<![CDATA[ Latest from Tv Technology in Weigel-broadcasting ]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/tag/weigel-broadcasting Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:48:57 +0000 en <![CDATA[ DAS Disputes Wiegel's 3.0 EAS Limitations ]]> WASHINGTON—Digital Alert Systems, a major supplier of Emergency Alert System and common alerting protocol equipment and solutions, has filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission rebutting some of the assertions Weigel Broadcasting has made regarding NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 and the standard's limitations in delivering emergency alerts.

In a recent filing with the FCC. Weigel released a study contending that the transition to 3.0 broadcasts would cause problems with the public’s ability to receive vital emergency alerts.

Weigel has been a consistent opponent of proposals by the NAB and broadcasters to speed up the transition to ATSC 3.0 and set a firm cutoff date for ATSC 1.0 broadcasts.

In a June 3 meeting with FCC officials, Weigel reiterated its opposition to a mandatory cutoff for ATSC 1.0 broadcasts by arguing that: “(1) ATSC 3.0 makes a free service expensive and simple service complicated; (2) broadcasters may elect to degrade (or not improve) broadcasting in favor of non-broadcast services, such as gambling, pay television services, and private data delivery services; and (3) consumers, primarily those in rural areas underserved in terms of content and connectivity, may be the most harmed by a transition to ATSC 3.0.”

During that meeting, Weigel also “discussed Internet connectivity requirements to receive ATSC 3.0 DRM-encrypted channels” and shared its testing of “low-cost’ converter devices across four television markets. Weigel observed that when these devices weren’t connected to the Internet, EAS messages were not delivered. “In ATSC 1.0, there are no Internet connectivity requirements for EAS,” the broadcaster noted.

That study was strongly criticized by the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) in a June 26 letter that stressed “A3SA-suppported devices are designed to be fully compatible with the Commission’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) and to ensure that emergency alerts are reliably delivered to viewers. That is how the A3SA content protection framework was designed, and that is how it operates across the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem.”

In its FCC filing, Digital Alert Systems took no position DRM issues and praised Weigel for raising “an important and legitimate concern in that viewers must be able to receive essential emergency information over the air, including when broadband service is unavailable, unreliable, unaffordable, or disrupted by the very emergency for which public warning is needed.”

But the July 2 letter stressed that “the issues identified [by Weigel]...appear to relate more to the particular device configurations and options in those two particular products, rather than issues with ATSC 3.0, DRM, or broadcast technologies.”

The letter also attempted to “clarify the technical record insofar that a specific observed converter-device behavior is not read more broadly than the available evidence supports. The referenced ex parte presentation appears to document a particular result involving two converter devices, certain DRM-protected services, and certain offline test conditions. That result does not, by itself, establish that ATSC 3.0 inherently requires Internet connectivity for emergency alerting, that content protection necessarily interferes with EAS, or that a mandatory 19.3 Mbps `Broadcast PLP’ is the technical answer to the behavior described.”

Additional details can be found in the original filing, which is available here.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/regulatory-legal/digital-alert-systems-details-atsc-3-0-eas-capabilities-to-fcc bzACL4wdbj9D9okLKM9Szn Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:48:57 +0000 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:06:01 +0000 false false false

WASHINGTON—Digital Alert Systems, a major supplier of Emergency Alert System and common alerting protocol equipment and solutions, has filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission rebutting some of the assertions Weigel Broadcasting has made regarding NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 and the standard's limitations in delivering emergency alerts.

In a recent filing with the FCC. Weigel released a study contending that the transition to 3.0 broadcasts would cause problems with the public’s ability to receive vital emergency alerts.

Weigel has been a consistent opponent of proposals by the NAB and broadcasters to speed up the transition to ATSC 3.0 and set a firm cutoff date for ATSC 1.0 broadcasts.

In a June 3 meeting with FCC officials, Weigel reiterated its opposition to a mandatory cutoff for ATSC 1.0 broadcasts by arguing that: “(1) ATSC 3.0 makes a free service expensive and simple service complicated; (2) broadcasters may elect to degrade (or not improve) broadcasting in favor of non-broadcast services, such as gambling, pay television services, and private data delivery services; and (3) consumers, primarily those in rural areas underserved in terms of content and connectivity, may be the most harmed by a transition to ATSC 3.0.”

During that meeting, Weigel also “discussed Internet connectivity requirements to receive ATSC 3.0 DRM-encrypted channels” and shared its testing of “low-cost’ converter devices across four television markets. Weigel observed that when these devices weren’t connected to the Internet, EAS messages were not delivered. “In ATSC 1.0, there are no Internet connectivity requirements for EAS,” the broadcaster noted.

That study was strongly criticized by the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) in a June 26 letter that stressed “A3SA-suppported devices are designed to be fully compatible with the Commission’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) and to ensure that emergency alerts are reliably delivered to viewers. That is how the A3SA content protection framework was designed, and that is how it operates across the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem.”

In its FCC filing, Digital Alert Systems took no position DRM issues and praised Weigel for raising “an important and legitimate concern in that viewers must be able to receive essential emergency information over the air, including when broadband service is unavailable, unreliable, unaffordable, or disrupted by the very emergency for which public warning is needed.”

But the July 2 letter stressed that “the issues identified [by Weigel]...appear to relate more to the particular device configurations and options in those two particular products, rather than issues with ATSC 3.0, DRM, or broadcast technologies.”

The letter also attempted to “clarify the technical record insofar that a specific observed converter-device behavior is not read more broadly than the available evidence supports. The referenced ex parte presentation appears to document a particular result involving two converter devices, certain DRM-protected services, and certain offline test conditions. That result does not, by itself, establish that ATSC 3.0 inherently requires Internet connectivity for emergency alerting, that content protection necessarily interferes with EAS, or that a mandatory 19.3 Mbps `Broadcast PLP’ is the technical answer to the behavior described.”

Additional details can be found in the original filing, which is available here.

]]> <![CDATA[ A3SA Disputes Weigel Assertions that NextGen TV Threatens EAS ]]> WASHINGTON—ATSC 3.0 Security Authority, LLC is once again defending the digital rights management features and the Emergency Alert System capabilities of NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 with a sharp rebuttal of arguments made by Weigel Broadcasting to the Federal Communications Commission.

In a June 26 letter to the FCC, the A3SA stressed that “A3SA-suppported devices are designed to be fully compatible with the Commission’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) and to ensure that emergency alerts are reliably delivered to viewers. That is how the A3SA content protection framework was designed, and that is how it operates across the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem.”

While recent filings by Weigel Broadcasting Co. suggested that issues identified with the delivery of EAS alerts are somehow indicative of fundamental incompatibilities between ATSC 3.0 and EAS, the A3SA stressed that “this is simply not true. All broadcasters, and A3SA, share Weigel’s commitment to ensuring that EAS messages are reliably delivered to all viewers.2 Weigel’s filing, however, fundamentally mischaracterizes the source of the identified EAS issues, since those failures stem directly from implementation choices made by specific manufacturers – and have nothing to do with ATSC 3.0 or its key aspects including digital rights management (`DRM’) and other content protection features.”

The letter stressed that DRM systems in nearly all ATSC 3.0 capable devices are working as designed. “Every ATSC 3.0 television being manufactured today supports DRM and the millions of televisions and other devices operating today demonstrate that DRM does not impede, limit, or affect the reception of EAS messages,” the letter noted.

The problems, the group added, stem simply from two tested devices. “Weigel’s test results reflect the implementation decisions of the two particular manufacturers who produced the devices that were tested,” the group said. “They do not establish that DRM, content protection, or any other ATSC 3.0 features interfere with EAS delivery.”

In the case of the other box, “the BitRouter ZapperBox issue identified by Weigel is a device-configuration matter, not indicative of a DRM or ATSC 3.0 problem,” the group said. “ZapperBox is an outlier among A3SA-enabled set-top devices because, in its current implementation, it requires an initial Internet connection to obtain an over-the-top (`OTT') license needed to process encrypted content on a channel. That choice reflects ZapperBox’s connected-device use case: it is a higher-end set-top product, with DVR capabilities, intended for consumers who typically use it in an Internet-connected environment, where it operates as intended. However, the Internet connection is not a permanent requirement. Once the OTT license is obtained, the license persists and continues to function without an Internet connection. The box can then be disconnected from the Internet and will continue to operate, including decrypting video and audio and displaying EAS messages embedded in the broadcast stream. Weigel’s presentation again takes a connected-use device at a specific pre-license stage, removes the connectivity needed for that initial license acquisition, and then treats the result as evidence of a DRM problem. That characterization is false.”

The letter also complained that “Weigel’s presentation creates the false impression that Internet connectivity is a systemic requirement for ATSC 3.0 content protection. The opposite is true. A3SA specifically designed and engineered its content protection solution for OTA broadcast transmissions without ever needing an Internet connection. All devices that support the A3SA framework are provisioned with factory installed licenses which facilitates the “never-connected” to the Internet mode of operation. There are millions of devices sold into the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem – including all set-top boxes from manufacturers that support the A3SA content protection framework such as ZapperBox, Zinwell, ADTH, Shift2Stream, and GT Media, as well as every ATSC 3.0 television being manufactured today – operate with the same capability with factory installed licenses and the vast majority of those devices operate today without ever requiring an Internet connection.”

“As A3SA stated in its February 18, 2026 Reply Comments in this proceeding – and as Weigel’s own presentation acknowledges – more than 18 million devices can access all NextGen TV content, including EAS, whether encrypted or not, without needing an Internet connection or subscription,” the letter concluded. “Blaming ATSC 3.0 content protection for a device-specific implementation failure is akin to blaming a television broadcast station because its HDTV signal cannot be received on an SD-only television. The broadcaster’s signal is working; the standard is working; the missing capability is in the receiver. So too here: the issue is not ATSC 3.0 or the content protection framework, but the design choices made by particular device manufacturers.”

The full letter can be read here.

Weigel’s filing can be found here and the NAB’s comments on this issue are available here.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/regulatory-legal/a3sa-disputes-weigel-assertions-that-nextgen-tv-threatens-eas 7ncNu5GVGrN6RWTpNzaQJP Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:38:40 +0000 false false false

WASHINGTON—ATSC 3.0 Security Authority, LLC is once again defending the digital rights management features and the Emergency Alert System capabilities of NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 with a sharp rebuttal of arguments made by Weigel Broadcasting to the Federal Communications Commission.

In a June 26 letter to the FCC, the A3SA stressed that “A3SA-suppported devices are designed to be fully compatible with the Commission’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) and to ensure that emergency alerts are reliably delivered to viewers. That is how the A3SA content protection framework was designed, and that is how it operates across the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem.”

While recent filings by Weigel Broadcasting Co. suggested that issues identified with the delivery of EAS alerts are somehow indicative of fundamental incompatibilities between ATSC 3.0 and EAS, the A3SA stressed that “this is simply not true. All broadcasters, and A3SA, share Weigel’s commitment to ensuring that EAS messages are reliably delivered to all viewers.2 Weigel’s filing, however, fundamentally mischaracterizes the source of the identified EAS issues, since those failures stem directly from implementation choices made by specific manufacturers – and have nothing to do with ATSC 3.0 or its key aspects including digital rights management (`DRM’) and other content protection features.”

The letter stressed that DRM systems in nearly all ATSC 3.0 capable devices are working as designed. “Every ATSC 3.0 television being manufactured today supports DRM and the millions of televisions and other devices operating today demonstrate that DRM does not impede, limit, or affect the reception of EAS messages,” the letter noted.

The problems, the group added, stem simply from two tested devices. “Weigel’s test results reflect the implementation decisions of the two particular manufacturers who produced the devices that were tested,” the group said. “They do not establish that DRM, content protection, or any other ATSC 3.0 features interfere with EAS delivery.”

