoretically, phones everywhere could be the same, because 5G Broadcast is supported by at least one major silicon chip manufacturer.

However, a very large market like India could unilaterally support a broadcast-capable mobile phone ecosystem, regardless of which technology is adopted there. More than 1 billion mobile phones are in use in India alone.

Can U.S. broadcasters use 5G Broadcast?
Current FCC rules state that U.S. full-power television broadcasters must use ATSC 1.0 and may additionally use ATSC 3.0. Ancillary services are permitted under certain circumstances, and so there is some exploration of “interleaving” ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast together in one channel such that ATSC 3.0 is the primary service and 5G Broadcast is an ancillary service.

This configuration is at the early stages of research and development, and it remains to be seen whether it can be viable from a variety of angles, including technical, regulatory, and commercial.

Aren’t Mobile Network Operators going to be involved, too?
Mobile network operators have not yet embraced 5G Broadcast, 5G MBS or ATSC 3.0 for consumer use. These operators focus more on “unicast” services (one signal to one phone), and their involvement in broadcast services (one signal to many phones) remains limited.

Cellphone feature design is heavily influenced by mobile network operators, particularly in the U.S. This dynamic significantly impacts the adoption and integration of mobile broadcasting technologies like 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0​. A viable business model for mobile network operators to support broadcast technologies may be important for mobile broadcast services to fully develop​.

So the future is still cloudy?
For the moment, yes. Mobile broadcasting technologies, including ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast, are evolving rapidly. While myths and claims about their capabilities and adoption persist, ongoing collaboration, innovation, and trials are paving the way for the future. By understanding the facts, stakeholders can make informed decisions about investing in and advancing mobile broadcasting systems.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The broadcast standards group ATSC has announced that John I. Taylor of LG Electronics USA has been elected 2025 Chairman of the ATSC Board of Directors.

The news comes at a time when broadcasters have been pushing for more NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 capable sets to hit the market. LG was one of the companies instrumental in developing the ATSC 3.0 standards, but it stopped selling sets with ATSC 3.0 receivers in the U.S. after it lost a patent dispute case in 2023. LG is appealing the ruling.

“John Taylor is a respected industry veteran who has been at the forefront of key advancements in the television and broadcast industries for decades,” said ATSC president, Madeleine Noland. “His vast experience, strategic insight, and passion for innovation will be invaluable as ATSC continues to drive the next era of digital broadcasting.”

Longtime ATSC board member and Communications Chairman, Taylor brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the role. In his current position as senior vice president of LG Electronics USA, he serves as the most senior U.S. government affairs, corporate communications and industry relations executive for LG Electronics.

He has been an influential figure in shaping the digital television landscape in the U.S. for decades. Taylor’s contributions to the television industry include co-founding the Digital TV Transition Coalition during the 2000s, a pivotal effort in the U.S. digital television migration. Additionally, he served as Public Affairs Chairman of the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance in the 1990s, helping to shape the next generation of television technology at the heart of ATSC standards.

As the founding member and current Chairman of the AWARN Alliance, Taylor continues to advocate for innovation in advanced television broadcasting. He also serves on the boards of The Media Institute and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation as well as the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Active for years in the Consumer Technology Association, Taylor is a member of the CTA Board of Industry Leaders, and he is the longest-serving member and former two-time Chairman of the CTA Video Division board. He has previously chaired various committees, including the CTA Communications Committee and 4K UHD Working Group.

“I look forward to working closely with President Noland, our Board, members and industry stakeholders to advance the development and deployment of ATSC 3.0 standards in U.S. and around the world, while continuing to assure ATSC’s key role in the rapidly evolving media and technology landscape,” said Taylor.

Noland thanked outgoing Chairman Richard Friedel for his ATSC Board leadership since 2022. Friedel continues as a member of the ATSC Board in 2025.

As TV Tech’s Phil Kurz has previously reported, LG decided to sit out selling NextGen TVs in the United States in 2024 after it was ordered in 2023 to pay nearly $1.7 million and $6.75 for every future NextGen TV to Constellation Designs for patent violations. LG appealed the ruling, and in August, Pearl TV filed an amicus brief with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in support of LG, saying that the damages would force LG and other CE vendors to stop selling ATSC 3.0 TVs. The appeal is expected to be decided in 2025.

LAS VEGAS—At this week’s CES here (Jan. 7-10), the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is showcasing a number of new NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 receivers, gear, services and improvements to the broadcasting standard at its booth in Central Hall 20340.

The group reported that a host of new ATSC 3.0 receivers and enhanced broadcast services will reach U.S. consumers this year, with RCA launching a lineup of NextGen TV sets and new ATSC 3.0 accessory receivers from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, Vbox, Zapperbox and Zinwell among the new consumer products showcased at ATSC’s booth.

Expanded High Dynamic Range, interactive gaming, and digital signage options are also on show this week, as local stations and networks take advantage of the key benefits of next-generation broadcasting—including the ability to launch virtual channels with internet connections, the group said.

The displays come at as the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard is now widely deployed in the U.S., South Korea and Jamaica, with Brazil also recommending ATSC 3.0 to power its DTV+ service. Additionally, tests of ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are on the air in Trinidad and Tobago, India, Mexico, and Canada, the group said.

“More than three-quarters of U.S. viewers now have access to NextGen TV broadcasts, and at CES we’re very pleased to see the addition of RCA as a sixth TV manufacturer to join the roster of those offering NextGen TV sets, a list that now includes nearly 100 different receiver models,” Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, said. “The first affordable USB-style receivers will also soon be available from ADTH for Android and Fire TV devices. These new products will reach even more consumers, with millions already enjoying NextGen TV receivers at home.” Panasonic recently returned to the U.S. television market with several OLED models powered by Fire TV equipped with NextGen TV electronics, and the addition of RCA in 2025 will bring even more choices to consumers planning a display upgrade.

More specifically, the group said that technologies from six TV and six accessory device manufacturers are on display this week at the ATSC booth at CES, including more than a dozen different types of NextGen TV products, device software offerings from Tolka and Mirakulo, the Run3TV broadcast application, and Advanced HDR from Technicolor. NextGen TV displays from Hisense, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, RCA, and TCL are in the ATSC exhibit, as are ATSC 3.0 accessory receivers from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, Vbox, Zapperbox, and Zinwell.

In addition, ATSC’s NextGen TV “Wall of Champions” in its booth highlights growing investment across the ecosystem. “We invite CES attendees to experience all these innovations in person at the booth. Plan your visit for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to join us for a much-deserved coffee break sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz,” Noland said.

ATSC will be showcasing NextGen TV’s ability to transmit digital data for new purposes such as digital signage. ATSC will feature a new signage kiosk equipped with everything necessary to offer messaging—including an antenna for over-the-air reception, a receiver and on-board storage and playback. In the ATSC booth, the signage kiosk managed by USSI Global will feature local headline news, traffic and weather updates, emergency alerting and advertising messages and promotions from KTVN-TV, the Las Vegas ABC affiliate owned by E.W. Scripps.

Also on display will be enhanced services from broadcasters for HDR and interactivity.

More than 200 NextGen TV services in the U.S. now include HDR, with many also adding immersive Dolby Atmos audio to daily broadcasts, the group said.

At CES, Sinclair is showing a side-by-side demonstration of the eye-popping consumer benefits of HDR, highlighting the enhanced picture quality made possible with ATSC 3.0 HDR broadcasts compared to standard ATSC 1.0 digital TV broadcasts. Local stations started adding HDR to sports broadcasts in 2024, greatly expanding offerings that take advantage of what the ATSC 3.0 standard makes possible. Today, more than 80 million viewers have access to NextGen TV with HDR.

In terms of interactivity, ATSC said that many stations are enhancing local content with the Run3TV broadcast app, which offers on-demand programming from local stations and opens the door for interactive content such as program restart and hyperlocal weather forecasts. The ATSC exhibit will also demonstrate gaming over NextGenTV by GameLoop, which is launching a new channel and its “Play Now” feature, which allows NextGen TV viewers to instantly play games showcased on the channel by using their TV remote or mobile phone.

In addition, broadcasters are also using the ATSC 3.0’s internet protocol backbone to add channels and local content streamed through internet connections, the group said.

For more information, visit www.atsc.org.

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee has elected Ling Ling Sun, chief technology officer at Nebraska Public Media, and Ed Czarnecki, vice president of global & government affairs at Digital Alert Systems, to its board of directors. Fred Engel, principal at Fred Engel Technology Consulting has been re-elected for a second term.

“Our newly elected directors will serve three-year terms beginning January 2025. They join a board that guides ATSC in its mission to develop next-generation broadcast standards and foster innovation in the industry,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. “This election cycle was very competitive, and we appreciate all the effort the candidates put forward to have a voice in guiding ATSC’s evolution and the high participation in the process by our members. This diverse and experienced group of executives will help us empower a new era of broadcasting.”

Noland also expressed gratitude to Nexstar Media Group chief technology officer Brett Jenkins and Jim DeChant of LTN Global, whose board terms conclude at the end of the year. “We thank them for their invaluable contributions to the advancement of ATSC and adoption of ATSC 3.0 internationally,” she said.

The 2025 ATSC board of directors is:

• Chair: Richard Friedel, consultant, Pearl TV.
• Vice Chair: Brian Markwalter, SVP, research and standards, Consumer Technology Association.
• Treasurer: Lynn Claudy, SVP, technology, National Association of Broadcasters.

