WASHINGTON—The NAB told the FCC this week that while the deployment of ATSC 3.0 (aka "NextGen TV") has been a success despite the hurdles imposed by the pandemic of the past two years, the commission could take additional steps to remove barriers to help accelerate the transition from 1.0 to 3.0 by adding clarity to when broadcasters will be allowed to stop simulcasting the current ATSC 1.0 signal with ATSC 3.0.

In reply comments filed with the FCC, NAB touted the success of the ATSC 3.0 rollout, highlighting the fact that more than half of U.S. households are within the reach of a NextGen TV signal and that millions of ATSC 3.0 compatible sets have already been sold. Industry figures indicate, according to NAB, that more than 58 million compatible sets will have been sold by the end of 2025, which doesn’t take into account the number of dongles or converter boxes that could make it to the market by then.

That said, NAB told the commission that it should avoid a “heavy-handed” and “overly prescriptive” approach that could hamper industry-wide efforts to deploy ATSC 3.0. In addition to the aesthetic advantages of improved video and audio as well as additional advanced services such as enhanced and multi-language audio as well as datacasting and emergency alerting, NAB also said the standard allows broadcasters to use technology that makes more efficient use of the spectrum through advanced modulation and encoding.

It also said allowing broadcasters to use ATSC 3.0 to offer such advanced services that can compete with broadband providers is good for the public interest. 

“If ATSC 3.0 allows broadcasters to offer new services that are competitive with cable or streaming services, that will likely lead to consumers having more choices and more competitive pricing options,” NAB said. “That plainly serves the public interest and the Commission should be encouraging broadcasters in this respect.”

When the FCC adopted the ATSC 3.0 standard in November 2017, it set a five-year time period requirement for broadcasters to broadcast, at the least, the same programming on its 3.0 channel as it does on its main 1.0 signal. While it was never considered realistic that that rule would expire at the end of the five years, the FCC will now be reviewing such requirements on a periodic basis and could change the rules depending on how well the transition is proceeding. 

Broadcasters would like to end the simulcasting rule sooner rather than later and suggested several steps the commission could take to move the transition along. Among the suggestions is a revision of the rule requiring broadcasters transitioning to ATSC 3.0 provide 90 days’ notice to MVPDs. 

The rule “is often excessive in practice,” NAB said, considering that “broadcasters have every incentive to keep MVPDs informed as to their plans.”

Broadcasters would also like more flexibility in who can serve as “host stations” in markets launching NextGen TV (where one station’s transmission facilities are used to transmit multiple stations' 1.0 or 3.0 signals) and be allowed to use advanced video compression technology to reduce bandwidth in its primary programming “to help facilitate the transition and maximize broadcasters’ ability to preserve programming as capacity constraints grow more acute.”

It also asked the commission to begin taking steps to revise rules that take into account technical advances and changes in the media landscape that have occurred since the standard was adopted. 

“There may be circumstances where the simulcasting requirement proves a substantial barrier to the transition,” NAB told the FCC. “NAB has previously recommended the Commission open a proceeding to begin to examine the conditions that would warrant sunsetting the simulcasting requirement as a whole, not only the substantially similar requirement. The Commission should issue a further notice to examine all of these issues with an eye towards streamlining the regulatory requirements around ATSC 3.0 deployments and densification to help accelerate the transition to the benefit of all stakeholders.” 

WASHINGTON—Following an official petition by NAB over the rules regarding NextGen TV simulcasting and multicast stream, the FCC is seeking comments from the industry on the issue. The initial deadline for comments has been set for Christmas Eve.

Earlier in November, the NAB asked the FCC to clarify and review issues pertaining to stations simulcastings NextGen TV signals. Specifically, NAB wanted clarification that the existing license framework for local simulcasting applies to a station’s simulcasted multicast streams as well as its primary stream. Also, the petition called for clarification, or a new rule if necessary, that the existing licensing framework for local simulcasting applies to multicast streams, even if such streams are not aired by the originating station.

Essentially, the FCC says that the NAB is asking the commission to recognize “the licensee who originated the programming rather than the licensee whose facilities are being used to distribute the programming is responsible for programming,” when it comes to simulcasting agreements involving multicast streams.