In the case of the other box, “the BitRouter ZapperBox issue identified by Weigel is a device-configuration matter, not indicative of a DRM or ATSC 3.0 problem,” the group said. “ZapperBox is an outlier among A3SA-enabled set-top devices because, in its current implementation, it requires an initial Internet connection to obtain an over-the-top (`OTT') license needed to process encrypted content on a channel. That choice reflects ZapperBox’s connected-device use case: it is a higher-end set-top product, with DVR capabilities, intended for consumers who typically use it in an Internet-connected environment, where it operates as intended. However, the Internet connection is not a permanent requirement. Once the OTT license is obtained, the license persists and continues to function without an Internet connection. The box can then be disconnected from the Internet and will continue to operate, including decrypting video and audio and displaying EAS messages embedded in the broadcast stream. Weigel’s presentation again takes a connected-use device at a specific pre-license stage, removes the connectivity needed for that initial license acquisition, and then treats the result as evidence of a DRM problem. That characterization is false.”

The letter also complained that “Weigel’s presentation creates the false impression that Internet connectivity is a systemic requirement for ATSC 3.0 content protection. The opposite is true. A3SA specifically designed and engineered its content protection solution for OTA broadcast transmissions without ever needing an Internet connection. All devices that support the A3SA framework are provisioned with factory installed licenses which facilitates the “never-connected” to the Internet mode of operation. There are millions of devices sold into the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem – including all set-top boxes from manufacturers that support the A3SA content protection framework such as ZapperBox, Zinwell, ADTH, Shift2Stream, and GT Media, as well as every ATSC 3.0 television being manufactured today – operate with the same capability with factory installed licenses and the vast majority of those devices operate today without ever requiring an Internet connection.”

“As A3SA stated in its February 18, 2026 Reply Comments in this proceeding – and as Weigel’s own presentation acknowledges – more than 18 million devices can access all NextGen TV content, including EAS, whether encrypted or not, without needing an Internet connection or subscription,” the letter concluded. “Blaming ATSC 3.0 content protection for a device-specific implementation failure is akin to blaming a television broadcast station because its HDTV signal cannot be received on an SD-only television. The broadcaster’s signal is working; the standard is working; the missing capability is in the receiver. So too here: the issue is not ATSC 3.0 or the content protection framework, but the design choices made by particular device manufacturers.”

The full letter can be read here.

Weigel’s filing can be found here and the NAB’s comments on this issue are available here.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Reimagines Broadcast Distribution With Harmonic ]]> CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting’s mission is to bring audiences the best in classic and contemporary entertainment. From MeTV, America’s leading classic television network, and Catchy Comedy to Movies!, Heroes & Icons and more, we deliver programming that connects generations of viewers across the United States.

To support our expanding portfolio of networks and affiliate stations, we needed exceptional-quality programming and modern technology to efficiently scale our operations. Managing a network of 25 television stations and multiple digital networks using hardware-heavy systems—with standalone encoders, playout servers and PSIP generators—was becoming increasingly complex. Each new station required more “pizza box” appliances, adding costs, maintenance and interoperability headaches.

It was time to rethink our broadcast infrastructure and break free from hardware limitations.

VOS Media Software
Our goal was clear: consolidate workflows, reduce hardware and create a future-ready foundation to sustain our rapid growth. We wanted a unified solution that would simplify our operations, eliminate redundant equipment and provide the flexibility to scale efficiently as we expanded into new markets.

From the start, we knew that a cloud-native approach to playout and delivery would be key to transforming how we operate. We chose Harmonic’s VOS Media Software to modernize our broadcast distribution, centralize control and simplify operations.

Harmonic’s VOS Media Software allows us to integrate automation, advanced playout, premium encoding and all the broadcast-grade capabilities we rely on into one streamlined platform. Instead of a patchwork of hardware at every site, everything is managed centrally, with greater control and efficiency.

With VOS Media Software, we can preassemble all channels and distribute air-ready signals directly to our owned stations. This change eliminates the need for local hardware at each station and dramatically simplifies channel origination.

Today, we manage 41 ATSC 1.0 signals, spanning both HD and SD channels, from a single, centralized environment. Our operations and engineering teams now control 24/7 linear channel origination, branding, statistical multiplexing and content delivery, all through a unified web interface.

What once required multiple systems for captioning, watermarking, graphics insertion and delay-line programming now lives entirely within the VOS platform. Harmonic’s containerized architecture makes it easy to scale resources up or down dynamically. If we need to launch a new channel or expand services in a market, we can do so almost instantly without new hardware investments or long deployment cycles.

Efficiency and Scalability
The results were immediate. By consolidating workflows into a single software environment, we’ve reduced hardware costs, eliminated interoperability challenges and simplified management for our engineering teams. Previously, adding a new station required weeks to procure and install hardware; now, it’s as simple as allocating more software capacity.

The shift to a subscription-based model has brought predictability. We can align costs with usage and redirect savings toward content creation and audience engagement—freeing up funds to invest in innovation.

Beyond cost savings, the transition to Harmonic’s VOS Media Software has modernized our operations. The same system now supports ATSC, streaming and split-signal workflows, positioning us to evolve alongside the industry and successfully meet our viewers’ needs. We’ve created all ATSC 1.0 multiprogram transport streams with well over 100 separate channels powered by VOS Media Software that feature SCTE-35-based ad insertion, opening new monetization opportunities.

Collaborating with Harmonic has reshaped how we think about broadcast operations. By embracing this playout-to-delivery transformation, we’ve not only simplified our workflows but also unlocked new creative and business potential. For Weigel Broadcasting, it’s the start of a new era that is defined by agility, efficiency and growth.

More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/insights/case-studies/weigel-reimagines-broadcast-distribution-with-harmonic fkKqvEGxNwS8paPzs39HTP Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000 Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:23:46 +0000 false false false

CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting’s mission is to bring audiences the best in classic and contemporary entertainment. From MeTV, America’s leading classic television network, and Catchy Comedy to Movies!, Heroes & Icons and more, we deliver programming that connects generations of viewers across the United States.

To support our expanding portfolio of networks and affiliate stations, we needed exceptional-quality programming and modern technology to efficiently scale our operations. Managing a network of 25 television stations and multiple digital networks using hardware-heavy systems—with standalone encoders, playout servers and PSIP generators—was becoming increasingly complex. Each new station required more “pizza box” appliances, adding costs, maintenance and interoperability headaches.

It was time to rethink our broadcast infrastructure and break free from hardware limitations.

VOS Media Software
Our goal was clear: consolidate workflows, reduce hardware and create a future-ready foundation to sustain our rapid growth. We wanted a unified solution that would simplify our operations, eliminate redundant equipment and provide the flexibility to scale efficiently as we expanded into new markets.

From the start, we knew that a cloud-native approach to playout and delivery would be key to transforming how we operate. We chose Harmonic’s VOS Media Software to modernize our broadcast distribution, centralize control and simplify operations.

Harmonic’s VOS Media Software allows us to integrate automation, advanced playout, premium encoding and all the broadcast-grade capabilities we rely on into one streamlined platform. Instead of a patchwork of hardware at every site, everything is managed centrally, with greater control and efficiency.

With VOS Media Software, we can preassemble all channels and distribute air-ready signals directly to our owned stations. This change eliminates the need for local hardware at each station and dramatically simplifies channel origination.

Today, we manage 41 ATSC 1.0 signals, spanning both HD and SD channels, from a single, centralized environment. Our operations and engineering teams now control 24/7 linear channel origination, branding, statistical multiplexing and content delivery, all through a unified web interface.

What once required multiple systems for captioning, watermarking, graphics insertion and delay-line programming now lives entirely within the VOS platform. Harmonic’s containerized architecture makes it easy to scale resources up or down dynamically. If we need to launch a new channel or expand services in a market, we can do so almost instantly without new hardware investments or long deployment cycles.

Efficiency and Scalability
The results were immediate. By consolidating workflows into a single software environment, we’ve reduced hardware costs, eliminated interoperability challenges and simplified management for our engineering teams. Previously, adding a new station required weeks to procure and install hardware; now, it’s as simple as allocating more software capacity.

The shift to a subscription-based model has brought predictability. We can align costs with usage and redirect savings toward content creation and audience engagement—freeing up funds to invest in innovation.

Beyond cost savings, the transition to Harmonic’s VOS Media Software has modernized our operations. The same system now supports ATSC, streaming and split-signal workflows, positioning us to evolve alongside the industry and successfully meet our viewers’ needs. We’ve created all ATSC 1.0 multiprogram transport streams with well over 100 separate channels powered by VOS Media Software that feature SCTE-35-based ad insertion, opening new monetization opportunities.

Collaborating with Harmonic has reshaped how we think about broadcast operations. By embracing this playout-to-delivery transformation, we’ve not only simplified our workflows but also unlocked new creative and business potential. For Weigel Broadcasting, it’s the start of a new era that is defined by agility, efficiency and growth.

More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Broadcasting Pushes Back on Proposals for ATSC Sunset ]]> WASHINGTON—While most broadcasters remain united behind the NAB’s proposal to cut off ATSC signals in 2028 and 2030, some broadcasters and LPTV owners continue to express reservations about the plans.

In a July 22, 2025 meeting at the Federal Communications Commission, representatives of Weigel Broadcasting Co. met with Commission staff to discuss a proposal by the NAB to "flash cut" from the ATSC 1.0 format to the ATSC 3.0 format and expressed opposition to the idea of sunsetting ATSC signals.

It also urged the regulator to establish guardrails to protecting the quality of broadcast signals and consumers.

The NAB’s roadmap for the transition from the current standard to ATSC 3.0 calls for the FCC to approve a Feb. 2028 sunset for the top 55 markets and the remaining stations would make the transition by Feb. 2030.

Weigel's representatives met separately with Chairman Carr's office and the Media Bureau, Commissioner Gomez's office, and Commissioner Trusty's office, the letter said.

During those meetings, Weigel expressed its opposition to the “flash cut” or hard cutoff dates proposed by NAB. In a letter describing the meetings, Weigel expressed three main reservations to the plan:

  • "Today, anyone with a television and antenna can get a wealth of programming for free. ATSC 3.0 changes this equation, potentially making a free service expensive, and a simple service complicated.
  • "Some broadcasters may elect to degrade (or not improve) broadcasting in favor ofnon­ broadcast services, such as pay television services and private data delivery services.
  • "Consumers, primarily those in rural areas underserved in terms of content and connectivity, may be most harmed by a transition to ATSC 3.0."

The letter added that "Weigel believes that, in such circumstances, the Commission should not adopt NAB's flash cut proposal."

In a previous filing with the FCC, Weigel laid our more detailed arguments opposing the NAB's plans for the 3.0 transition.

“Weigel was one of the first broadcasters to experiment with ATSC 3.0 from both a technical and a business perspective," the earlier filing stated. "One of the things Weigel learned, however, is that broadcasting using the ATSC 3.0 standard creates very real costs to viewers. Broadcasting succeeds because it is free and simple. Anyone with a television and an antenna can get a wealth of programming, for free. But ATSC 3.0 changes this equation, potentially making a free service expensive, and a simple service complicated. Unsurprisingly in light of these costs and burdens, Weigel has not seen consumer demand for broadcasting using the ATSC 3.0.”

In that filing, Weigel noted that “Weigel recommends that the Commission condition any transition to ATSC 3.0 (via flash cut or otherwise) in several ways. It should start with benchmarks for market penetration comparable to those used in the 2009 DTV transition. At a bare minimum, a flash cut should not leave viewers behind. In addition, the Commission should also establish guardrails designed to ensure that ATSC 3.0 is used to improve broadcasting."

These guardrails should include:

  • "A guardrail specifying the minimum portion of the broadcast signal to be used for broadcasting;
  • "A guardrail to ensure that the broadcast portion of the ATSC 3.0 signal can be received by viewers as it is today in ATSC 1.0; and
  • "A guardrail specifying reasonable limitations on DRM within the broadcast portion of the ATSC 3.0 signal. Weigel also urges the Commission not to sunset the “substantially similar” requirement or eliminate requirements to include ATSC 1.0 tuners in receivers."