In addition to Sun, Czarnecki and Engel, the other members are:

• Yiyan Wu, research professor, Western University/IEEE.
• John Taylor, SVP, public affairs & communications. LG Electronics USA.
• Rikin Thakker, chief technology officer and SVP of technology, NCTA–The Internet & Television Association.
• Anne Schelle, managing director, Pearl TV.
• Paul Hearty, chief standards strategist, Samsung Research America.
• Kerry Oslund, VP of AI strategy, E.W. Scripps.
• Mark Aitken, SVP, Sinclair.
• Zandra Clarke, transmission specialist III, Warner Bros. Discovery/SMPTE.
• Adam Goldberg, director of technical standards, Sony Electronics.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

BALTIMORE—Lucy Rutishauser, executive vice president and chief financial officer of station group Sinclair, has been named to the business advisory council of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) board.

As a member of the council, Rutishauser will contribute her strategic insights in a move to bridge the TV industry’s business and technology sectors, Sinclair said, expanding the scope of ATSC standards across a range of industries and geographies.

The ATSC is a multinational standard-setting body and the driving force behind ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, an emerging specification designed to improve the video quality of broadcast TV while adding interactive features and internet integration.

ATSC 3.0 was developed with an eye toward opening new revenue opportunities for TV stations, including targeted advertising, which will allow stations to deliver personalized ads based on location, demographics, viewing habits or other viewer data.

“I am thrilled to join the ATSC Business Advisory Council at such a pivotal time for the broadcast industry,” Rutishauser said in a statement. “Sinclair has been at the forefront of ATSC 3.0 development, playing a key role as an early adopter and developer of the physical layer. ATSC 3.0 represents a transformative leap, not just for broadcasters, but for various industries and public sectors that can harness its capabilities—from delivering enhanced consumer experiences to improving public safety. We’re just scratching the surface of its total addressable market and potential uses and I’m looking forward to seeing its continued adoption and growth.”

Added ATSC President Madeline Noland: “ATSC 3.0 is designed from the ground up to be evolvable, enabling broadcasters to react quickly and proactively to new opportunities. ATSC highly values the insights of Ms. Rutishauser and all the Business Advisory Council members as we navigate this exciting modern world together.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—ATSC will exhibit at the SET Expo 2024 at the Distrito Anhembi Convention Center in San Paulo, Brazil, Aug. 19-22, on the heels of the SBTVD Forum recommending adoption of the ATSC 3.0 physical layer to the Brazilian government for its TV 3.0 next-generation terrestrial broadcast standard.

The SBTVD Forum (Fórum do Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital Terrestre) gave a thumbs up to the ATSC 3.0 physical layer after rigorous testing, including field trials. Brazil is expected to begin TV 3.0 deployment next year.

Exhibiting at the SET (the Society of Brazilian Broadcast Engineers) Expo gives ATSC the opportunity to inform broadcasters from other nations about the 3.0 standard and the forum recommendation.

“Eight countries representing over a billion viewers are now deploying, planning launches or experimenting with the suite of ATSC 3.0 broadcast technologies, and the recent recommendation from the SBTVD Forum underscores that Brazil is looking forward to all of the possibilities for enhanced broadcasting in a country with hundreds of millions of viewers watching over-the-air broadcasts,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland. 

“ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are being tested in India, Canada and Mexico, and Brazil has identified key ingredients of the ATSC 3.0 system for their next-generation system, joining South Korea, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S., which are on-air or planning near-term launches. Viewers in 75% of U.S. TV markets now have access to ATSC 3.0 transmissions. We are excited to demonstrate our support to the SBTVD Forum for its ongoing development of TV 3.0 specifications, recommended practices and conformance documentation at SET Expo,” she said.

Notable ATSC-related activities at the show include:

• ATSC sponsorship of the SET Expo Cocktail Party, Aug. 20, following the convention’s opening ceremony in the Celso Furtado theater.
• ATSC will present an educational session on ATSC 3.0 in the SET New Horizons Arena on the exhibition floor, Aug. 20.
• Noland will deliver an update on using broadcast TV tech to transmit content direct to mobile devices as part of the “New Business Models in TV 3.0” discussion, Aug. 21.
• Mark Corl, senior vice president of emergent technologies at Triveni Digital, will discuss using next-gen broadcast for a Broadcast Positioning System during the “New Business Models in TV 3.0” session, Aug. 21.
• Brazil’s Mirakulo software will sponsor a reception at the ATSC exhibit, Aug. 21, at 5:30 p.m.
• ATSC member companies will exhibit in the ATSC booth, including: DigiCAP, ENENSYS, ETRI and Cleverlogic, Saankhya Labs and Triveni Digital.

See ATSC at the SET Congress and Expo in Stand 29.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The SBTVD Forum, the non-profit organization that advises the Brazilian government on digital television and policy matters, is recommending the selection of the ATSC 3.0 physical layer as the over-the-air transmission system for the nation’s TV 3.0 next-generation terrestrial broadcast service, ATSC said today.

“We are deeply gratified by the SBTVD Forum’s recommendation of the ATSC 3.0 physical layer for over-the-air broadcasting,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland.  “ATSC is also excited about the opportunity to work with the Forum and Brazilian stakeholders in fully documenting, developing and deploying TV 3.0 in Brazil.”

The recommendation follows extensive field testing conducted by the forum between December 2023 and May of two candidate technologies under consideration for TV 3.0’s physical layer. After a thorough evaluation, which considered all data collected since the beginning of the project in 2020, the Technical, Market and Intellectual Property Modules of the SBTVD Forum unanimously decided to recommend the ATSC 3.0 physical layer to the Ministry of Communications, ATSC said.

The physical layer joins five other key ATSC 3.0 technologies already selected by the SBTVD Forum as recommendations for mandatory inclusion in the TV 3.0 system, including: ROUTE/DASH transport; MPEG-H audio; IMSC1 captions; HDR10 High Dynamic Range with optional dynamic HDR metadata based on SMPTE ST 2094-10 and SMPTE ST 2094-40; and ATSC 3.0 Advance Emergency Alerting, it said.

Other ATSC technologies selected for only the TV 3.0 broadband component include:

• H.265/HEVC Video Base Layer Encoding
• HLG High Dynamic Range Video (optional)
• SL-HDR1 High Dynamic Range Video (optional)
• AC-4 Audio (optional)

The physical layer recommendation is the final technology component in the TV 3.0 Project’s selection process that began in July 2020 with a Call for Proposals. 

“The recommendations of technologies for TV 3.0 are the result of four years of exemplary work by the SBTVD Forum in soliciting, evaluating and carefully selecting components for TV 3.0,” said Skip Pizzi, chair of ATSC’s Brazil Implementation Team.

“We’re proud to see so many elements of ATSC 3.0—in the physical, transport and content layers—chosen to become part of Brazil’s next-gen broadcast TV standard, and we anticipate that the TV 3.0 decisions might ultimately have regional impact beyond Brazil.”

The SBTVD Forum (Fórum do Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital Terrestre) is composed of private and public companies that include broadcasters, manufacturers, software developers and members from academia. It makes recommendations to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications on DTV technology and policy. 

“We have valued the opportunity to share experiences and exchange ideas with our colleagues in Brazil throughout this four-year selection process,” said Noland. “We have learned a great deal and are looking forward to continued collaboration. And we are gearing up to showcase ATSC 3.0 at the annual SET Expo broadcast trade show in São Paulo beginning Aug. 20.”

More information is available on the ATSC website.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A July 25 webinar will examine where things stand with ATSC 3.0 as an over-the-air data and software delivery technology to support the auto industry during a panel discussion organized by the ATSC Automotive Implementation Team (IT8). 

The webinar, scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon EDT, will bring together experts from the automotive and broadcast industry to discuss how both spheres are advancing on the goal of leveraging 3.0 to deliver data to vehicles. 

Panelists include Dan Teeter, AutoMobility Advisors and a former executive at Nissan and Ford; Tony Rangel, Sinclair Broadcast Group and formerly with Continental and Hitachi; Chip Goetzinger, AutoMobility Advisors and former executive at SiriusXM and Nissan; Roger Lancet, founder of StrategiaNow; and Mark Barrington, chair of ATSC IT8.

Among the topics to be discussed are:

• An introduction to automotive over-the-air (OTA) data delivery
• The state of connected cars
• OTA software updates
• A review of end-to-end technology for OTA software updates
• Where ATSC 3.0 fits into data delivery for auto 
• Using ATSC 3.0 to deliver software via OTA
• The need for collaboration among the auto and broadcast industries
• A Q&A with webinar attendees.

Barrington will discuss the role of the implementation team at the conclusion of the event.

Register to attend online.

WASHINGTON D.C.—During the annual NextGen Broadcast Conference this week, the ATSC honored Dr. Sung-Ik Park of Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) with the organization’s Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal and presented Ali Dernaika of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award.

Named for the legendary former ATSC president who led the organization for two decades spanning both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0, the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal recognizes an individual or team that demonstrates exemplary leadership in advancing the mission of ATSC and epitomizes the vision, tenacity, and leadership qualities that were the hallmark of his leadership.

“Sung-Ik Park has the vision to understand how to move technology forward,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland. “He has the tenacity to overcome obstacles in his path. And he has the leadership to build great teams to successfully execute on his plans, furthering the broadcasting ecosystem, and ATSC 3.0 in particular. You may think of Dr. Park as a person tirelessly supporting the ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer proposal in Brazil. Together with his colleagues at ETRI and CleverLogic, this is a major ongoing effort.  But it’s important to understand that his contributions to ATSC span many years and many projects. In addition to the Brazil project, Sung-Ik has been very influential for ATSC’s efforts in the International Telecommunications Union.” 