This is of particular interest, per NAB, when it comes to the deployment of ATSC 3.0, where stations are working together to simulcast ATSC 1.0 signals so as not to interrupt programming when transitioning to the NextGen TV standard.

According to the FCC’s announcement, the NAB believes that the actions outlined in its petition would provide a clear line of authority over the originator of multicast streams and therefore is “critical to ensuring that both commercial and noncommercial stations are willing to partner to help preserver service to viewers.”

NAB’s full petition is available through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System.

Anyone wishing to file comments in response to the NAB’s petition can do so electronically through the ECFS, or through mail addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand or messenger delivered filings are not being accepted.

The deadline for to file initial comments is Dec. 24. The reply comment deadline will be Jan. 25.

WASHINGTON—Executives representing noncommercial TV stations and PBS have met with FCC Media Bureau officials in person and by phone in the past two months to press their case for exempting noncom stations from simulcasting requirements in the transition to Next Gen (ATSC 3.0) TV transmissions, according to FCC documents.

The FCC is requiring TV stations to broadcast in both ATSC 3.0 and the current ATSC standard during a transition period since viewers can't receive the new transmissions without a new set or adapter and, unlike the digital transition, there is no program for subsidizing adapters.

In meetings with Martha Heller, chief of the Media Bureau's policy division, America's Public Television Stations EVP Lonna Thompson and PBS assistant general counsel Talia Rosen were pressing the case that the FCC should grant noncoms a blanket waiver of the requirement, given "the unique mission, structure, governance, finances, history, geographic layout, and regulatory treatment" of educational licensees.

ATSC 3.0 will allow for geographically targeted broadcasts and interactivity as well as 4K HD video.

Cable operators have opposed a blanket waiver for noncoms.

"Public broadcasters pay lip service to the need to serve viewers who receive their public television service over cable systems and other MVPDs but ask for the unilateral right to decide when to stop transmitting a viewable ATSC 1.0 signal based on vague and unenforceable factors," NCTA-The Internet & Television Association said in comments last year. "But this type of flash-cut approval is simply another way of arguing that broadcasters, not the Commission, should be able to determine when the transition to ATSC 3.0 ends ..."

Such a blanket waiver would indeed allow noncoms to "flash cut" to ATSC 3.0, but both APTS and PBS have told the FCC that is not their plan—given the centrality of their public service mission not to leave viewers behind—but that a blanket waiver would let them better plan for rolling out interactive curriculum-driven children’s content, advanced public safety measures and robust accessibility features on a rolling, market-by-market, basis.

If noncoms can't get a blanket waiver, they would like a presumptive waiver, which means that the FCC would presume they don't have to simulcast—like a presumption of innocence until proven guilty—and it would be up to opponents of a particular waiver to convince the FCC it was not in the public interest to grant it.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see ourATSC3 silo.

This story first appeared on TVT's sister publication B&C.

WASHINGTON—In a sit down last week with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and Nirali Patel, acting legal advisor to the commissioner, Michael Powell, president and CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, made the case for ATSC 1.0 simulcasting to be a requirement as part of any planned rollout of the ATSC 3.0 next gen TV standard.

Powell made the case for what was described as “robust simulcasting requirements” from the FCC during any transition period in a voluntary ATSC 3.0 roll-out. Particularly, Powell brought up a requirement that the broadcaster’s ATSC 1.0 signal continue to be transmitted in the same format prior to the transmission of a companion ATSC 3.0 signal. This would allow consumers to receive HD signals without requiring the purchase of a new TV set that could handle ATSC 3.0.

NCTA also called for simulcasting requirements to be maintained until the FCC determines that they should be lifted. There was also a discussion that the FCC should make clear that it will scrutinize efforts by broadcasters to obtain premature carriage of ATSC 3.0 by “unreasonably withholding access to ATSC 1.0 signals.”

A vote on the voluntary roll-out of ATSC 3.0 is scheduled to take place on Nov. 16. The draft text of the order that will be voted on was released by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and does not require broadcasters to continue to deliver HD. That draft is eligible to be changed prior to the vote.

NCTA Senior Vice President, Law & Regulatory Policy, Rick Chessen also took part in the meeting and filed an ex parte on it.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.