More filings on the issue can be found here.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-broadcasting-pushes-back-on-proposals-for-atsc-sunset vbNwyFaEpbaEmj7NAXSsR Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:22:44 +0000 false false false

WASHINGTON—While most broadcasters remain united behind the NAB’s proposal to cut off ATSC signals in 2028 and 2030, some broadcasters and LPTV owners continue to express reservations about the plans.

In a July 22, 2025 meeting at the Federal Communications Commission, representatives of Weigel Broadcasting Co. met with Commission staff to discuss a proposal by the NAB to "flash cut" from the ATSC 1.0 format to the ATSC 3.0 format and expressed opposition to the idea of sunsetting ATSC signals.

It also urged the regulator to establish guardrails to protecting the quality of broadcast signals and consumers.

The NAB’s roadmap for the transition from the current standard to ATSC 3.0 calls for the FCC to approve a Feb. 2028 sunset for the top 55 markets and the remaining stations would make the transition by Feb. 2030.

Weigel's representatives met separately with Chairman Carr's office and the Media Bureau, Commissioner Gomez's office, and Commissioner Trusty's office, the letter said.

During those meetings, Weigel expressed its opposition to the “flash cut” or hard cutoff dates proposed by NAB. In a letter describing the meetings, Weigel expressed three main reservations to the plan:

  • "Today, anyone with a television and antenna can get a wealth of programming for free. ATSC 3.0 changes this equation, potentially making a free service expensive, and a simple service complicated.
  • "Some broadcasters may elect to degrade (or not improve) broadcasting in favor ofnon­ broadcast services, such as pay television services and private data delivery services.
  • "Consumers, primarily those in rural areas underserved in terms of content and connectivity, may be most harmed by a transition to ATSC 3.0."

The letter added that "Weigel believes that, in such circumstances, the Commission should not adopt NAB's flash cut proposal."

In a previous filing with the FCC, Weigel laid our more detailed arguments opposing the NAB's plans for the 3.0 transition.

“Weigel was one of the first broadcasters to experiment with ATSC 3.0 from both a technical and a business perspective," the earlier filing stated. "One of the things Weigel learned, however, is that broadcasting using the ATSC 3.0 standard creates very real costs to viewers. Broadcasting succeeds because it is free and simple. Anyone with a television and an antenna can get a wealth of programming, for free. But ATSC 3.0 changes this equation, potentially making a free service expensive, and a simple service complicated. Unsurprisingly in light of these costs and burdens, Weigel has not seen consumer demand for broadcasting using the ATSC 3.0.”

In that filing, Weigel noted that “Weigel recommends that the Commission condition any transition to ATSC 3.0 (via flash cut or otherwise) in several ways. It should start with benchmarks for market penetration comparable to those used in the 2009 DTV transition. At a bare minimum, a flash cut should not leave viewers behind. In addition, the Commission should also establish guardrails designed to ensure that ATSC 3.0 is used to improve broadcasting."

These guardrails should include:

  • "A guardrail specifying the minimum portion of the broadcast signal to be used for broadcasting;
  • "A guardrail to ensure that the broadcast portion of the ATSC 3.0 signal can be received by viewers as it is today in ATSC 1.0; and
  • "A guardrail specifying reasonable limitations on DRM within the broadcast portion of the ATSC 3.0 signal. Weigel also urges the Commission not to sunset the “substantially similar” requirement or eliminate requirements to include ATSC 1.0 tuners in receivers."

More filings on the issue can be found here.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Broadcasting Taps Harmonic for Cloud-Based Playout-to-Delivery ]]> SAN JOSE, Calif.—Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonic's VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, including ATSC 1.0 centralcasting, that are producing significant cost savings and greater efficiency for Weigel.

"As we continue to grow the number of stations we own and operate, we wanted a scalable, software-driven approach — not more racks of hardware," said Kyle Walker, vice president of technology at Weigel Broadcasting. "With Harmonic's end-to-end playout-to-delivery solution, we can easily add new stations by scaling compute power rather than piecing together stand-alone appliances. This has streamlined our workflows, increased efficiency and given us the flexibility for expansion without the complexities of a traditional broadcast infrastructure."

Harmonic's VOS Media Software improves cost efficiencies for Weigel with a fully software-based, end-to-end workflow for ingest, centralcasting, advanced playout and branding, encoding, transcoding, statistical multiplexing and distribution, the companies reported.

A built-in user interface enables seamless playlist monitoring and automated channel delivery via the web without requiring a complex automation system. Designed to scale, VOS Media Software empowers Weigel to expand its station lineup at any time, depending on data center capacity. Weigel can also enhance its broadcast channels by leveraging advanced capabilities on VOS Media Software, such as delay-line, PSIP fetch, Nielsen watermarking, Dolby upmix and AI captioning integration, they reported.

"By adopting our cloud-native VOS Media Software, Weigel is at the forefront of innovation as one of the first broadcasters utilizing a next-generation playout-to-delivery solution," said Gil Rudge, senior vice president, products and Americas sales, video business at Harmonic. "With advanced capabilities and support for ATSC, OTT and split signal all on one platform, Weigel is leveraging VOS Media Software to streamline operations and future-proof its video delivery."

Harmonic will demonstrate its innovative cloud solutions at the 2025 NAB Show, April 6-9, in Las Vegas at booth W2821. Further information about Harmonic and the company's solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-broadcasting-taps-harmonic-for-cloud-based-playout-to-delivery-solution HFxocvMUzdDukW6ZXY8ixE Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:58:01 +0000 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:12:38 +0000 false false false

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonic's VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, including ATSC 1.0 centralcasting, that are producing significant cost savings and greater efficiency for Weigel.

"As we continue to grow the number of stations we own and operate, we wanted a scalable, software-driven approach — not more racks of hardware," said Kyle Walker, vice president of technology at Weigel Broadcasting. "With Harmonic's end-to-end playout-to-delivery solution, we can easily add new stations by scaling compute power rather than piecing together stand-alone appliances. This has streamlined our workflows, increased efficiency and given us the flexibility for expansion without the complexities of a traditional broadcast infrastructure."

Harmonic's VOS Media Software improves cost efficiencies for Weigel with a fully software-based, end-to-end workflow for ingest, centralcasting, advanced playout and branding, encoding, transcoding, statistical multiplexing and distribution, the companies reported.

A built-in user interface enables seamless playlist monitoring and automated channel delivery via the web without requiring a complex automation system. Designed to scale, VOS Media Software empowers Weigel to expand its station lineup at any time, depending on data center capacity. Weigel can also enhance its broadcast channels by leveraging advanced capabilities on VOS Media Software, such as delay-line, PSIP fetch, Nielsen watermarking, Dolby upmix and AI captioning integration, they reported.

"By adopting our cloud-native VOS Media Software, Weigel is at the forefront of innovation as one of the first broadcasters utilizing a next-generation playout-to-delivery solution," said Gil Rudge, senior vice president, products and Americas sales, video business at Harmonic. "With advanced capabilities and support for ATSC, OTT and split signal all on one platform, Weigel is leveraging VOS Media Software to streamline operations and future-proof its video delivery."

Harmonic will demonstrate its innovative cloud solutions at the 2025 NAB Show, April 6-9, in Las Vegas at booth W2821. Further information about Harmonic and the company's solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel’s WMLW to Air Milwaukee Bucks Games ]]> MILWAUKEE—Weigel Broadcasting has announced a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to broadcast the NBA team’s games for the second consecutive season.

As part of the agreement, Weigel is broadcasting five Bucks games on independent station WMLW, known locally as The M.

The free over-the-air scheduled broadcasts debut on Wednesday, December 4 with the Bucks at home to take on the Atlanta Hawks at 7 PM. The game against the Nuggets in Denver on March 26 will be seen on WMLW and simulcast statewide in Spanish on WYTU, also known as Telemundo Wisconsin.

"We are so proud to partner with the Bucks again this season to bring games to fans in an affordable and convenient way," said Anne Brown, vice president and general manager of WMLW and its sister station, CBS affiliate WDJT.

“In simulcasting select Bucks games in partnership with Weigel, we will give more fans an easy and affordable way to watch their favorite team,” Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum, said. “We’re excited to team with Weigel again to expand our viewing options for fans.”

The Bucks TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines, will announce the games. These five games are a simulcast of FanDuel Sports Network’s coverage.

In addition to the free broadcast, WMLW can be viewed on channels 49 and 58.3, Spectrum 7/8/608/982/1007, DirecTV 49, Dish 49, AT&T 7/1007, TDS Channel 7, Packerland Broadband 22/2.1.

WYTU Telemundo Wisconsin is found on channels 63.1/58.4, Spectrum Channel 1027/27, Spectrum/Charter 206/17, Dish Network 17, AT&T U-Verse 3007/27.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigels-wmlw-to-air-milwaukee-bucks-games 9qqSMYwHM35NmsKgSbPpiG Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:41:11 +0000 false false false

MILWAUKEE—Weigel Broadcasting has announced a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to broadcast the NBA team’s games for the second consecutive season.

As part of the agreement, Weigel is broadcasting five Bucks games on independent station WMLW, known locally as The M.

The free over-the-air scheduled broadcasts debut on Wednesday, December 4 with the Bucks at home to take on the Atlanta Hawks at 7 PM. The game against the Nuggets in Denver on March 26 will be seen on WMLW and simulcast statewide in Spanish on WYTU, also known as Telemundo Wisconsin.

"We are so proud to partner with the Bucks again this season to bring games to fans in an affordable and convenient way," said Anne Brown, vice president and general manager of WMLW and its sister station, CBS affiliate WDJT.

“In simulcasting select Bucks games in partnership with Weigel, we will give more fans an easy and affordable way to watch their favorite team,” Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum, said. “We’re excited to team with Weigel again to expand our viewing options for fans.”

The Bucks TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines, will announce the games. These five games are a simulcast of FanDuel Sports Network’s coverage.

In addition to the free broadcast, WMLW can be viewed on channels 49 and 58.3, Spectrum 7/8/608/982/1007, DirecTV 49, Dish 49, AT&T 7/1007, TDS Channel 7, Packerland Broadband 22/2.1.

WYTU Telemundo Wisconsin is found on channels 63.1/58.4, Spectrum Channel 1027/27, Spectrum/Charter 206/17, Dish Network 17, AT&T U-Verse 3007/27.

]]> <![CDATA[ Three Gray Stations to Air Milwaukee Bucks Games ]]> GREEN BAY, Wisc.—Gray Television has announced that the Milwaukee Bucks are returning to broadcast television in Green Bay, Eau Claire-La Crosse, and Wausau, Wisconsin, on television stations owned by Gray. 

The games are being made available as part of the recently announced Bucks broadcast package from Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s WMLW, which will air the games in Milwaukee. 

Gray’s stations will broadcast 10 Bucks games this season, beginning on Friday, February 23rd, when the Bucks play at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We are thrilled to offer the Bucks fans in Green Bay, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Wausau, and nearby areas the chance to watch these ten games for free. This is a fantastic opportunity for Gray stations WBAY/WBAY 365 in Green Bay, WYOW/WSAW in Wausau and WEAU/WECX in Eau Claire-La Crosse to provide complete access to these Bucks games, regardless of how you watch TV,” said Matt Moran, senior managing vice president for Gray Television.

The games have been made available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Wisconsin. 

The Bucks will utilize their TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines for these 10 games.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/three-gray-stations-to-air-milwaukee-bucks-games vdTSFNbNjVmLXzdYyBdYQX Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:41:46 +0000 false false false

GREEN BAY, Wisc.—Gray Television has announced that the Milwaukee Bucks are returning to broadcast television in Green Bay, Eau Claire-La Crosse, and Wausau, Wisconsin, on television stations owned by Gray. 

The games are being made available as part of the recently announced Bucks broadcast package from Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s WMLW, which will air the games in Milwaukee. 

Gray’s stations will broadcast 10 Bucks games this season, beginning on Friday, February 23rd, when the Bucks play at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We are thrilled to offer the Bucks fans in Green Bay, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Wausau, and nearby areas the chance to watch these ten games for free. This is a fantastic opportunity for Gray stations WBAY/WBAY 365 in Green Bay, WYOW/WSAW in Wausau and WEAU/WECX in Eau Claire-La Crosse to provide complete access to these Bucks games, regardless of how you watch TV,” said Matt Moran, senior managing vice president for Gray Television.