As a leader within ETRI, Dr. Park and his team have been continually developing ATSC prototypes, running field experiments, organizing exhibits at the NAB Show and other venues. “In fact, he is just back from Delhi where he demonstrated the efficiency of ATSC 3.0 as a mobile service choice,” Noland added that “he has made multiple trips to Brazil, sent countless correspondences to the labs in Brazil, stayed up many late nights with his team to support the equipment – all to ensure ATSC 3.0 performs to its fullest potential.  ATSC is grateful and it is our pleasure to recognize Sung-Ik with the 2024 ATSC Richer Leadership Medal.”

The Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award is bestowed once a year to an individual representative of the ATSC membership whose technical and leadership contributions to ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary.  The Lechner Award recognizes the first recipient, the late Bernard Lechner, for his outstanding service to the ATSC. Lechner was the retired Staff Vice President, Advanced Video Systems of RCA Laboratories. His 30-year career at RCA covered all aspects of television and display research.

2024 Lechner Award honoree Ali Dernaika serves as Co-Chair of ATSC Specialist Group S43, with his work revolving around broadcast core technologies and the formulation of Broadcast Core Network standard.

“Broadcast Core Network is a central technology for developing datacasting businesses,” said Noland. “You can think of it like the ‘AirBnB’ of renting spectrum capacity. Broadcasters may have some available bandwidth some of the time – like a room in a house that’s not always in use. And enterprise customers may wish to temporarily use this capacity for sending files, media or other data – like booking a room. Broadcast Core Network is the platform that connects broadcasters who have available spectrum with enterprise customers seeking a cost-effective way to distribute data.  But that description is just the tip of the iceberg. With Broadcast Core Network, the world of broadcast collided with the networking world.”

“Working on this new concept, Ali took on the role of educator, patiently helping ATSC members understand not just the big picture, but also the details of how core networks function, what they do, and how a successful platform could be designed – not to mention greatly expanding everyone’s acronym vocabulary!” Noland continued. “Before his work, Broadcast Core Network was a foreign concept, and now it's becoming part of the vernacular among our membership and beyond.”

Dernaika is a senior solution architect, specializing in digital video services within HPE’s Communications Technology Group.  His expertise has been instrumental in shaping TV service architectures and deployments, encompassing the entire spectrum from linear TV to interactive services across multiple systems. Presently, his focus centers on driving digital transformation through the adoption of cutting-edge IT and virtualization technologies, harnessing the power of IT cloud solutions.  Ali is currently based out of Dubai, UAE where he lives with his wife and 2 children.

Dr. Park and Dernaika join a distinguished cadre of industry luminaries honored by ATSC over the years. 

Lechner Award recipients include:

• 2000 – Bernard Lechner, Consultant
• 2001 – Rich Chernock, Triveni Digital
• 2002 – Regis Crinon, Microsoft
• 2003 – Glenn Adams, Extensible Formatting Systems, Inc
• 2004 – Graham Jones, National Association of Broadcasters
• 2005 – John Henderson, Hitachi
• 2006 – Art Allison, NAB
• 2007 – Mark Eyer, Sony Electronics
• 2008 – Michael Dolan, TBT
• 2009 – Wayne Bretl, Zenith/LG Electronics
• 2010 – Pat Waddell, Harmonic
• 2011 – Jim Starzynski, NBC Universal
• 2012 – S. Merrill Weiss, MWG Group
• 2013 – Mark Aitken, Sinclair Broadcast Group
• 2014 – James Kutzner, PBS
• 2015 – Luke Fay, Sony
• 2016 – Madeleine Noland, LG Electronics
• 2017 – Skip Pizzi, NAB
• 2018 – Mark Corl, Triveni Digital
• 2019 – Adam Goldberg, AGP/Sony
• 2020 – Jae-Young Lee, ETRI
• 2021 – Alan Stein, InterDigital
• 2022 – Youngkwon Lim, Samsung Electronics
• 2023 – Glenn Reitmeier, NBC Universal/Sarnoff Labs
• 2024 – Ali Dernaika, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Richer Medal recipients:
• 2019 – Mark Richer
• 2020 – The Phoenix Model Market
• 2021 – Sen. Gordon Smith, NAB
• 2022 – Sony Electronics
• 2023 – Saankhya Labs
• 2024 – Dr. Sung-Ik Park, ETRI

 Richer Medal recipients: 

• 2019 – Mark Richer
• 2020 – The Phoenix Model Market
• 2021 – Sen. Gordon Smith, NAB
• 2022 – Sony Electronics
• 2023 – Saankhya Labs
• 2024 – Dr. Sung-Ik Park, ETRI

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA) and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) have announced a strategic partnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (FEMA IPAWS) to establish an end-to-end NextGen TV broadcast system at the IPAWS Technical Support Services Facility (TSSF) near Washington, D.C. 

The implementation is a joint effort between the FEMA IPAWS TSSF, NVISA and the ATSC’s Advanced Emergency Information Implementation Team. The ATSC 3.0 system will serve in a closed-circuit environment, capable of demonstrating Advanced Emergency Information features, upgraded Emergency Alert System (EAS) displays, integration of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), and other advanced public warning capabilities integrated into the IPAWS ecosystem. It will also provide live over-the-air monitoring capabilities.

The deployed system will consist of a full ATSC 3.0 broadcast chain fully contained within the FEMA facility. The system will also provide significant opportunities for educating government and private sector stakeholders and open the door to expanded public-private conversations on potential opportunities and requirements for next generation public warning systems and advanced broadcast services.  

“We are looking forward to this initiative becoming the start of a broader public-private partnership to advance future public warning capabilities," said NVISA Chair Ed Czarnecki. "By bringing together NVISA, ATSC, and FEMA IPAWS, we want to make certain that ATSC 3.0 is well-positioned for the future. This includes reinforcing broadcast television’s role as a first informer during emergencies and leveraging a range of advanced services.”

“We believe it is important for ATSC to expand its collaboration with the public sector and other industry groups in the advancement of ATSC 3.0 capabilities,” said Madeleine Noland, ATSC president. “The increasing adoption of ATSC 3.0-enabled technologies is expected to drive fundamental transformations to the services and applications offered by the broadcast community, including public warning and emergency information services."

According to Manny Centeno, IPAWS program director, “The implementation will establish the TSSF as one of the first full-circle testbeds for ATSC 3.0 advanced emergency messaging integration with IPAWS, highlighting FEMA’s commitment to remaining on the forefront of technological advancement.”

The system will allow FEMA IPAWS to test advanced broadcast warning practices securely in real-world scenarios and experiment with ATSC 3.0-enabled technologies. The ATSC 3.0 system interfaces with the FEMA IPAWS network to aggregate alerts directed for both broadcast (EAS) and mobile (WEA) and directs them into ATSC 3.0-enabled services.

A briefing on this initiative will be provided at the ATSC’s NextGen Broadcast Conference, during a panel on “NextGen Public Service: Emergency Messaging Update,” to be held on Friday, June 14, in Washington, D.C.

Members of NVISA and ATSC that are providing technology and expertise to establish this system include:

• Digital Alert Systems (alert and advanced emergency information management)
• Harmonic (live media processor)
• Hitachi-Comark (ATSC 3.0 exciter/transmitter)
• Triveni Digital (ATSC 3.0 scheduling and transport encoding)
• WRAL/Capitol Broadcasting (video server and broadcast video content)
• DekTec (ATSC 3.0 test modulator)
• Zapperbox (ATSC 1.0/3.0-enabled set-top receiver and home gateway)
• Zinwell (ATSC 1.0/3.0-enabled set-top receiver and home gateway)

WASHINGTON—The ATSC announced this week that NAB President Curtis LeGeyt and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will speak at the association’s annual meeting next month at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

ATSC’s NextGen Broadcast Conference and Member Meeting will take place June 13 & 14th and will focus on new opportunities for broadcasting utilizing ATSC 3.0, the next-generation broadcast standard that is now available to viewers in 75 markets across the U.S., 80% of viewers in South Korea and soon 66% in Jamaica.

Both LeGeyt and Carr will address the meeting Thursday afternoon, June 13.

“ATSC 3.0 is a robust and flexible wireless system built on an Internet Protocol backbone, ideal for new applications for international business, emergency information, mobility, and remarkable enhancements for traditional TV broadcasting.  Each year, we welcome the broadcast industry to get together and learn about new avenues for next-generation broadcasting, and to hear updates on the deployment of ATSC 3.0 across the world.  We look forward to robust conversations about the latest opportunities to apply flexible ATSC 3.0 broadcasts with local sports, interactive functions, automotive applications and more,” said Madeleine Noland, President of ATSC.

Announced sessions for the Conference include:

• Playing the Game: NEXTGEN TV Sports
• Interactive Apps Unleashed
• Inspiring Consumers: The Latest Research on NEXTGEN TV 
• Datacasting: Leveraging the ATSC 3.0 IP Backbone to Diversify Revenue Streams 
• Are We There Yet? NextGen Automotive TV
• Emergency Messaging Update
• NEXTGEN TV Consumer Devices Update

ATSC Members can participate in all three days of events, including both the ATSC Annual Members Meeting and the vibrant two-day conference. program.  The capstone of the event will be the presentation of the annual Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award and the Mark Richer Medal for industry leadership, the organization’s highest honors, on June 14.  