The games have been made available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Wisconsin. 

The Bucks will utilize their TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines for these 10 games.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel, Tegna’s WQAD to Broadcast 10 Milwaukee Bucks Games ]]> TYSONS, Va.—In another example of how troubles in the regional sports network business are bringing more games to broadcast, Tegna has inked a new agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks that will see 10 Bucks games air on free over-the-air broadcast television in the Quad Cities. 

These games will be available to nearly 240,000 homes and more than 384,000 people in the Quad Cities. Games will air on Tegna's WQAD 8.3 through its free, HD over-the-air broadcasts and through the channel’s distribution with cable services.

WQAD will have 10 over-the-air Bucks games this season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 23, when the Bucks play at the Minnesota Timberwolves. WQAD is part of the newly announced broadcast package from Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s WMLW The M in Milwaukee.

“We’re thrilled to make these Bucks games available to every fan, and every household, in the Quad Cities,” said Jim Kizer, president and general manager, WQAD.

“We’re grateful for the trust of the Milwaukee Bucks and Weigel Broadcasting,” added Brad Ramsey, senior vice president, media operations, Tegna. “This is an exciting moment in sports, and we’re pleased to strike additional agreements to offer more games to more fans in more homes.”

The games were previously made available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Wisconsin. 

“Weigel is elated to help bring Bucks basketball games to viewers on broadcast television, an accessible and affordable option for all sports fans,” said Evan Fieldman, executive vice president of Weigel.

“We’re thrilled to reach Bucks fans on broadcast television stations,” said Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “Over-the-air is an easy and affordable way for Bucks fans to watch our games, and we’re excited to work with Weigel and broadcasters like Tegna to make them widely available.”

The Bucks will utilize their TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines for these 10 games.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-tegnas-wqad-to-broadcast-10-milwaukee-bucks-games EBba5kEsVYSF2MsmrxJnm8 Thu, 08 Feb 2024 21:50:39 +0000 Thu, 08 Feb 2024 21:51:07 +0000 false false false

TYSONS, Va.—In another example of how troubles in the regional sports network business are bringing more games to broadcast, Tegna has inked a new agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks that will see 10 Bucks games air on free over-the-air broadcast television in the Quad Cities. 

These games will be available to nearly 240,000 homes and more than 384,000 people in the Quad Cities. Games will air on Tegna's WQAD 8.3 through its free, HD over-the-air broadcasts and through the channel’s distribution with cable services.

WQAD will have 10 over-the-air Bucks games this season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 23, when the Bucks play at the Minnesota Timberwolves. WQAD is part of the newly announced broadcast package from Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s WMLW The M in Milwaukee.

“We’re thrilled to make these Bucks games available to every fan, and every household, in the Quad Cities,” said Jim Kizer, president and general manager, WQAD.

“We’re grateful for the trust of the Milwaukee Bucks and Weigel Broadcasting,” added Brad Ramsey, senior vice president, media operations, Tegna. “This is an exciting moment in sports, and we’re pleased to strike additional agreements to offer more games to more fans in more homes.”

The games were previously made available for local over-the-air distribution as part of the NBA’s agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Wisconsin. 

“Weigel is elated to help bring Bucks basketball games to viewers on broadcast television, an accessible and affordable option for all sports fans,” said Evan Fieldman, executive vice president of Weigel.

“We’re thrilled to reach Bucks fans on broadcast television stations,” said Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “Over-the-air is an easy and affordable way for Bucks fans to watch our games, and we’re excited to work with Weigel and broadcasters like Tegna to make them widely available.”

The Bucks will utilize their TV broadcast team of Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Steve Novak, with Melanie Ricks reporting from the sidelines for these 10 games.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Broadcasting Expands MeTV Distribution with DirecTV Deal ]]> Weigel Broadcasting and DirecTV have announced a distribution deal that will make Weigel’s flagship network, MeTV, available nationwide on DirecTV and DirecTV Stream. 

Starting June 10, MeTV became available in HD on both DirecTV and DirecTV Stream (Ch. 77) for customers with the Choice and above packages. MeTV has been available to U-verse homes since its December 2012 debut (Ch. 136) and added HD coverage three years later (Ch. 1136).

“MeTV is ‘Memorable Entertainment Television,’ making it a uniquely valuable addition to the DirecTV channel lineup nationwide,” said Neal Sabin, vice-chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co. “We couldn’t be happier to seal this deal which allows us to add MeTV beyond the existing markets and deliver some of the most cherished and timeless television ever made to DirecTV subscribers coast-to-coast.”

“This agreement provides Weigel additional reach to grow its viewership and sponsors, while furthering DirecTV’s national and local programming interests,” added Linda Burakoff, senior vice president of content and programming at DirecTV. “We continue to work creatively, and respectfully, with Weigel and other broadcasters to identify our mutual priorities, and then develop them together to expand our customers, sponsors and future prospects.”

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-broadcasting-expands-metv-distribution-with-directv-deal WjuRQJpt6Lxwx9LjBmKeZL Tue, 11 Jul 2023 16:38:28 +0000 false false false

Weigel Broadcasting and DirecTV have announced a distribution deal that will make Weigel’s flagship network, MeTV, available nationwide on DirecTV and DirecTV Stream. 

Starting June 10, MeTV became available in HD on both DirecTV and DirecTV Stream (Ch. 77) for customers with the Choice and above packages. MeTV has been available to U-verse homes since its December 2012 debut (Ch. 136) and added HD coverage three years later (Ch. 1136).

“MeTV is ‘Memorable Entertainment Television,’ making it a uniquely valuable addition to the DirecTV channel lineup nationwide,” said Neal Sabin, vice-chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co. “We couldn’t be happier to seal this deal which allows us to add MeTV beyond the existing markets and deliver some of the most cherished and timeless television ever made to DirecTV subscribers coast-to-coast.”

“This agreement provides Weigel additional reach to grow its viewership and sponsors, while furthering DirecTV’s national and local programming interests,” added Linda Burakoff, senior vice president of content and programming at DirecTV. “We continue to work creatively, and respectfully, with Weigel and other broadcasters to identify our mutual priorities, and then develop them together to expand our customers, sponsors and future prospects.”

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Broadcasting Adds 19 Pixel Power StreamMasters ]]> CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Company will deploy 19 Pixel Power StreamMaster software-defined graphics, playout and channel branding systems to replace its existing Pixel Power Clarity and LogoVision systems.

A Rohde & Schwarz company, Pixel Power offers StreamMaster BRAND as a virtualizable, software-defined unit for playout branding along with a single CREATE device, a virtualizable software application for creating graphics templates, the company said.

“We needed updated graphics capabilities that allowed us to tie into our asset management system to create dynamic and fully automated graphic overlays for our national networks. After testing against two other Tier 1 graphics vendors, StreamMaster was the only platform that gave us a complete workflow, including master control for channel branding, within one platform,” said Weigel vice president of technology Kyle Walker.

“We know firsthand just how robust and reliable Pixel Power’s technology is, and with these StreamMaster BRAND devices we now have the capability to take our branding to a new level of sophistication," he continue. "Being a software-defined solution also gives us future-proof flexibility to add new features as they come along or move to the cloud.” 

StreamMaster BRAND is easy to deploy in single or multi-channel broadcast playout environments. Built to support a wide range of automated graphics playout and channel branding needs, StreamMaster BRAND enables live lower-thirds, bugs, promos and other branding, the company said. 

Requiring no operator intervention, StreamMaster BRAND can be triggered by station automation, relying on a set of defined rules to determine what content is inserted. The new StreamMasters will integrate seamlessly with Weigel’s proprietary automation system, which was modified to control them, the company said. .

More information is available on the company’s website. 

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-broadcasting-adds-19-pixel-power-streammasters c6EVirmjKyEDsZdtczWGeW Mon, 09 May 2022 15:57:01 +0000 false false false

CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Company will deploy 19 Pixel Power StreamMaster software-defined graphics, playout and channel branding systems to replace its existing Pixel Power Clarity and LogoVision systems.

A Rohde & Schwarz company, Pixel Power offers StreamMaster BRAND as a virtualizable, software-defined unit for playout branding along with a single CREATE device, a virtualizable software application for creating graphics templates, the company said.

“We needed updated graphics capabilities that allowed us to tie into our asset management system to create dynamic and fully automated graphic overlays for our national networks. After testing against two other Tier 1 graphics vendors, StreamMaster was the only platform that gave us a complete workflow, including master control for channel branding, within one platform,” said Weigel vice president of technology Kyle Walker.

“We know firsthand just how robust and reliable Pixel Power’s technology is, and with these StreamMaster BRAND devices we now have the capability to take our branding to a new level of sophistication," he continue. "Being a software-defined solution also gives us future-proof flexibility to add new features as they come along or move to the cloud.” 

StreamMaster BRAND is easy to deploy in single or multi-channel broadcast playout environments. Built to support a wide range of automated graphics playout and channel branding needs, StreamMaster BRAND enables live lower-thirds, bugs, promos and other branding, the company said. 

Requiring no operator intervention, StreamMaster BRAND can be triggered by station automation, relying on a set of defined rules to determine what content is inserted. The new StreamMasters will integrate seamlessly with Weigel’s proprietary automation system, which was modified to control them, the company said. .

More information is available on the company’s website. 

]]> <![CDATA[ Frndly TV Inks Deal to Add Weigel Diginets ]]> DENVER—The live streaming platform Frndly TV has signed a deal with Weigel Broadcasting to add five of Weigel’s diginets to its lineup of streaming services. 

The deal includes Weigel’s MeTV, H&I (Heroes & Icons), Decades, Start TV, and the new Story Television national network.

MeTV and the new Story Television network launched on Frndly TV on March 28 with the others to follow.  

The five new networks will boost the Frndly TV channel lineup to more than 35 services, but the streamer said that the new content will not increase its current $6.99 a month subscription fee. 

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/frndly-tv-inks-deal-to-add-weigel-diginets Xv7PcEs2WReu4mCNzdPoeT Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:33:33 +0000 false false false

DENVER—The live streaming platform Frndly TV has signed a deal with Weigel Broadcasting to add five of Weigel’s diginets to its lineup of streaming services. 

The deal includes Weigel’s MeTV, H&I (Heroes & Icons), Decades, Start TV, and the new Story Television national network.

MeTV and the new Story Television network launched on Frndly TV on March 28 with the others to follow.  

The five new networks will boost the Frndly TV channel lineup to more than 35 services, but the streamer said that the new content will not increase its current $6.99 a month subscription fee. 

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Upgrades Milwaukee Stations With JVC Connected Cam Camcorders ]]> MILWAUKEE—Weigel Broadcasting Co. Milwaukee, home of four local stations, has selected several JVC GY-HC900 and GY-HC550 Connected Cam camcorders to record natively to SD cards. 

“We have been using JVC for over a decade in the field and have been very happy,” said Steve Percefull, chief engineer, Weigel Broadcasting Co. Milwaukee, which owns WDJT-TV, CBS 58; WMLW-TV, The M; WBME-CD, Me-TV; and WYTU-LD, Telemundo Wisconsin.

“We have the GY-HM650 ProHD Mobile News Camera and GY-HM790 ProHD Solid State Media Camcorder, as well as GY-HM850 and GY-HM890 ProHD Shoulder Camcorders in our inventory,” he said.

“We have tried other manufacturers’ cameras over the years, but have to use adapters to use SD cards, which became problematic. This time around when I was buying cameras, I wanted something easy and user-friendly, so we went back to JVC,” 

The GY-HC900 has a full-frame and two-thirds lens, which Percefull said is well-suited to the group’s needs. “It has more bells and whistles than some of the other cameras we were using, and a larger lens, so it was any easy choice,” he added.

Aaron Frye, WDJT director of photography, was among the first to use the cameras at Weigel Broadcasting. “I primarily use our new JVC GY-HC900 for field anchoring and to shoot news stories and have been really impressed,” he said. “The GY-HC900 has a nice depth of field and the colors really pop; it’s a great upgrade from our previous cameras.”

The broadcaster also bought the GY-HC550s as replacements for its aging cameras used by its Multimedia Journalists (MMJs). The ruggedness of both the GY-HC900 and GY-HC550 have impressed Percefull, he said.

“These are the most road-ready JVC cameras we have used. In addition, the support we receive has been top-notch. Both cameras are very user-friendly as they are very similar to the other JVC cameras we have in our inventory,” he said.

Although Weigel uses the new JVC Connected Cam camcorders for its live standups, the cameras also can stream content live, including to Facebook Live and YouTube Live.

More information is available on the company’s website.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-upgrades-milwaukee-stations-with-jvc-connected-cam-camcorders sPowUxwWFSmi5nrcCqA7K7 Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:11:47 +0000 Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:11:52 +0000 false false false

MILWAUKEE—Weigel Broadcasting Co. Milwaukee, home of four local stations, has selected several JVC GY-HC900 and GY-HC550 Connected Cam camcorders to record natively to SD cards. 

“We have been using JVC for over a decade in the field and have been very happy,” said Steve Percefull, chief engineer, Weigel Broadcasting Co. Milwaukee, which owns WDJT-TV, CBS 58; WMLW-TV, The M; WBME-CD, Me-TV; and WYTU-LD, Telemundo Wisconsin.

“We have the GY-HM650 ProHD Mobile News Camera and GY-HM790 ProHD Solid State Media Camcorder, as well as GY-HM850 and GY-HM890 ProHD Shoulder Camcorders in our inventory,” he said.

“We have tried other manufacturers’ cameras over the years, but have to use adapters to use SD cards, which became problematic. This time around when I was buying cameras, I wanted something easy and user-friendly, so we went back to JVC,” 

The GY-HC900 has a full-frame and two-thirds lens, which Percefull said is well-suited to the group’s needs. “It has more bells and whistles than some of the other cameras we were using, and a larger lens, so it was any easy choice,” he added.

Aaron Frye, WDJT director of photography, was among the first to use the cameras at Weigel Broadcasting. “I primarily use our new JVC GY-HC900 for field anchoring and to shoot news stories and have been really impressed,” he said. “The GY-HC900 has a nice depth of field and the colors really pop; it’s a great upgrade from our previous cameras.”

The broadcaster also bought the GY-HC550s as replacements for its aging cameras used by its Multimedia Journalists (MMJs). The ruggedness of both the GY-HC900 and GY-HC550 have impressed Percefull, he said.

“These are the most road-ready JVC cameras we have used. In addition, the support we receive has been top-notch. Both cameras are very user-friendly as they are very similar to the other JVC cameras we have in our inventory,” he said.

Although Weigel uses the new JVC Connected Cam camcorders for its live standups, the cameras also can stream content live, including to Facebook Live and YouTube Live.

More information is available on the company’s website.

]]> <![CDATA[ Diginets Come of Age ]]> LOS ANGELES—As the audience for diginets grows, so do their programming offerings. And diginets’ audiences are growing, make no mistake. While the nets—also known as multicast networks—got their start due to the availability of spectrum and extra channels when high-definition television came online, they have grown their businesses due to the unexpected rise of so-called cord-cutters and cord-nevers.

Instead of subscribing to expensive cable packages, cord-cutters, or people who abandon their cable subscription, and cord-nevers, or those who’ve never subscribed to cable in the first place, figure out other ways to watch television. One way that is growing in popularity is pairing inexpensive over-the-air antennas with over-the-top streaming subscriptions.

For example, a user could put an antenna on his house and then subscribe to advertising-supported Hulu for $7.99 per month, thereby creating a virtual cable package composed of over-the-air linear broadcasters, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW, as well as multicast networks, such as MeTV, This TV, Antenna TV, Cozi TV and many more.

The share of U.S. households that acquire their TV signals via over-the-air antenna increased to 20 percent—or about 24 million homes—from 16 percent from early 2015 through the end of 2017, according to Parks Associates data from March.

“If you put yourself in the shoes of someone who can’t afford or chooses not to subscribe to cable or satellite, an entertainment option with a free price point becomes popular,” Katz Networks President and CEO Jonathan Katz said. “It’s a pairing that has organically happened as consumers have combined these two platforms into their own bundle.”

In August 2017, The E.W. Scripps Co. acquired the 95 percent of Katz it didn’t already own, including four multicast networks, Bounce, Escape, Grit and Laff, and subscription streaming service Brown Sugar, for $302 million. With the additional cash infusion, Katz has been able to accelerate its programming acquisitions.

Diginet Bounce TV has built a high profile with off-network acquisitions like “Scandal.”

Diginet Bounce TV has built a high profile with off-network acquisitions like “Scandal.”

For example, in November, Bounce acquired all seven seasons of Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” from Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, which it began airing in primetime on Monday, Nov. 12.

Katz also has acquired Disney’s “According to Jim,” to premiere on comedy-focused network Laff in 2019, joining “Home Improvement,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “That ’70s Show,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Night Court,” “Spin City” and more.

On Jan. 1, 2019, female-focused Escape is adding the first 12 seasons of “Law & Order” and every episode of “Boston Legal” to a programming lineup that also includes “Without a Trace.”

And Western network Grit will add Warner Bros.’ movie library of Westerns to its schedule.

Bounce also is the first diginet to expand into original scripted series and movies, Katz said.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, it premiered holiday movie “Stone Cold Christmas,” a modern and female-driven take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” On Monday, Jan. 7, it will premiere half-hour series “Last Call,” starring “Empire’s” Charles Malik Whitfield as an ex-NFL player who opens a comedy club. “Last Call” joins a slate of original series that includes “Saints & Sinners,” “Family Time” and “In the Cut.”

NETTING NOSTALGIA VIEWERS

While the Katz networks are growing quickly, the highest-rated and best-distributed diginet continues to be Weigel Broadcasting’s MeTV, which airs nostalgia programming such as “Charlie’s Angels,” “Big Valley,” “Bonanza” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” In the coming months, MeTV will launch its first original program, which it is producing in-house.

Besides MeTV, Weigel offers diginets Heroes & Icons, Movies and Decades. MeTV was one of the first diginets to launch and continues to offer nostalgia fare, along with competitors such as This TV, Antenna TV and Cozi TV.

In September, Weigel launched Start TV in partnership with the CBS-owned stations. The network airs scripted crime dramas that target women, such as “The Closer,” “The Division,” “Early Edition,” “Family Law,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “Medium,” “Profiler,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

Start TV already has done well enough that it will be nationally rated by Nielsen come December. In January, it will add five shows to the schedule, including “The Good Wife” and “Crossing Jordan.”

“We continue to schedule dramas with women in leading and significant roles,” Weigel Vice Chairman Neal Sabin said. “That’s one of the reasons we think the network has resonated so well with women. The network was correctly positioned at the right time.”

Another network that got its start largely as a nostalgia net, NBCUniversal’s Cozi TV, is starting to program more recent series. On Jan. 1, it will launch sitcom “The Office.”

“It’s a bold, innovative show that has proven to be rewatchable and has such a fan following,” Cozi TV Senior VP Meredith McGinn said.

Cozi airs classic sitcoms in primetime blocks, having found that viewers stick around for them. During the day, it airs dramas such as “Murder, She Wrote” and “Little House on the Prairie.” The diginet is available in more than 90 million homes and in 82 percent of the U.S.

The flip side of the Cozi coin is Spanish-language diginet TeleXitos, which launched in December 2014 and offers classic English-language series and movies dubbed in Spanish. So, U.S. Hispanics who enjoyed shows such as “Miami Vice” and “Law & Order” when they were growing up in their home countries can enjoy those shows again in their native language and with their families. TeleXitos just debuted “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” also dubbed in Spanish.

“The beauty of this network is that it offers viewers another option, something else to watch,” TeleXitos Senior Director Barbara Alfonso said. “Our brand is not nostalgia, it’s action-adventure.”

To that end, TeleXitos also programs movies, also dubbed in Spanish, and often packages them to serve as cross-platform promotion for other NBCUniversal interests.

For example, last summer TeleXitos aired the “Jurassic Park” movies in Spanish on “prehistoric Fridays” just as NBCUniversal was rolling out global blockbuster “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” This holiday season, TeleXitos will offer “Legends of the Desert,” featuring such franchises as “The Mummy” and “The Scorpion King.”

GETTING SPECIFIC

Beyond the nostalgia networks, niche channels offer specific programming targeted at distinct audiences, such as Cooper Media’s Justice and Quest networks. Justice programs true-crime series targeting women 25 to 54, while Quest offers reality shows geared toward men, such as “Ice Road Truckers” and “MythBusters.” Because diginets are most often watched by cord-cutters and cord-nevers, these networks offer such viewers shows they can’t get because they are only available with a linear pay TV subscription.

“What we did when we built Justice, and then Quest three years later, we looked at what the options were for viewers across cable and streaming platforms,” Cooper Media VP of Strategy and Distribution Brian Weiss said. “The true, screaming needs, as far as we were concerned, for over the air was crime. There’s a huge, loyal audience for crime, and there was nothing on broadcast that was 24/7 true crime.

“Fast-forward three years later, if you look at Nielsen trends across cable, broadcast and streaming media, there’s nothing really available on broadcast or Netflix and Hulu that falls into the category of male-oriented factual entertainment,” he continued. “It felt like a nice niche for us to fill that no one else has touched.”

Buzzr’s niche is classic game shows, including the original “Family Feud” and the 1990s version of “Supermarket Sweep.”

Buzzr’s niche is classic game shows, including the original “Family Feud” and the 1990s version of “Supermarket Sweep.”

Another niche diginet is Fremantle-Media’s Buzzr, which packages the company’s nostalgic game shows, such as vintage “Family Feud,” “Supermarket Sweep,” “Password” and many more. Earlier this year, it added “Celebrity Name Game,” hosted by Craig Ferguson, after it had completed its three-season syndication run.

“We’re all running shows that tap into some sort of nostalgia or some sort of niche audience,” Buzzr General Manager Mark Deetjen said. “Nobody’s really doing any serious first-run content, nobody’s buying first-run sports. We’re all trying to figure out the economics that this business can support. From that standpoint, we’re all in the same boat.”

Buzzr, which is in 88 million U.S. homes, was just added to Pluto TV, which is available as an app on Roku, Apple TV and Sony Connected TVs, as well as on the Android and iOS platforms and via its website. It will soon join Samsung’s TV Plus package.

Buzzr also has just started working with partner networks on promotional efforts. For example, on Nov. 25, Buzzr aired a marathon of season one of the “Great Christmas Light Fight,” before the show’s new season debuted on ABC on Nov. 26.

“We’re tiptoeing into the pool here with ABC,” Deetjen said. “We want to show that we are bringing value to the table, too.”

The diginet business model continues to be powered by direct-response advertising—when a consumer has to call a 1-800 number to buy the goods or service advertised—but it’s evolving into a hybrid model, with more general-market advertisers buying spots on some of the bigger, nationally rated networks such as MeTV and Bounce. With more than a quarter of diginets nationally available and nationally rated, they offer a value proposition to brands.

Diginets combined with OTT services also offer a value proposition to consumers.

“For a consumer, whether they are watching a screen on their phone or a screen on their wall, they are just watching TV,” Katz said. “This resembles the early days of basic cable and it’s a tremendous value for consumers.”

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/diginets-come-of-age vwJYKkNcsCv6up9L7uctGh Wed, 12 Dec 2018 15:06:27 +0000 false false false

LOS ANGELES—As the audience for diginets grows, so do their programming offerings. And diginets’ audiences are growing, make no mistake. While the nets—also known as multicast networks—got their start due to the availability of spectrum and extra channels when high-definition television came online, they have grown their businesses due to the unexpected rise of so-called cord-cutters and cord-nevers.