While the Hotel room block is now closed, ATSC has secured a LIMITED number of rooms at the Marriott Marquis for the conference. If you are interested in booking from this small inventory of available rooms please send an email to: atsc@atsc.org with your rooming requirements and we will respond promptly.

Registration for the event is open on ATSC.org, at:  https://www.atsc.org/events/nextgen-broadcast-conference/

LAS VEGAS—The ATSC has released highlights of NextGen TV related events and developments that will be on display during the 2024 NAB Show, where more than 40 companies will be showcasing NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, products, services and deployments between April 13-17. 

During the show, the ATSC will also be highlighting significant international and U.S. deployments of 3.0 broadcasts and services. 

“Eight countries representing over a billion viewers are now deploying, planning launches, or experimenting with ATSC 3.0 broadcast technologies, a fact that we’ll be celebrating throughout the 2024 NAB Show,” said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, the broadcast standards association. ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are being tested in India, Canada and Mexico, and Brazil has already selected key ingredients of the ATSC 3.0 system for their next-generation system, joining South Korea, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S., which are on-air or planning near-term launches.

“With NextGen TV powered by ATSC 3.0 now available to 75% of Nielsen households in the U.S. and more than 100 NextGen TV products available to consumers this year, we’re excited about the new features and capabilities that broadcasters are launching, now that the backbone of ATSC 3.0 service is available to most viewers across America,” she added.  

The group also reported that next-generation broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 will be the subject of some 16 NAB Show presentations and panel discussions before and during the annual show, which opens Sunday and continues through Wednesday, April 17. Subjects range from emergency messaging to precision time and positioning, merging streaming and over-the-air broadcasts, and using ATSC 3.0 as a robust data delivery system.  An overview of conference sessions and a “Guide to ATSC 3.0 at the Show” is now available on ATSC.org.

A key element of the ATSC booth (West Hall 3056) is a representative display of NextGen TV products from television makers Samsung, Sony Electronics, Hisense and TCL, and accessory devices from ADTH, Stavix, Velo, Zapperbox and Zinwell that are already available or coming soon as affordable options for viewers looking to upgrade to NextGen TV.

“Consumers in the U.S. are taking home more than 10,000 NextGen TV products every day, with a growing number choosing to upgrade their existing displays with an affordable accessory device. We’re excited to see a range of those new products, including the first models to offer secure ATSC 3.0 digital video recording capability,” Noland said.

Impressive High Dynamic Range demonstrations will be featured in the ATSC exhibit, as will new consumer experiences delivered by ATSC 3.0 from both over-the-air and over-the-top content sources.  

Events in the ATSC booth (W3056) will include a brief ribbon cutting ceremony followed by an opening reception sponsored by American Tower on Sunday, April 14 beginning at 5:00 PM Pacific. A reception sponsored by Fincons will take place on Monday, April 15 at 4:00 PM.  And the ATSC International Implementation Teams will host a reception in the ATSC booth on Tuesday afternoon, April 16 from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM with visiting executives from around the world coming together to share ideas and experiences.

A dozen diverse exhibitors are being spotlighted in the ATSC exhibit. Major exhibits from key ATSC sponsors anchor the booth:

• Pearl TV:  RUN3TV, a pioneering TV Web Platform, bridges the gap between traditional broadcast and digital media, introducing groundbreaking OTA broadcast features like Velope’s “Start Over” and Play Anywhere’s platform to watch, play, bet, and buy in real time.  Discover how broadcasters are enhancing viewer engagement and also unlocking new monetization opportunities for content creators and broadcasters.
• Sinclair / ONE Media Technologies:  Demonstrating how ATSC 3.0 opens the door to new revenue opportunities through datacasting; and how broadcasters will be able to deliver new services, such as automotive, enhanced location capability, and other data services that can readily be monetized.
• NexusConnect:  Highlighting the dynamic ecosystem that brings together industry players to create, share, and monetize innovative applications and services for NextGen TV. The marketplace serves as a hub for broadcasters, content creators, advertisers, and technology providers to collaborate and deliver immersive, interactive, and personalized experiences to viewers.
• Saankhya Labs:  Showcasing a live demonstration of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) Broadcast, live and over-the-top AV content for broadcast, audio only content, emergency alerts and notifications, remote education, firmware and software updates delivered over-the-air, and enhanced GPS.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise:  Demonstrating the Broadcast Core Network which enables dynamic allocation and use of the ATSC 3.0 spectrum to deliver data services to enterprise such as manufacturing, warehouse/retail distribution, public safety and digital signage applications. Data services provide needed diversification in the Broadcaster's business generating new revenue streams.
• Additional kiosk exhibits in the ATSC booth will feature new products and services for consumers and industry professionals from digital innovators.  

Some of the highlights for consumer products and services include:

• Advanced HDR by Technicolor:  High Dynamic Range Video for “Any Content, Any Time, Anywhere” with automated and efficient HDR creation and distribution for 24/7 NextGen TV video broadcast and streaming, with SDR backwards compatibility and very low bandwidth requirements, demonstrated at the booth by showing content of NextGen TV broadcast partners in HDR.
• CeWi Networks: “Carosel,” a small portable ATSC 3.0 receiver, designed to function as a "set top box" for mobile devices.  Sample devices and live demos will be available.
• GameLoop: Play games for free on your NextGen TV.  GameLoop is an innovative NextGen TV channel for game discovery and free play, and a powerful demonstration of ATSC 3.0’s interactive broadcast IP capabilities.
• ROXi:  The world’s first interactive music channel on Broadcast TV.   ROXi Music Video Channel, powered by FastStream, brings the interactivity of music app to broadcast TV. Pause, play and skip music videos for the first time on broadcast TV without downloading an app.

Some of the NextGen TV highlights for industry professionals include: 

• Fincons:  NextGen Broadcast Applications developed for major broadcasters, including new advertising products and dynamic ad insertion, content promotion and monetization, new engagement models and interactive services, and real-time audience and monitoring.
• Mirakulo:  Digital TV innovation with Dynamic Advertising & Hybrid TV solutions. Customized embedded software for cutting-edge business models.
• Rohde & Schwarz:  The new R&S TE1 is an ATSC 3.0 native high-power transmitter designed to meet the ever-evolving requirements of the broadcast industry, along with a newly introduced Remote Transmitter Monitoring, the R&S RMTX, that delivers real-time diagnostic, guidance and rapid response, minimizing downtime and enhancing operating efficiency. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Board of Directors of ATSC has named Dr. Paul Hearty of Samsung Electronics as chair of the ATSC technology group that oversees the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.  Effective May 15, Hearty will succeed Sony’s Luke Fay, who has been ATSC Technology Group 3 Chair since 2019. 

ATSC Technology Group 3 (TG3) develops and maintains Standards and Recommended Practices for ATSC 3.0 and beyond. It works on advanced technologies for broadcast, the Internet and other transport systems. Technologies considered may be improvements to current systems or entirely new systems.

“ATSC is fortunate to have many brilliant minds contributing to the growth of our standards activities, and Paul’s vast experience and technical expertise will advance our collective efforts that make certain ATSC standards remain the world’s most flexible and adaptable to changing needs of broadcasters,” said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC. “We are indebted to Sony and to Luke for driving TG3 forward for five years, leading standards updates and capably steering the group through the initial launch of ATSC 3.0. Building on Luke’s contributions, Paul’s leadership will help us keep pace with the changing technologies all around us.” 

“The next few years will be an interesting time for ATSC as we expand deployment, not just in terms of transmitters and markets, but also new features and service concepts, achieving the potential of NEXTGEN TV,” Hearty added. “As we explore new service offerings, we will discover new needs and opportunities, leading to the next generation of ATSC technologies.”

Involved in the development and standardization of advanced television systems since the early 1980s, Hearty has worked with the International Telecommunications Union, in the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS), and with various standards development organizations including ATSC, CTA, SCTE and SMPTE.  Currently chief standards strategist in Samsung Research America’s Video Solutions division, Hearty leads the company’s standardization activities in ATSC and in other standards development organizations. 

He previously served as a vice president of technical standards at Sony, and began his professional career at the Communications Research Centre, Government of Canada.  Hearty founded the Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory, which carried out tests on behalf of ACATS that led to the development of the ATSC 1.0 digital television standard. Later, as a vice president at General Instrument/Motorola, he led in the deployment of commercial and direct-to-home satellite broadcast technologies, as well as digital compression technology for satellite and cable.

Hearty holds a PhD from Queen’s University Canada, has received a Technical Emmy award, and has been recognized for his contributions to four additional Emmy awards.

Hearty is the fifth chair of TG3, following in the footsteps of James Kutzner (2011-15), who retired from PBS, Dr. Richard Chernock (2015-18), who retired from Triveni Digital, Madeleine Noland (2018-19), who was then with LG Electronics, and Luke Fay (2019-2024) of Sony Electronics.

WASHINGTON D.C.—The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is working on adding the Versatile Video Coding (VVC)  format as an option to High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) used by the ATSC 3.0 standard, it said today.

“ATSC 3.0 was designed from the ground up from a technical point of view to be evolvable,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland during a March 13 phone interview. “The idea is that if down the road VVC becomes very prevalent in many, many devices, they [broadcasters] wouldn’t stop using HEVC for their content, but they might start putting out some new types of content with VVC.”