Instead of subscribing to expensive cable packages, cord-cutters, or people who abandon their cable subscription, and cord-nevers, or those who’ve never subscribed to cable in the first place, figure out other ways to watch television. One way that is growing in popularity is pairing inexpensive over-the-air antennas with over-the-top streaming subscriptions.

For example, a user could put an antenna on his house and then subscribe to advertising-supported Hulu for $7.99 per month, thereby creating a virtual cable package composed of over-the-air linear broadcasters, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW, as well as multicast networks, such as MeTV, This TV, Antenna TV, Cozi TV and many more.

The share of U.S. households that acquire their TV signals via over-the-air antenna increased to 20 percent—or about 24 million homes—from 16 percent from early 2015 through the end of 2017, according to Parks Associates data from March.

“If you put yourself in the shoes of someone who can’t afford or chooses not to subscribe to cable or satellite, an entertainment option with a free price point becomes popular,” Katz Networks President and CEO Jonathan Katz said. “It’s a pairing that has organically happened as consumers have combined these two platforms into their own bundle.”

In August 2017, The E.W. Scripps Co. acquired the 95 percent of Katz it didn’t already own, including four multicast networks, Bounce, Escape, Grit and Laff, and subscription streaming service Brown Sugar, for $302 million. With the additional cash infusion, Katz has been able to accelerate its programming acquisitions.

Diginet Bounce TV has built a high profile with off-network acquisitions like “Scandal.”

Diginet Bounce TV has built a high profile with off-network acquisitions like “Scandal.”

For example, in November, Bounce acquired all seven seasons of Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” from Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, which it began airing in primetime on Monday, Nov. 12.

Katz also has acquired Disney’s “According to Jim,” to premiere on comedy-focused network Laff in 2019, joining “Home Improvement,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “That ’70s Show,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Night Court,” “Spin City” and more.

On Jan. 1, 2019, female-focused Escape is adding the first 12 seasons of “Law & Order” and every episode of “Boston Legal” to a programming lineup that also includes “Without a Trace.”

And Western network Grit will add Warner Bros.’ movie library of Westerns to its schedule.

Bounce also is the first diginet to expand into original scripted series and movies, Katz said.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, it premiered holiday movie “Stone Cold Christmas,” a modern and female-driven take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” On Monday, Jan. 7, it will premiere half-hour series “Last Call,” starring “Empire’s” Charles Malik Whitfield as an ex-NFL player who opens a comedy club. “Last Call” joins a slate of original series that includes “Saints & Sinners,” “Family Time” and “In the Cut.”

NETTING NOSTALGIA VIEWERS

While the Katz networks are growing quickly, the highest-rated and best-distributed diginet continues to be Weigel Broadcasting’s MeTV, which airs nostalgia programming such as “Charlie’s Angels,” “Big Valley,” “Bonanza” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” In the coming months, MeTV will launch its first original program, which it is producing in-house.

Besides MeTV, Weigel offers diginets Heroes & Icons, Movies and Decades. MeTV was one of the first diginets to launch and continues to offer nostalgia fare, along with competitors such as This TV, Antenna TV and Cozi TV.

In September, Weigel launched Start TV in partnership with the CBS-owned stations. The network airs scripted crime dramas that target women, such as “The Closer,” “The Division,” “Early Edition,” “Family Law,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “Medium,” “Profiler,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

Start TV already has done well enough that it will be nationally rated by Nielsen come December. In January, it will add five shows to the schedule, including “The Good Wife” and “Crossing Jordan.”

“We continue to schedule dramas with women in leading and significant roles,” Weigel Vice Chairman Neal Sabin said. “That’s one of the reasons we think the network has resonated so well with women. The network was correctly positioned at the right time.”

Another network that got its start largely as a nostalgia net, NBCUniversal’s Cozi TV, is starting to program more recent series. On Jan. 1, it will launch sitcom “The Office.”

“It’s a bold, innovative show that has proven to be rewatchable and has such a fan following,” Cozi TV Senior VP Meredith McGinn said.

Cozi airs classic sitcoms in primetime blocks, having found that viewers stick around for them. During the day, it airs dramas such as “Murder, She Wrote” and “Little House on the Prairie.” The diginet is available in more than 90 million homes and in 82 percent of the U.S.

The flip side of the Cozi coin is Spanish-language diginet TeleXitos, which launched in December 2014 and offers classic English-language series and movies dubbed in Spanish. So, U.S. Hispanics who enjoyed shows such as “Miami Vice” and “Law & Order” when they were growing up in their home countries can enjoy those shows again in their native language and with their families. TeleXitos just debuted “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” also dubbed in Spanish.

“The beauty of this network is that it offers viewers another option, something else to watch,” TeleXitos Senior Director Barbara Alfonso said. “Our brand is not nostalgia, it’s action-adventure.”

To that end, TeleXitos also programs movies, also dubbed in Spanish, and often packages them to serve as cross-platform promotion for other NBCUniversal interests.

For example, last summer TeleXitos aired the “Jurassic Park” movies in Spanish on “prehistoric Fridays” just as NBCUniversal was rolling out global blockbuster “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” This holiday season, TeleXitos will offer “Legends of the Desert,” featuring such franchises as “The Mummy” and “The Scorpion King.”

GETTING SPECIFIC

Beyond the nostalgia networks, niche channels offer specific programming targeted at distinct audiences, such as Cooper Media’s Justice and Quest networks. Justice programs true-crime series targeting women 25 to 54, while Quest offers reality shows geared toward men, such as “Ice Road Truckers” and “MythBusters.” Because diginets are most often watched by cord-cutters and cord-nevers, these networks offer such viewers shows they can’t get because they are only available with a linear pay TV subscription.

“What we did when we built Justice, and then Quest three years later, we looked at what the options were for viewers across cable and streaming platforms,” Cooper Media VP of Strategy and Distribution Brian Weiss said. “The true, screaming needs, as far as we were concerned, for over the air was crime. There’s a huge, loyal audience for crime, and there was nothing on broadcast that was 24/7 true crime.

“Fast-forward three years later, if you look at Nielsen trends across cable, broadcast and streaming media, there’s nothing really available on broadcast or Netflix and Hulu that falls into the category of male-oriented factual entertainment,” he continued. “It felt like a nice niche for us to fill that no one else has touched.”

Buzzr’s niche is classic game shows, including the original “Family Feud” and the 1990s version of “Supermarket Sweep.”

Buzzr’s niche is classic game shows, including the original “Family Feud” and the 1990s version of “Supermarket Sweep.”

Another niche diginet is Fremantle-Media’s Buzzr, which packages the company’s nostalgic game shows, such as vintage “Family Feud,” “Supermarket Sweep,” “Password” and many more. Earlier this year, it added “Celebrity Name Game,” hosted by Craig Ferguson, after it had completed its three-season syndication run.

“We’re all running shows that tap into some sort of nostalgia or some sort of niche audience,” Buzzr General Manager Mark Deetjen said. “Nobody’s really doing any serious first-run content, nobody’s buying first-run sports. We’re all trying to figure out the economics that this business can support. From that standpoint, we’re all in the same boat.”

Buzzr, which is in 88 million U.S. homes, was just added to Pluto TV, which is available as an app on Roku, Apple TV and Sony Connected TVs, as well as on the Android and iOS platforms and via its website. It will soon join Samsung’s TV Plus package.

Buzzr also has just started working with partner networks on promotional efforts. For example, on Nov. 25, Buzzr aired a marathon of season one of the “Great Christmas Light Fight,” before the show’s new season debuted on ABC on Nov. 26.

“We’re tiptoeing into the pool here with ABC,” Deetjen said. “We want to show that we are bringing value to the table, too.”

The diginet business model continues to be powered by direct-response advertising—when a consumer has to call a 1-800 number to buy the goods or service advertised—but it’s evolving into a hybrid model, with more general-market advertisers buying spots on some of the bigger, nationally rated networks such as MeTV and Bounce. With more than a quarter of diginets nationally available and nationally rated, they offer a value proposition to brands.

Diginets combined with OTT services also offer a value proposition to consumers.

“For a consumer, whether they are watching a screen on their phone or a screen on their wall, they are just watching TV,” Katz said. “This resembles the early days of basic cable and it’s a tremendous value for consumers.”

]]> <![CDATA[ ATSC 3.0 One Year On: Are Broadcasters Ready? ]]> WASHINGTON—A year after the FCC gave U.S. broadcasters the green light to deploy ATSC 3.0, stations are ramping up their efforts to make the Next Gen TV standard a reality by 2020. Last month’s announcement of support from prominent station groups illustrated how far efforts have come in the past 12 months.

At NAB Show New York, executives from Fox Television Stations; NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations Group; Univision; TEGNA, Inc. (for Pearl TV), and Nexstar Media Group (for SpectrumCo) announced a collaborative effort to support the introduction and roll out of ATSC 3.0. There has been a growing consensus that 2020 will represent the wide rollout of the new TV standard, with the expectation of ATSC 3.0-enabled products to hit the market in time for the holiday season (see sidebar).

Station group executives touted the endorsement as an illustration--absent a government mandate--of how the broadcast industry can come together on deploying the standard in light of competition from telcos.

“One big challenge was whether the big owners of valuable spectrum could work together, commit resources, and stick to the game plan. Done, done and done," said Jack Abernethy, CEO at Fox Television Stations.

Valari Staab, president, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations said broadcasters have to make the commitment. “ATSC 3.0 is something that as an industry we have to do,” she said. “The new standard will transform the way we deliver content to our audiences—including viewers who are consuming information in multiple languages and screens. ATSC 3.0 will also help us to better connect advertisers with the audiences they want to reach on any platform.

PEARL PROGRESSES

With last fall’s launch of the Phoenix Model Market project, designed to conduct tests to demonstrate the viability of the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem, Pearl TV, the consortium of stations involved in the lab, announced last month the addition of seven broadcasters across 10 stations in the Phoenix area, bringing the total of participating stations to 12. In addition to technical tests, Pearl TV is collecting data on how consumers interact with ATSC 3.0, as well as their preferences. Last month, it released the results of a new survey that indicated that 42 percent of those interested in ATSC 3.0 say they anticipate buying a new TV to enable and enjoy Next-Gen TV services.

Anne Schelle

Anne Schelle

Among those services are the demand for enhanced media and entertainment in the expected rollout of autonomous vehicles in the years ahead. In anticipation of that opportunity, Pearl TV also announced last month an alliance with Avis to begin testing various use cases for TV-delivered signals to passenger cars early next year.

“There are great use cases for automotive, and they are an interesting company,” said Anne Schelle, Pearl TV managing director. “They are one of the largest fleet owners of cars and certainly positioning themselves for the future of connected cars and the shared car environment.”

A TRANSFORMATION FOR THE INDUSTRY

As the next-generation broadcast TV standard, ATSC 3.0 will support several advancements including mobile viewing, 4K Ultra High Definition, high dynamic range, high frame rate, and wide color gamut picture quality, as well as immersive audio and perhaps most importantly for broadcasters’ bottom line—targeted advertising. It was designed to greatly enhance over-the-air services for viewers while bringing together broadcast and broadband functionality to give audiences more content and choice.

"ATSC 3.0 will be able bring together OTT and live linear programming together in a way not possible before," said Schelle. "This is an interesting time as there are many elements that are new to broadcasters and we have to figure out how to commercialize these in an economic and efficient way. Fortunately South Korea, which has already deployed ATSC 3.0, has been a great case study but there are many elements that will be quite different for the U.S. market."

As a new broadcast standard, ATSC 3.0 will require new hardware at both the broadcaster and consumer levels. This is why the first step will be deployment in test markets where early adopters can experience the new format, and it is easy to see why this is already being compared to the transition from analog to digital TV–but experts point out that this time it is quite different.

Some would even suggest that this isn't another "transition" at all but that in fact, the move to ATSC 3.0 could be far more transformational for broadcasters.

Mark Aitken

Mark Aitken

"We need to try to stay away from even calling it a transition," said Mark A. Aitken, vice president of advanced technology at the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has been conducting extensive tests on the use of single frequency networks for ATSC 3.0 in Dallas. "Everything that is wrapped around this next generation standard is far more transformational. It is data agonistic IP utility and broadcasters have every opportunity to become a different kind of wireless provider rather than continuing to remain just broadcasters."