At the moment, VVC is being evaluated as an ATSC Candidate Standard that could be added to the full standard, joining HEVC as an encoding option. As a candidate, a standard is put out to ATSC members and the industry at large for comment. It is difficult to predict exactly when the membership might vote to make VVC part of the standard, but the candidate standard period is typically several months, not a year, she said.

“The Candidate Standard period lasts, basically, as long as the technology group thinks is necessary,” said Noland.

To place VVC into perspective, the codec produces an 84% savings in the number of bits needed to compress 1080p HD compared to the bits required by MPEG-2, the compression scheme used for ATSC 1.0. HEVC saves 75% compared to MPEG-2 for the same content, said Noland.

VVC bit savings could one day be used to make 8K delivery a reality for broadcasters. The codec’s efficiency could also free up additional bits for distribution of more channels as well as delivery of new 3.0 services, such as datacasting. “To be clear, there’s the possibility of 8K using HEVC. 8K is part of the HEVC standard that’s part of ATSC 3, but it’s a different flavor,” said Noland. “There’s a lot of facets to what it means to have 8K.”

The addition of VVC to the ATSC 3.0 standard brings the Next-Gen TV standard into alignment with other developments at home and around the world. 

“It’s very important for ATSC to stay ahead of the game. We sort of try to place our bets on the right horses, so to speak,” said Noland. “Looking at VVC and what's going on with it in the world today, that definitely seems like something ATSC should invest time into, and certainly we are excited to do that.”

“There are many other standards organizations that already have incorporated VVC. So, you could almost argue that ATSC was a late comer, so to speak. But the ARIB in Japan, DVB in Europe, CTA WAVE, DASH-IF, SBTVD Forum in Brazil and SCTE have all incorporated VVC into their standards. Again, some of this is more future-thinking, and some of this is applicable in the here and now. That's very much a market-by-market scenario.”

More information is available here. 

WASHINGTON—The Joint Content Conformance Partners (JCCP), a jointly funded group supported by ATSC together with DASH-IF, the DVB Project, the Consumer Technology Association Web Application Video Ecosystem (WAVE) Project and the HbbTV Association, has released an improved, widely available tool that validates conformance of DASH content to relevant media specifications, the Advanced Television Systems Committee said today.

The specification, developed collaboratively by the five industry bodies, ensures DASH content conformance, which is important for interoperability. 

The DASH-IF Conformance Tool, available as either an online service or open-source software, was launched more than a decade ago and has been continuously updated and extended to test against relevant specifications from other bodies, ATSC said.

A joint project undertaken over the past two years has improved the tool, making it more reliable and accessible. Along with DASH content conformance, the new tool has options to check for CMAF and WAVE requirements, and for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) requirements as well, according to the ATSC.

The five partners supporting development of the enhanced specifications are encouraging the industry to use the tool and are seeking feedback that can lead to further improvements, it said.

“ATSC was proud to be working in conjunction with these other organizations, as we see this as an important resource and look forward to continuing our collaboration for the betterment of the industry,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland, 

The DASH-IF Conformance Tool will be presented and discussed during the online OSMART Workshop #2 on Dec. 6-7, 2023.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Advanced Television Systems Committee Inc. (ATSC) has announced that its members have elected three media and technology executives to serve on the ATSC Board of Directors for three-year terms that begin in January 2024.

Mark Aitken, senior vice president of advanced media at Sinclair Broadcast Group, has been re-elected for a second three-year term. Also elected to the ATSC Board are Dr. Paul Hearty, chief standards strategist at Samsung Research America, and Kerry Oslund, vice president, strategy and business development at the E.W. Scripps Company. 

In addition, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers appointed Guy Bouchard as an ATSC board member representing IEEE. Bouchard, who is chair of the Montreal Chapter of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, succeeds Dr. Yian Wu of Canada’s Communications Research Centre, on ATSC’s Board.  

In announcing the board members, ATSC also thanked board members who are completing their terms at the end of 2023:  Mark Corl of Triveni Digital and Jon Fairhurst of Samsung. 

“ATSC is working to anticipate the needs of our members and the industry, supported by our board’s strategic direction. Our board of seasoned executives from the broadcast, cable and consumer technology industries provide a wealth of experience to help ATSC steer through ongoing change and growth,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland..

Current board members whose terms continue in 2024 include:

• Lynn Claudy, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB);
• Zandra Clarke, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers;
• Jim DeChant, Production Distribution & Revenue Group, LLC; 
• Fred Engel, PBS North Carolina;
• Adam Goldberg, Sony Electronics;
• Brett Jenkins, Nexstar Media Group;
• Brian Markwalter, Consumer Technology Association;
• Richard Friedel, Broadcast Advocate (2023 Chairman);
• Andy Scott, NCTA – The Internet and Television Association;
• Anne Schelle, Pearl TV;
• John Taylor, LG Electronics USA.

WASHINGTON—As the Advanced Television System Committee marks its 40 anniversary at its annual meeting this year at D.C.'s Spy Museum, the group also sees the status of ATSC 3.0 as at a sort of crossroads—celebrating the success of NextGen TV— now on the air in more than 60 markets—while wondering how long before broadcasters can sunset 1.0 and give 3.0 some breathing room to realize its full potential. 

Opening the conference, ATSC President Madeleine Noland discussed the year's progress, noting that in addition to the adoption of 3.0 by the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago last year, two Mexican TV stations have just filed for 3.0 experimental licenses. In addition to South Korea and Jamaica—two other 3.0 countries—Canada, Brazil and India are also doing their own R&D on adopting all or parts of the standard.   

While presentations at the June 15 conference covered a lot of new and diverse ground, including new revenue streams from OTA datacasting, greatly enhanced emergency messaging methodologies, and the use of 3.0 signals as an adjunct to GPS, the unresolved issue of setting a deadline to shutter 1.0 was on the minds of many of the 240 broadcasters, manufacturers, academics, scientists, engineers and others at the all-day event.

Is It Really the Endpoint?
Setting a timeline for ending 1.0 is one of the stated goals of the FCC's "Future of Television" initiative announced by FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel at the NAB Show in April. This was the main topic of conversation between Noland and FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington.  

“I think that a lot of people in this room believe that ATSC 1.0 needs to have a hard sunset target, and that we should migrate to 3.0 at that point,” said Noland. “Is that something the current commission is ready to take up?”

“I’m not sure that turning off 1.0 is exactly what we should view as the endpoint of a successful transition,” SImington replied. “I think more that having differentiation between the 1.0 and 3.0 content, having people preferentially gravitate towards the 3.0 content, and having new universal penetration of 3.0 and new devices are the goals that would make it easy to get to a terminal date for 1.0, and it seems like it’s is easier to accomplish by a pull than by a push; that is setting a cutoff date.”

Simington opined that laying out a finite date for discontinuation of 1.0 would undoubtedly upset viewers, and that an evolutionary process for winding the service down might be better in the long run.

“Setting a cutoff date is always going to attract the ire of people who feel they will be left behind,” he said. “[When] there’s affirmative uptake by the viewing public on the benefits of 3.0, [then] every 1.0 set becomes obsoleted, and then hopefully, at that point turning off 1.0 becomes totally non-controversial because then everyone will have forgotten it was there.”  

When questioned by the audience, “what does the industry need to do to get a sunset date for 1.0?” Simington replied that this was something that would have to be agreed upon by a majority of his associates. “It would require a decision by other commissioners, so I don’t think I could win on that now,” he said. 

While Simington agreed that the country needed “to get away from 1.0 as fast as possible,” he observed that it would likely not be an easily accomplished goal.

“I think we’re unlikely to win the fight if pushed to establish a date,” he said. 

Early Sunset for Some Stations
Defining an endpoint for 1.0 can't come about without the availability of consumer devices in addition to TVs, a point that was driven home by Alex Day, vice president of Tolka Telecommunications which, along with Atlanta DTH is releasing the first NextGen TV-certified box this summer for $95.

“Affordable and easily accessible devices are needed to accelerate the 3.0 transition,” he said.

Some broadcasters may not have the ability to share in a lighthouse station setup, particularly rural public broadcasters. Lonna Thompson, EVP, COO and general counsel for America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), noted that a certain class of TV broadcaster doesn’t have to wait for the establishment of an official sunset date to cease 1.0 transmissions if certain conditions are met.

“Pubic television covers nearly 97% of the population in this country. We have a statutory universal service mandate,” said Thompson, explaining that public stations where the need to reach the public with OTA broadcasting, rather than where commercial viability exists. 

“Our state licensees have a mandate to cover the entire state, so we’re often sited in fringe areas of the state, not in urban areas. We have about 350 transmitters and a network of nearly 600 translators to try to reach rural areas around the country. Because of that, it’s difficult often for our stations to find simulcast partners.”

Thompson explained that due to this, the FCC was petitioned to exempt public TV stations to broadcast 1.0. and 3.0 and that while the exemption wasn’t granted, the commission did agree to issue a presumptive waiver of the 1.0 signal requirement if a broadcaster didn’t have a viable simulcast partner in its area. However, there were some conditions that had to be met, including the assurance that the station’s viewing audience had access to 3.0 receivers or conversion devices. 

“The FCC said you could do a 1.0 to 3.0 flash cut if you have a pre-emptive waiver, but you must give people without 3.0 devices such [conversion devices] at no or low cost” stated Thompson, adding that it made sense for public stations to provide the viewers with 3.0 devices for free in order to move things forward.