With the recent announcements from the various media groups it is also clear that this transformation process to ATSC 3.0 has already begun, but it is still very much in its earliest stages.

Marc Hand

Marc Hand

"We've already seen a pretty dramatic change with the momentum since it was given the go ahead by the FCC a year ago," said Marc Hand, CEO and co-founder of Public Media, a non-profit advocacy group for public broadcasting. Public Media helped Michigan State University station WKAR launch ATSC 3.0 testing in August—the first public TV station in the U.S. to do so. "We have already gone from an abstract to an early transition within a few markets. We still have much more active testing to do to get us there."

BABY STEPS

Given that this is so early in the process, there are those who would argue against the idea that this is so transformational after all, but also add that it isn't even at the transition stage.

"That is putting the cart before the horse," said Evan Fieldman, head of digital strategy at Weigel Broadcasting Co., which launched its own ATSC 3.0 facility on UHF Channel 23 in Chicago in September. "I would caution as we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not moving to a transformation period, but really entering the evaluation period at this point as we're testing in a major urban market. Before we can consider the business models, we need to evaluate the benefits of 3.0."

Fieldman added that Weigel's affiliates will be watching this early test period very closely.

"If the evaluation period is a success than we can move to the transition stage, but there are many factors that are still beyond our control," Fieldman noted. "The other factor is that the transition to digital was mandatory, yet this is not, and that wasn't a walk in the park for anyone. Right now there is a lot that needs to be addressed and we need to see what is behind door number three before we enter."

At this stage there are still other significant hurdles that will need to be cleared as well, including whether ATSC 3.0 is determined to be the only game in town for bringing OTA and OTT together.

Renard Jenkins

Renard Jenkins

"One obstacle is really the adoption and support it is able to get, as there are other companies that are creating apps and other online solutions that are standalone and could compete with ATSC 3.0," said Renard T. Jenkins, vice president of PBS operations, engineering and distribution. "There will be those questions such as 'why make this move to ATSC 3.0 if I can do this in an app?' This is something we're going to have to figure out and even hedge our bets."

Such thinking could result in a hybrid of traditional broadcast technologies being used side-by-side with new delivery options.

"One thing to understand is that in a software environment you can change the code, but the service itself can't be disrupted during an update," added Jenkins. "So at least in the beginning we expect broadcasters will operate as a software developer while still using the traditional hardware."

For those reasons perhaps now is really an evaluation period in a great transformation of the future of TV.

"We have a long way to go," said Schelle. "We're seeing 2018 and 2019 as the development years, with 2020 and beyond being the launch years."

IP: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Broadcasters are already going through a transformation with the convergence of OTA and OTT, as well as the role of video over IP, and ATSC 3.0 could play a significant part of it–but that won't come without its own challenges.

"This is about all the things that are sent over the internet, but also everything that comes with it," said Schelle. "That means all the good things such as delivery to a multitude of devices, but also the concerns such as hacking and other security issues. We have to protect the system, but we have to worry about the TV sets and other devices and even how the publishers will be safe from piracy as we make this change."

It is just one aspect of broadcasters transforming into tech companies and operating as such.

"Absolutely that line is simply blurred," said Kyle Walker, vice president of technology at Weigel Broadcasting. "We have been having this conversation for the past 15 years and today's broadcast engineer has to have a strong IT mindset to address the business models of today. Broadcasters and the IT group operate now under the same mindset."

ATSC 3.0 will play a crucial role in this transformation at all levels for broadcasters.

"This IP-based platform will change how departments work in stations, and that promises to be more of a fundamental change that wasn't nearly as impactful in the digital transition," said Public Media's Hand. "This could include how stations utilize data analysis, which was in its own silo. Now we're going to see this playing a greater role. It is just one of the whole range of services that can be more effective, but there are all sorts of things that could play out on the consumer side and the business-to-business side."

Perhaps this will transform the traditional broadcast into something entirely new as well, such as a wireless operator or utility. What is clear is that ATSC 3.0 is just part of a future that could be very different for the broadcast world.

"ATSC 3.0 opens the door to distribute content on many platforms and not just video and audio," said Aitken. "This can include data content and you can rattle off a list of what could now be sent out from PDFs to high resolution maps and so much more."

However, Aitken warned that not everyone in the broadcast industry is completely sold on the benefits of ATSC 3.0 at this point. "You won't find this universally embraced by those comrades I dubbed 'televisioners,' who are too focused on a single product and are not looking for the transformational future,” he said. “But the consolidation within the broadcast universe is gaining speed and we have to accept the future beyond TV as an over-the-air medium. Broadcasting is now sitting in the middle of the broadband universe."

Sidebar

Consumer Electronics and ATSC 3.0: Is the Support There?

Any transition or transformation in the world of broadcast will face a "chicken and egg" scenario—stations may not be eager to support ATSC 3.0 until viewers are capable of actually receiving the content with new consumer electronics products; while potential viewers won't purchase the next generation of devices until content is available.

John Taylor

John Taylor

Three of the world’s largest manufacturers of TV sets--LG and Samsung of S. Korea and Sony of Japan--have long been involved in the development of the Next Gen TV standard and all three companies chimed in with station groups in the announcement of their support for ATSC 3.0 last month. Sony announced that it will supply TVs, demodulators and application development tools while also collaborating with broadcasters and other industry players in testing both technical solutions and service models. LG, in particular, is actively marketing the standard in its home country.

"We're not starting from a clean slate this time," said John Taylor, spokesperson for LG Electronics USA Inc. "Dual tuners are already being sold in South Korea."

Yet, 2019 shouldn't be considered the launch year, as broadcasters and CE makers will have to build the ecosystem, and until there is a critical mass of stations supporting ATSC 3.0 there will only be a limited number of products on the market.

For comprehensive coverage on ATSC 3.0, visit TV Technology's ATSC3 silo.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/atsc3/atsc-3-0-one-year-on-are-broadcasters-ready 81h4toDESh9d79PGGC98DL Mon, 05 Nov 2018 19:56:25 +0000 false false false

WASHINGTON—A year after the FCC gave U.S. broadcasters the green light to deploy ATSC 3.0, stations are ramping up their efforts to make the Next Gen TV standard a reality by 2020. Last month’s announcement of support from prominent station groups illustrated how far efforts have come in the past 12 months.

At NAB Show New York, executives from Fox Television Stations; NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations Group; Univision; TEGNA, Inc. (for Pearl TV), and Nexstar Media Group (for SpectrumCo) announced a collaborative effort to support the introduction and roll out of ATSC 3.0. There has been a growing consensus that 2020 will represent the wide rollout of the new TV standard, with the expectation of ATSC 3.0-enabled products to hit the market in time for the holiday season (see sidebar).

Station group executives touted the endorsement as an illustration--absent a government mandate--of how the broadcast industry can come together on deploying the standard in light of competition from telcos.

“One big challenge was whether the big owners of valuable spectrum could work together, commit resources, and stick to the game plan. Done, done and done," said Jack Abernethy, CEO at Fox Television Stations.

Valari Staab, president, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations said broadcasters have to make the commitment. “ATSC 3.0 is something that as an industry we have to do,” she said. “The new standard will transform the way we deliver content to our audiences—including viewers who are consuming information in multiple languages and screens. ATSC 3.0 will also help us to better connect advertisers with the audiences they want to reach on any platform.

PEARL PROGRESSES

With last fall’s launch of the Phoenix Model Market project, designed to conduct tests to demonstrate the viability of the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem, Pearl TV, the consortium of stations involved in the lab, announced last month the addition of seven broadcasters across 10 stations in the Phoenix area, bringing the total of participating stations to 12. In addition to technical tests, Pearl TV is collecting data on how consumers interact with ATSC 3.0, as well as their preferences. Last month, it released the results of a new survey that indicated that 42 percent of those interested in ATSC 3.0 say they anticipate buying a new TV to enable and enjoy Next-Gen TV services.

Anne Schelle

Anne Schelle

Among those services are the demand for enhanced media and entertainment in the expected rollout of autonomous vehicles in the years ahead. In anticipation of that opportunity, Pearl TV also announced last month an alliance with Avis to begin testing various use cases for TV-delivered signals to passenger cars early next year.

“There are great use cases for automotive, and they are an interesting company,” said Anne Schelle, Pearl TV managing director. “They are one of the largest fleet owners of cars and certainly positioning themselves for the future of connected cars and the shared car environment.”

A TRANSFORMATION FOR THE INDUSTRY

As the next-generation broadcast TV standard, ATSC 3.0 will support several advancements including mobile viewing, 4K Ultra High Definition, high dynamic range, high frame rate, and wide color gamut picture quality, as well as immersive audio and perhaps most importantly for broadcasters’ bottom line—targeted advertising. It was designed to greatly enhance over-the-air services for viewers while bringing together broadcast and broadband functionality to give audiences more content and choice.

"ATSC 3.0 will be able bring together OTT and live linear programming together in a way not possible before," said Schelle. "This is an interesting time as there are many elements that are new to broadcasters and we have to figure out how to commercialize these in an economic and efficient way. Fortunately South Korea, which has already deployed ATSC 3.0, has been a great case study but there are many elements that will be quite different for the U.S. market."

As a new broadcast standard, ATSC 3.0 will require new hardware at both the broadcaster and consumer levels. This is why the first step will be deployment in test markets where early adopters can experience the new format, and it is easy to see why this is already being compared to the transition from analog to digital TV–but experts point out that this time it is quite different.

Some would even suggest that this isn't another "transition" at all but that in fact, the move to ATSC 3.0 could be far more transformational for broadcasters.

Mark Aitken

Mark Aitken

"We need to try to stay away from even calling it a transition," said Mark A. Aitken, vice president of advanced technology at the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has been conducting extensive tests on the use of single frequency networks for ATSC 3.0 in Dallas. "Everything that is wrapped around this next generation standard is far more transformational. It is data agonistic IP utility and broadcasters have every opportunity to become a different kind of wireless provider rather than continuing to remain just broadcasters."

With the recent announcements from the various media groups it is also clear that this transformation process to ATSC 3.0 has already begun, but it is still very much in its earliest stages.

Marc Hand

Marc Hand

"We've already seen a pretty dramatic change with the momentum since it was given the go ahead by the FCC a year ago," said Marc Hand, CEO and co-founder of Public Media, a non-profit advocacy group for public broadcasting. Public Media helped Michigan State University station WKAR launch ATSC 3.0 testing in August—the first public TV station in the U.S. to do so. "We have already gone from an abstract to an early transition within a few markets. We still have much more active testing to do to get us there."

BABY STEPS

Given that this is so early in the process, there are those who would argue against the idea that this is so transformational after all, but also add that it isn't even at the transition stage.

"That is putting the cart before the horse," said Evan Fieldman, head of digital strategy at Weigel Broadcasting Co., which launched its own ATSC 3.0 facility on UHF Channel 23 in Chicago in September. "I would caution as we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not moving to a transformation period, but really entering the evaluation period at this point as we're testing in a major urban market. Before we can consider the business models, we need to evaluate the benefits of 3.0."

Fieldman added that Weigel's affiliates will be watching this early test period very closely.

"If the evaluation period is a success than we can move to the transition stage, but there are many factors that are still beyond our control," Fieldman noted. "The other factor is that the transition to digital was mandatory, yet this is not, and that wasn't a walk in the park for anyone. Right now there is a lot that needs to be addressed and we need to see what is behind door number three before we enter."

At this stage there are still other significant hurdles that will need to be cleared as well, including whether ATSC 3.0 is determined to be the only game in town for bringing OTA and OTT together.

Renard Jenkins

Renard Jenkins

"One obstacle is really the adoption and support it is able to get, as there are other companies that are creating apps and other online solutions that are standalone and could compete with ATSC 3.0," said Renard T. Jenkins, vice president of PBS operations, engineering and distribution. "There will be those questions such as 'why make this move to ATSC 3.0 if I can do this in an app?' This is something we're going to have to figure out and even hedge our bets."