“The trick here is that the cost of devices must be covered by the public TV station. We need low-cost converter boxes. Their arrival is great news for us.“

'The Stakes Are High'
NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt closed out the day’s activities with an address to conference attendees in which he praised the work of the ATSC and also observed that the transition needs to be wrapped up sooner rather than later.

“For more than a decade, you all have been working to develop a technology that is going to ensure the ongoing relevance of broadcast television for consumers all across the country,” said LeGeyt. “Make no mistake about it. From where I sit, the stakes are that high. When you think about the landscape in which we are competing today with Apple, Amazon… we simply will not be relevant without an upgraded standard, and we’re doing something that none of these others are doing, which is providing a local boots-on-the ground trusted presence, that’s free to anyone who wants to access us. 

"That is more important than it’s ever been, and I’m grateful for your efforts on the technological side to ensure we’re all the more relevant as we move forward than we have been over the past several decades. So, thank you for your work on that.

“I’m extremely excited about the FCC’s recent announcement on the future of television initiative. I want to underscore just how meaningful this is, to bring this transition from where it is today to the completion….the benefits of NextGen television are only going to be a reality for consumers only if we can get the entire country transitioned.”

On Wednesday evening, the ATSC awarded this year’s Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award to Glenn Reitmeier and the 2023 Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal to India's Saankhya Labs. The association also recognized Lynn Claudy (NAB), Brian Markwalter (CTA), and Andy Scott (NCTA) for their diligence and tireless efforts on behalf of the association, naming them the “Ironmen of ATSC.”

WASHINGTON D.C.—The Advanced Television Systems Committee honored TV engineer and visionary Glenn Reitmeier June 14 with its Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award and Saankhya Labs with its Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal during its awards presentation ceremony on day two of the NextGen Broadcast Conference.

Reitmeier, who founded the GlennReitmeierTV consultancy after serving as NBCUniversal vice president of Advanced Technology and then as senior vice president, Technology Standards and Policy, played an instrumental part earlier in his career while at Sarnoff Labs and a Sarnoff incubator company in the development, testing an ultimate standardization of digital HDTV and the subsequent A/53 ATSC standard (now called ATSC 1).

Later, he advocated to the ATSC board for a next-generation digital TV system. That suggestion, which he has described as a “What? You’re crazy” proposal, ultimately grew into the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.

ATSC honors a member annually who has made invaluable and exemplary contributions to ATSC through his or her technical and leadership with its Lechner award.

Saankhya Labs CEO Parag Naik and vice president of sales Prashant Maru accepted the Mark Richer award on behalf of the company. That award is bestowed annually on an individual or team that demonstrates exemplary leadership in advancing the committee’s mission and epitomizes the vision and leadership qualities of Mark Richer, former ATSC president for whom the award is named.

The fabless semiconductor solutions company based in Bengaluru, India, is believed to have produced the world’s first cognitive Software Defined Radio (SDR) chipsets. Those chips have helped to accelerate NextGen TV adoption, offering tech manufacturers a flexible and affordable way to build reception of ATSC 3.0 as well as other television standards into their products. The low-power consumption version of that chipset is at the heart of the Mark One NextGen TV smartphone, made available in production samples in October 2020, that is being used to test and demonstrate the viability of NextGen TV reception in mobile phones.

Saankhya Labs and ONE Media 3.0, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, have teamed up on development of Cognitive SDR chips for 3.0 reception as well as agreed to work together to accelerate development of 5G Next Generation Broadcast to serve as an offload platform for wireless video traffic.

More information is available online. 

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee will hold its annual meeting, June 13-15 in Washington D.C., the association announced during the NAB Show. 

The three-day event will take place at the International Spy Museum on L'Enfant Plaza as well as the Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall, which will host the ATSC 40th Anniversary Celebration and Dinner on Wednesday June 14, which will include the Mark Richer Medal & Bernard Lechner Award Ceremony and party featuring the return of the Multicasters band.

Here is the schedule of events:

June 13: Members Only reception and networking event, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. 

June 14:  ATSC Annual Members Meeting, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and 40th Anniversary Party, 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

June 15: ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

More information and registration will soon be available at www.atsc.org/events/. 

On Friday and Saturday, April 14 & 15, 2023—just prior to the NAB Show— ATSC and the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) will hold a conference on preparing for ATSC 3.0 Specialist Certification. 

In 2021, the SBE released the ATSC 3.0 Specialist Certification. This upcoming course is designed to take students through the information necessary to effectively participate in the transition to NextGen Broadcasting and prepare for the certification exam. An exam testing session will follow, so that those students who meet the test qualifications can learn and become certified in one sitting.

“We will have the best industry instructors and cover the full range of topics that surround NextGen Broadcasting. The course will cover everything from enhanced audio and video processing, content protection, propagation, modulation, datacasting, and more,” explains ATSC President Madeleine Noland.  “This is a very ambitious program on the part of the SBE Education Committee, ATSC and other industry partners. It will be a unique and seminal event.”

While details are still being assembled on the precise Las Vegas venue and registration process, those interested in the Specialist Certification should mark their calendars for the mid-April.

CHANTILLY, Va.—SpectraRep, a provider of  datacasting services for more than 20 years, in concert with Sinclair/ONE Media says it completed a successful NextGen Broadcast pilot of its IncidentOne datacasting solution for D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management and six other federal and local public safety agencies. This application delivered sophisticated emergency communications through improved video, alert, and file sharing among multiple public safety agencies during the 2022 July 4th celebrations in Washington, D.C. on the National Mall using the advanced spectrum platform capabilities enabled by the NextGen Broadcast standard.  

Based on the NextGen Broadcast standard, IncidentOne layered a new secure wireless network on top of existing communication procedures to facilitate inter-agency sharing of data at unprecedented levels. Employing the NextGen Broadcast facilities of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s station WIAV and partnering with America’s Public Television Stations and the Advanced Television Systems Committee, the pilot program was a significant demonstration of the new capabilities of the Internet Protocol-based standard that dramatically improves television transmission, SpectraRep said.

IncidentOne is an existing enterprise-grade wireless emergency communications solution that uses over-the-air digital television (DTV) technology to deliver operational and crisis incident data quickly and securely. 

While IncidentOne has been used in the past to datacast public safety information via DTV airwaves, SpectraRep says datacasting with the new and efficient NextGen Broadcast standard supports a more robust transmission signal, higher data capacity, and, for the first time, mobile reception.

“SpectraRep and our partners are extremely pleased that the datacasting pilot supported by ATSC 3.0—NextGen Broadcasting—provided an enhanced ability to protect the public with more bandwidth and reliable mobile reception around data sharing,” said Mark O’Brien, President of SpectraRep. “As shown during the pilot, our datacasting solution helps first responders identify potential threats and disseminate emergency response information more quickly and efficiently than ever before possible. It remains our goal to increase the ability of emergency responders to have what they need to protect lives.”

O’Brien also noted that the NextGen Broadcast signal provided flexibility for optimizing data capacity and signal reception in both indoor and mobile facilities, which is key to fully supporting public safety professionals in the field. He added that large-scale events typically overload cellular systems, making it difficult for public safety departments to communicate and exchange critical data.

Mark Aitken, president of Sinclair’s technology subsidiary, ONE Media 3.0, added, “The advanced datacasting capabilities using the NextGen Broadcast standard is exactly the type of service that broadcasters around the country can provide and is a unique example of why accelerated deployment of these capabilities is so critical. NextGen can save lives.”

NAB EVP, Technology/CTO Sam Matheny said "this live datacasting pilot spotlights the unique and valuable opportunities made possible by the ATSC 3.0 standard, especially when it comes to public safety. This successful program can provide a blueprint for federal, state and local first responders to strengthen their emergency communications capabilities and reliably share lifesaving information during times of disaster. 

"NAB thanks the agencies and technology partners that participated in this project, as broadcasters continue to leverage ATSC 3.0 features to best serve the American people."   

This article was updated to add NAB's statement. 

Confirming the success of the pilot program is DC Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), Charles Guddemi, who reported, “We observed success with streaming encrypted video over the datacast signal, and then could successfully target and send that video to other agencies. We also confirmed the ability to send alerts and files to the authorized participating agencies.”

Top successful outcomes from the pilot program include:

• Safe and secure inter-agency sharing of video, messages, and files was achieved using SpectraRep’s IncidentOne datacasting solution.
• Select agencies transmitted secure alert messages that also included attached files.
• SpectraRep’s datacasting solution reached command staff and decision makers across agencies without requiring access to or interconnection between individual agency secure networks.
• SpectraRep’s mobile phone video application provided access to handheld video sourced from agency personnel in the field to operations centers.

Technology partners in the pilot program include DigiCAP Ltd., West Pond Technologies, Sinclair Broadcast Group (WIAV) and their technology group ONE Media 3.0, E/M Wave, Winegard, Osprey Video and SpectraRep LLC. Key Association partners include APTS America’s Public Television Stations, ATSC, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

SpectraRep's partnership with APTS, in particular, stretches back nearly 20 years when it announced in 2003 it was working with the association to deliver public safety information via DTV airwaves. 

A case study for the pilot program is available on the SpectraRep website. Click here to download.

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) today said it will hold its Jamaica Bootcamp and Seminar July 11-14 at the Ocean Coral Springs Resort and Conference Center in Trelawny, Jamaica.

ATSC, the Jamaica DSO Regulatory and Technical Committee, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) and the Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) are working together to produce the event.

“ATSC is excited that Jamaica has selected ATSC 3.0 for its transition to a digital television transmission (DTT) system and joins the growing number of countries deploying ATSC 3.0 technologies across the globe," said Madeleine Noland, ATSC president. “I am thrilled to be joining regulatory officials, broadcasters and our members in bringing this educational event to Jamaica.”

The conference will devote July 11 and half of July 12 to an in-depth technical workshop for station engineers preparing for a NextGen TV launch. The remainder of the event will offer an overview of ATSC 3.0 technology and explore the opportunities it can create to benefit the people of Jamaica. The seminar is intended for a broad audience, including regulators, engineers, station managers and government authorities, ATSC said.

"Jamaica now joins South Korea and the USA in pioneering the deployment of ATSC 3.0 (Next Generation TV), the world's latest and most advanced television transmission standard," said Cordel Green, executive director of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica and chairman of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) Regulatory and Technical Committee.

The commission has taken steps to enhance the nation’s ability to implement NextGen TV. It has brought on Trevor Libert as the project manager of the implementation. Libert is a certified professional with more than 30 years of experience developing and managing large, integrated projects for government ministries, departments and agencies as well as for financial institutions, said Green.

The commission also has brought on Aldo Cugnini, a 3.0 expert, as its ATSC 3.0 technical advisor, he said.

“It has been a long time coming, but change is on the horizon. We are future-proofing for generations and opening pathways for innovation towards becoming the example of that digital society in the region,” said Dr. Maria Myers Hamilton, managing director of the Spectrum Management Authority and member of the DSO Regulatory and Technical Committee, Jamaica.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

DETROIT—The Advanced Television Systems Committee has awarded its highest technical honor, the 2022 Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, to Dr. Youngkwon Lim, principal research engineer at Samsung Electronics.  

ATSC also presented the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal to Sony Electronics for leadership in deployment of ATSC 3.0 technology.

Congratulating the honorees during this year’s NextGen Broadcast Conference, ATSC president Madeleine Noland said, “Dr. Lim manages the work of Specialist Group TG3/S33 in a quick professional manner, allowing the industry to move forward apace. With more than two dozen patents to his name, his valuable knowledge has been instrumental in helping ATSC develop cutting-edge signaling solutions and more.”

Noland also recognized Sony Electronics for their leadership in the deployment of ATSC 3.0, as it incorporates the ATSC 3.0 electronics into all its consumer TV models on the market in the United States.  “Sony’s exceptional work on ATSC 3.0 development and implementation stand out in our industry and supports the successful rollout of NEXTGEN TV across the country,” Noland said.

ATSC’s 2022 Lechner Award recipient Youngkwon Lim has led the ATSC TG3/S33 Specialist Group on Management and Protocols since it was organized in 2013.  TG3/S33 is the group responsible for the most technical documents of any specialist group in TG3 – 8 Standards and 3 Recommended Practices, including A/331 “Signaling, Delivery Synchronization, and Error Protection,” which is one of the most complex documents in the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.

“ATSC 3.0 is a platform that can evolve over time, and S33 continues to play a pivotal role in ATSC, as the group tackles the myriad updates that improve A/331 and the other documents under its care. We are grateful for Young’s leadership in this critical piece of the ATSC 3.0 standard,” Noland added.

In addition to his service to ATSC, Lim has served as a Convener of the MPEG Systems Working Group and is well known for his expertise in Next-Generation Broadcasting and Multimedia Systems (Protocol, Delivery, Streaming).  Lim has also been a key contributor to MPEG Media Transport (MMT) for delivery of multimedia over IP networks and digital broadcasting, and he has chaired multiple Ad-Hoc Groups in MPEG, including Systems Technologies for Volumetric Media, Omnidirectional MediA Format (OMAF), Video Decoding Interface and more.

“Dr. Lim’s experience in other Standards Development Organizations allows him to quickly align ATSC documents with external documents for a cohesive set of standards.  His valuable knowledge has helped ATSC move forward with signaling solutions, and I appreciate his expert guidance of TG3/S33,” Noland added.

The Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award is bestowed once a year to an individual representative of the membership whose technical and leadership contributions to ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary. The title of the award recognizes the first recipient, the late Bernard Lechner, for his outstanding service to the ATSC.

Lechner was the retired Staff Vice President, Advanced Video Systems of RCA Laboratories. His 30-year career at RCA covered all aspects of television and display research, including early work on home video tape recorders in the late 1950s, extensive development of flat-panel matrix displays in the 1960s including pioneering efforts on active-matrix liquid crystal displays, advanced two-way cable TV systems and pay-TV systems in the early 1970s, electronic tuning systems and CCD comb-filters for TV receivers in the mid-1970s, automated broadcast cameras and CCD broadcast cameras in the late 1970s and early 1980s, to HDTV in the mid-1980s.

 DETROIT—To be sure, challenges remain for ATSC 3.0 in the delivery of video audio and data to vehicles, but the ATSC Next Generation Broadcast Conference June 9 clearly demonstrated robust IP data delivery to moving vehicles is technically possible and that –with the help of transportation infrastructure agencies—it may be easier to get receivers into future models of trucks and cars than previously thought.

Madeleine Noland set the theme for conference sessions when she revealed that South Korean auto parts manufacturer Hyundai Mobis has developed an ATSC 3.0 receiver for use in vehicles, completed testing of it in auto applications and that the company expects the first commercially available 3.0-enabled vehicles to be on the road in the United States next year.

While connecting cars is complicated, it’s hard to buy a car today that doesn’t have a connection, said Roger Lanctot, director of global automotive practice at Strategy Analytics, who laid out where connectivity and the automobile industry are headed.

“You've probably heard many times in the media people talking about the car as a smartphone on wheels… however, I'm here to say that the car is becoming something of a smart TV on wheels,” he said.

While delivery of entertainment content is important, connectivity’s primary role is in support of safety applications in vehicles, he said. Applications, such as updating GPS data and information about construction hazards, are only a few of the safety-related uses making reliable data delivery essential.

ATSC 3.0 has emerged at a fortuitous time in the evolution of the auto industry, he said. ““The entire industry is shifting to electric vehicle propulsion, which means vehicles are being redesigned, from the ground up blank slate and redesigned, which means everything's on the table for reconsideration. And that is why it's such a great time [for 3.0 to offer a connectivity solution for vehicles]. Such a great opportunity,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I just want to say ATSC 3.0 provides a low-cost data delivery broadcast pipe to the cars which are increasingly leveraging multimodal connectivity, and I think it's a huge breath of fresh air. It's a huge opportunity.”

Testing Proves 3.0 Vehicle Viability
During the conference consulting engineer Merrill Weiss presented findings from a three-part (phase one, one-and-half and two) “coast-to-coast” test in Michigan of 3.0 to demonstrate whether the standard is ready for data delivery to mobile receivers as well as possible future enhancements to the standard.

Before beginning the test, it was necessary to create a broadcast core network—manually operated because the automation required has not yet been developed—to manage data delivery across the four ATSC 3.0 transmitter multi-frequency network (MFN) set up for the cross-state test. The transmitting sites included one high-power, high-tower station and three low-power stations with medium-height towers, he said.

A mobile lab based on the Sony mobile reception platform was assembled for experimentation and to take measurements as it was driven coast-to-coast, said Weiss.

Phase one of the test identified gaps in signal delivery along the test route as a way “to prove the value…of diversity reception” and that it was possible to do handoffs between stations in different markets using “the signaling that is provided in ATSC A331 for transitioning between stations in multiple markets in an MFN actually worked,” he explained. 

In Phase 1.5, the testers improved the algorithms needed for the handoff and improve the rejection of co-channel interference from one station to another in the network that happened to be on the same channel and happened to be immediately adjacent to another,” said Weiss. This phase also saw improvement in the algorithm used for antenna selection. 

“We were able to deliver video and audio content to mobile receivers at high speed; we were able to deliver on-real-time data –in this case it was a set of photos that permitted telling whether there was a dropout during each individual, small file transmission…. There were minimal dropouts,” he said.

In phase two, the test applied an advanced Application Layer Forward Error Correction (AL-FEC) scheme and leveraged a technique called bandwidth multiplication “by using independent feeds from the source server to each of the transmitters individually,” he said. This technique effectively doubled the 1Mb/s allotted to the test to 2Mb/s by capturing the files being received and downloaded.

For data transmission, a technique that uses this advanced FEC setup and sends the same data to each transmitter in the MFN but codes each data feed differently makes it is possible to “receive about 103 to 110% of the total size of the file from any of those transmitters, any of the packets, [and] you can put together the entire file that you’re trying to transfer,” he said. 

“As a consequence, if you are able to receive from multiple transmitters simultaneously, you can improve the delivery rate,” he said, adding the tests successfully demonstrated this capability. The tests showed it is possible to deliver an error-free 7.6 GB file to a moving vehicle with no return channel and without using a data carousel. 

This phase also demonstrated delivery of 720p HD video with seamless switching between multiple stations as the test vehicle traveled down I-96 at highway speeds, he added.

During a Q&A, Weiss was asked about why it was necessary to employ AL-FEC rather than simply increasing the physical layer forward error correction of the Physical Layer Pipe (PLP) used to carry the data service.

The physical layer coding was optimized for various combinations of modulation and coding during the design of ATSC 3.0’s physical layer. The errors corrected with the physical layer tend to be short in duration, which in a mobile use of the standard would relate to quick signal variations related to traveling at high speeds, he said.

However, longer dropouts of data, such as those related to traveling through a tunnel, can better be addressed by FEC in the application layer with a longer buffer that can store more data before it is used. “For instance, one of the techniques that was applied in the area that I showed where we expected a dropout was to use a buffer of 1,200 seconds, 20 minutes, and as a consequence, you could go through that area and have no loss of content even though we had a significant dropout,” he explained.

While Weiss’s presentation about the test was typically analytical and thorough, Kerry Oslund, vice president of strategy and business development at The E.W. Scripps Co., who drove the test vehicle across Michigan and had no view of the test as they unfolded, recounted the excitement. 

“We were getting to those moments where we knew that there was going to be a handoff, but we’ve never seen the handoff technology work,” he said during the session. “Luke [Fay, senior manager of technical standards at Sony Home Entertainment & Sound Products] was doing the play by play. And he was saying, ‘We’re getting close. We’re getting close.’ I can’t see anything because I’m driving 70 mph in a Winnebago, and all of a sudden, ‘Handoff, handoff.’ And they’re screaming, and they’re celebrating in the back, and I’m screaming and celebrating and driving the Winnebago.” 

Fay also contributed his perspective on 3.0 mobile reception. “How can I give the confidence to all of you that this just works?” asked Fay. The answer was to show video taken during mobile reception tests in various cities around the country.

Playing video taken during driving tests in Santa Barbara, Calif., Phoenix and Detroit, Fay set up the clips explaining that two systems—a four- and one-diversity antenna system—were used and video from each shown on monitors built into the back of the headrests of the front seats. The one-diversity antenna system had the antenna positioned at the front of the test vehicle, while the other system had antennas located around it.

Overall, they showed seamless playback of received 3.0 video with no special software setup, just “a dedicated pipe operating at 5 dB SNR,” he said, adding “it just simply worked.”

Inside a tunnel in Phoenix, the video showed, the four-diversity system continued to work “for quite a ways” while the other system did not, he said.

During the session, Robert Foster, president and CEO of Auton, discussed the company’s participation in testing at the Motown 3.0 Test Track at the invitation of Scripps and Pearl TV as well as its approach to using two levels of forward error correction, one on the physical layer and the other that borrows from a technique used on the internet to compensate for packet loss stemming from buffer overflow but in the case of mobile 3.0 is used to recover lost packets over a longer timeframe.

Accelerating Mobile Adoption
The NextGen Broadcast Conference may have demonstrated that automakers are ready for a major rethink of just about everything as they begin designing electric vehicles from the ground up and the ability of 3.0 to execute robust delivery of data, video and audio to moving vehicles on highways and surface streets as well as in tunnels, but questions remain about how best to motivate their adoption of ATSC 3.0 reception in vehicles.

John Lawson, executive director of the AWARN Alliance, may have the answer. During another conference session, Lawson advised the broadcast industry to focus on explaining the benefits of 3.0 data delivery to “infrastructure players as well as automakers.” 

Those infrastructure players include the state transportation agencies that are writing the specification for communications to future smart vehicles. “You have to work with these public sector agencies,” he said.

The future of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) communications suffered “a major setback” last year when the FCC voted to take away half of the spectrum allocated for communicating safety information to smart vehicles, such as the presence of stopped cars at a red light or that a car is rolling into an intersection, he said.

“ITS has a major vulnerability that we can address,” said Lawson. The idea that broadcasters can reach all cars from a tall tower is interesting to the ITS community. 

The AWARN executive director also noted that now is the time to accelerate efforts to raise the awareness of state public transportation agencies about 3.0 because a new ITS communications ecosystem is needed. “3.0 could be part of that,” he said, adding that there has been a “massive infusion of federal money for smart transportation,” including services to communicate evacuation instructions in the event of an emergency, something well-supported in the NextGen TV standard.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The Oconsortium today announced its technology tour will visit Detroit June 8 during the Advanced Television System Committee’s NextGen Broadcast Conference, June 7-9, and go live from The Henry Ford Museum.

The Oconsortium Technology Tour van will be equipped with a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including ATSC 3.0 transmission implementations from the vehicle courtesy of Sinclair Broadcast Group and ONE Media, the Oconsortium said.

The van, designed and integrated by Accelerated Media, will feature the latest cameras from Canon, LiveU video-over-IP and bonded internet access, RF measurement tools, including solutions from Televes, IP networking with Tata Communications, Aveco news production and master control automation, Vizrt Tricaster production switching system, Dejero internet gateways, iso-video IP feeds via Teradek wireless video transmitters and remote production innovations from Panasonic, it said.

The Oconsortium showcase also will feature Veterans TV’s Support Our Veterans initiative.

More information is available on the Oconsortium website.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Advanced Television Systems Committee has reported that Television Jamaica Limited (TVJ) has launched NextGen TV broadcasts, making Jamaica the third country in the world to have launched ATSC 3.0 signals. 

In a switching on ceremony at its Lyndhurst Broadcasting House facility, the new Minister with responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan officially switched on the TVJ NextGen service just after 6.30 p.m. local time on January 31, 2022. 

Jamaica joins South Korea and the U.S.  as the third country to adopt and launch an ATSC 3.0 digital terrestrial television service.  TVJ commissioned the service into action in keeping with the government’s 2021 announcement that the switch over process should commence by local broadcasters in January 2022, the ATSC reported. 

TVJ said it is now making TVJ, TVJ Sports Network, Reggae Entertainment Television and Jamaica News Network, with the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica to be added shortly, free to consumers. 

TVJ is a member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.

“What TVJ and the RJRGLEANER group have done is not only invested in its own business, but it has invested in the digital future of Jamaica…I am impressed with the commitment shown to making government policy a reality,” Minister Morgan said.

Noting that the installation was carried out by an all-Jamaican engineering team on the ground, the Minister said it also showed that Jamaica has the capability to give strong leadership in the digital world.

“Our policy approach has not been to keep up with what is happening with the technology but to leap-frog current technology and provide leadership in this area”, he said.

TVJ’s General Manager, Claire Grant said she and the TVJ team members were excited to be a part of this history making activity which ushers in the newest global television technology with the most significant technological changes in almost half a century.

“Both picture and sound will be the best that television has ever had; TV service will be available on some mobile devices without needing data; advertising can be targeted to specific areas and viewership figures can be received in almost real time; emergency warning messages will be embedded and through their home antenna consumers will get multiple channels free of charge”, she said.  “Importantly, we will be able to provide even more FREE platforms for rich, relevant homegrown content,” she added.

Gary Allen, CEO of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, of which TVJ is a member, said that the company had invested about $12 million in the project.

“We have to give kudos to our regulators, the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica and the Spectrum Management Authority, who at the highest levels have been supportive and enabling in getting to this point,” Allen said.

TVJ, which in December became an official member of ATSC Inc, has commenced consultations with U.S. and South Korean experts, as well as with local television set retailers, advertisers and other stakeholders on the next steps, which will see up to twenty (20) similar transmission sites being commissioned into service, to achieve the 95% coverage of Jamaica that is targeted.

WASHINGTON—The non-profit organization charged with next-generation digital television deployment in Brazil has recommended to the Brazilian government that it choose several ATSC 3.0 technologies for Brazil’s TV 3.0 Project, which is scheduled for a 2024 launch, the Advanced Television Systems Committee announced this week.

“ATSC commends SBTVD Forum [Fórum Sistema Brasileiro TV Digital Terrestre] for its very well-organized process of developing Brazil’s TV 3.0 system,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland.

“Over the past decade, ATSC members developed the ATSC 3.0 system, and I am extremely proud that after rigorous testing and evaluation in Brazil, many elements of ATSC’s state-of-the-art terrestrial broadcast system have been selected. ATSC is ready to support SBTVD Forum as it applies these technologies to Brazil’s unique needs,” she said.

The SBTVD Forum is made up of private and public companies. It is responsible for making recommendations to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications for technologies to include in the TV 3.0 Project, its name for the nation’s next-gen OTA broadcast and OTT broadband service.

The forum has selected five ATSC 3.0 technologies, including: ROUTE/DASH transport; MPEG-H Audio; IMSC1 captions; HDR10 Video High Dynamic Range EOTF (with optional dynamic HDR metadata based on SMPTE ST 2094-10 and SMPTE ST 2094-40); and ATSC Advanced Emergency Alerting. Additional testing will continue for two years, ATSC said.

Other ATSC 3.0 technologies were chosen specifically for the TV 3.0 broadband component, including: H.265/HEVC Video Base Layer encoding; HLG Video High Dynamic Range EOTF (optional); SL-HDR1 High Dynamic Range delivery (optional); and AC-4 Audio (optional).

Noland recognized the work of the ATSC IT-4 Brazil Implementation Team, a collaborative effort by 15 ATSC member companies and others, which is led by Skip Pizzi. “IT-4 members have been diligently supporting ATSC technologies throughout the process and will continue their efforts in the upcoming phases of the SBTVD evaluation process,” she said.

Upon learning of the recommendation, Pizzi said, “…[W]e are thrilled by the SBTVD Forum’s decision to adopt so many ATSC-proposed technologies.

“We congratulate the Forum on its progress and look forward to our continuing collaboration in the next phase of TV 3.0 development.”

A complete description of the TV 3.0 Project is available online. It includes the recommendation that testing and evaluation will continue in 2022-23 on the over-the-air Physical Layer and portions of the Application Coding (i.e., interactive) elements of the TV 3.0 system. ATSC’s proposals for ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer and ATSC 3.0 Interactive Content systems remain among those to be further evaluated, ATSC said.