Such thinking could result in a hybrid of traditional broadcast technologies being used side-by-side with new delivery options.

"One thing to understand is that in a software environment you can change the code, but the service itself can't be disrupted during an update," added Jenkins. "So at least in the beginning we expect broadcasters will operate as a software developer while still using the traditional hardware."

For those reasons perhaps now is really an evaluation period in a great transformation of the future of TV.

"We have a long way to go," said Schelle. "We're seeing 2018 and 2019 as the development years, with 2020 and beyond being the launch years."

IP: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Broadcasters are already going through a transformation with the convergence of OTA and OTT, as well as the role of video over IP, and ATSC 3.0 could play a significant part of it–but that won't come without its own challenges.

"This is about all the things that are sent over the internet, but also everything that comes with it," said Schelle. "That means all the good things such as delivery to a multitude of devices, but also the concerns such as hacking and other security issues. We have to protect the system, but we have to worry about the TV sets and other devices and even how the publishers will be safe from piracy as we make this change."

It is just one aspect of broadcasters transforming into tech companies and operating as such.

"Absolutely that line is simply blurred," said Kyle Walker, vice president of technology at Weigel Broadcasting. "We have been having this conversation for the past 15 years and today's broadcast engineer has to have a strong IT mindset to address the business models of today. Broadcasters and the IT group operate now under the same mindset."

ATSC 3.0 will play a crucial role in this transformation at all levels for broadcasters.

"This IP-based platform will change how departments work in stations, and that promises to be more of a fundamental change that wasn't nearly as impactful in the digital transition," said Public Media's Hand. "This could include how stations utilize data analysis, which was in its own silo. Now we're going to see this playing a greater role. It is just one of the whole range of services that can be more effective, but there are all sorts of things that could play out on the consumer side and the business-to-business side."

Perhaps this will transform the traditional broadcast into something entirely new as well, such as a wireless operator or utility. What is clear is that ATSC 3.0 is just part of a future that could be very different for the broadcast world.

"ATSC 3.0 opens the door to distribute content on many platforms and not just video and audio," said Aitken. "This can include data content and you can rattle off a list of what could now be sent out from PDFs to high resolution maps and so much more."

However, Aitken warned that not everyone in the broadcast industry is completely sold on the benefits of ATSC 3.0 at this point. "You won't find this universally embraced by those comrades I dubbed 'televisioners,' who are too focused on a single product and are not looking for the transformational future,” he said. “But the consolidation within the broadcast universe is gaining speed and we have to accept the future beyond TV as an over-the-air medium. Broadcasting is now sitting in the middle of the broadband universe."

Sidebar

Consumer Electronics and ATSC 3.0: Is the Support There?

Any transition or transformation in the world of broadcast will face a "chicken and egg" scenario—stations may not be eager to support ATSC 3.0 until viewers are capable of actually receiving the content with new consumer electronics products; while potential viewers won't purchase the next generation of devices until content is available.

John Taylor

John Taylor

Three of the world’s largest manufacturers of TV sets--LG and Samsung of S. Korea and Sony of Japan--have long been involved in the development of the Next Gen TV standard and all three companies chimed in with station groups in the announcement of their support for ATSC 3.0 last month. Sony announced that it will supply TVs, demodulators and application development tools while also collaborating with broadcasters and other industry players in testing both technical solutions and service models. LG, in particular, is actively marketing the standard in its home country.

"We're not starting from a clean slate this time," said John Taylor, spokesperson for LG Electronics USA Inc. "Dual tuners are already being sold in South Korea."

Yet, 2019 shouldn't be considered the launch year, as broadcasters and CE makers will have to build the ecosystem, and until there is a critical mass of stations supporting ATSC 3.0 there will only be a limited number of products on the market.

For comprehensive coverage on ATSC 3.0, visit TV Technology's ATSC3 silo.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Rolls Out Chicago 3.0 To Test Next-Gen TV ]]> CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting earlier this month launched ATSC 3.0 operation in the Windy City under an experimental license from the FCC.

Transmitting on UHF Channel 23, Chicago 3.0 began on-air operations Sept. 9 from the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. Overall, the goal Weigel has set for the Next-Gen TV test is to explore the capabilities of 3.0 and the business opportunities it enables.

However, Weigel sees its core task as being able to create a PLP (physical layer pipe) that at a minimum can deliver performance equivalent to today’s ATSC 1.0 service in the dense Chicago urban environment where multipath abounds, said Kyle Walker, Weigel VP of Technology.

Establishing this baseline 3.0 TV service is an essential first step to future Next-Gen operations. Doing so will allow Weigel to determine how much bandwidth will be left over for development of new businesses. It will also ensure that viewers can continue to receive an over-the-air signal that’s comparable to today’s ATSC 1.0 service (although interlaced is not an option in 3.0).

“We need to have something that will work, not something where an engineer is coaching a viewer over the phone on how to tweak their antenna,” said Walker.

Weigel has recruited a number of vendor partners to help with the test, including Rohde & Schwarz (transmitter), Harmonic (HEVC encoder), Triveni Digital (signaling, announcement and monitoring), Enensys (IP gateway), Alive Telecom (antenna), and Sony Electronics (3.0 receivers and televisions), said Walker.

Currently, Weigel is transmitter a test clip as a 3.0 signal from an Alive Telecom antenna at a height of 1.572 feet. The antenna supports variable elliptical polarization with up to 50 percent vertical. Effective radiated power is 55kW.

While Walker is confident the OFDM-based 3.0 signal will be eminently receivable in the concrete canyons of downtown Chicago where multipath is the rule not the exception, finding the right MODCOD settings to preserve today’s perceived threshold of service will give Weigel first hand proof that 3.0 performs as promised in the real-world.

“A lot of the opportunities you hear talked about regarding 3.0 oftentimes assume starting with a clean slate,” he said. However, broadcasters will be introducing 3.0 service into the exact opposite –an RF environment that’s even more tightly packed than what’s been in play for more than a decade of 1.0 service.

Weigel -- a family-owned media company that owns TV stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and other markets -- has some 400 television station affiliates that broadcast its Diginets, which include MeTV, the Movies! Network, DECADES Network, H&I Network and Start TV.

The Chicago 3.0 experimental broadcast, scheduled to go on for at least one year, will give Weigel the experience to help other broadcasters if asked, said Evan Fieldman, head of digital strategy for Weigel.

“We are really taking an objective approach to 3.0 testing,” he said. “Our affiliate partners sometimes reach out to us for objective insight and thought leadership on developments in the broadcast industry,” he said. “We look forward to sharing our findings on 3.0.”


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

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/atsc3/weigel-rolls-out-chicago-3-0-to-test-next-gen-tv mPinSyYCqSaTYLN7DVej4J Tue, 18 Sep 2018 17:16:47 +0000 false false false

CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting earlier this month launched ATSC 3.0 operation in the Windy City under an experimental license from the FCC.

Transmitting on UHF Channel 23, Chicago 3.0 began on-air operations Sept. 9 from the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. Overall, the goal Weigel has set for the Next-Gen TV test is to explore the capabilities of 3.0 and the business opportunities it enables.

However, Weigel sees its core task as being able to create a PLP (physical layer pipe) that at a minimum can deliver performance equivalent to today’s ATSC 1.0 service in the dense Chicago urban environment where multipath abounds, said Kyle Walker, Weigel VP of Technology.

Establishing this baseline 3.0 TV service is an essential first step to future Next-Gen operations. Doing so will allow Weigel to determine how much bandwidth will be left over for development of new businesses. It will also ensure that viewers can continue to receive an over-the-air signal that’s comparable to today’s ATSC 1.0 service (although interlaced is not an option in 3.0).

“We need to have something that will work, not something where an engineer is coaching a viewer over the phone on how to tweak their antenna,” said Walker.

Weigel has recruited a number of vendor partners to help with the test, including Rohde & Schwarz (transmitter), Harmonic (HEVC encoder), Triveni Digital (signaling, announcement and monitoring), Enensys (IP gateway), Alive Telecom (antenna), and Sony Electronics (3.0 receivers and televisions), said Walker.

Currently, Weigel is transmitter a test clip as a 3.0 signal from an Alive Telecom antenna at a height of 1.572 feet. The antenna supports variable elliptical polarization with up to 50 percent vertical. Effective radiated power is 55kW.

While Walker is confident the OFDM-based 3.0 signal will be eminently receivable in the concrete canyons of downtown Chicago where multipath is the rule not the exception, finding the right MODCOD settings to preserve today’s perceived threshold of service will give Weigel first hand proof that 3.0 performs as promised in the real-world.

“A lot of the opportunities you hear talked about regarding 3.0 oftentimes assume starting with a clean slate,” he said. However, broadcasters will be introducing 3.0 service into the exact opposite –an RF environment that’s even more tightly packed than what’s been in play for more than a decade of 1.0 service.

Weigel -- a family-owned media company that owns TV stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and other markets -- has some 400 television station affiliates that broadcast its Diginets, which include MeTV, the Movies! Network, DECADES Network, H&I Network and Start TV.

The Chicago 3.0 experimental broadcast, scheduled to go on for at least one year, will give Weigel the experience to help other broadcasters if asked, said Evan Fieldman, head of digital strategy for Weigel.

“We are really taking an objective approach to 3.0 testing,” he said. “Our affiliate partners sometimes reach out to us for objective insight and thought leadership on developments in the broadcast industry,” he said. “We look forward to sharing our findings on 3.0.”


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

]]> <![CDATA[ Start TV Diginet To Showcase Strong, Resourceful Women ]]> CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting Co. in association with CBS Television Stations will launch a new Diginet Sept. 3 with coverage of 42 percent of U.S. TV households.

Start TV, will showcase strong, resourceful female as leading characters in a lineup of contemporary and proven procedural dramas. At launch, it will offer an original seven-day-a-week strip schedule. Episodes air every day at the same time.

"We are excited to launch the Start TV Network with the CBS Television Stations," said Neal Sabin, Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting.

CBS Television Stations with stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore will carry Start TV.

Weigel Broadcasting owns stations in St. Louis, Cedar City-St. George-Salt Lake, Utah, Milwaukee, Rockford, Ill., and South Bend, Ind.

Bahakel Communications will also pick up the new Diginet in Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C., and Montgomery, Ala.

More information is available on the Start TV website.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/start-tv-diginet-to-showcase-strong-resourceful-women 2tuY3wjVF8RY9L36Ni2d6b Mon, 30 Jul 2018 12:07:35 +0000 false false false

CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting Co. in association with CBS Television Stations will launch a new Diginet Sept. 3 with coverage of 42 percent of U.S. TV households.

Start TV, will showcase strong, resourceful female as leading characters in a lineup of contemporary and proven procedural dramas. At launch, it will offer an original seven-day-a-week strip schedule. Episodes air every day at the same time.

"We are excited to launch the Start TV Network with the CBS Television Stations," said Neal Sabin, Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting.

CBS Television Stations with stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore will carry Start TV.

Weigel Broadcasting owns stations in St. Louis, Cedar City-St. George-Salt Lake, Utah, Milwaukee, Rockford, Ill., and South Bend, Ind.

Bahakel Communications will also pick up the new Diginet in Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C., and Montgomery, Ala.

More information is available on the Start TV website.

]]> <![CDATA[ Weigel Taps TMD for Media Asset Management ]]> AYLESBURY, ENGLAND—TMD is making a hop, skip and a jump across the Atlantic to install its Paragon+ software at Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Co. for digital asset and workflow management.

The Paragon+ application is designed for intelligent, media-aware workflows and runs on the Mediaflex-UMS platform. It supports interfaces to multiple external systems, delivering single point of content workflow orchestration.

Mediaflex-UMS will interface with two of Weigel’s existing program scheduling systems, playout automation and provide rule-based management of multiple tiers of storage. The software will track new assets and move them to the appropriate level of storage, as well as monitor quality control. TMD’s Analytics dashboard will provide KPI metrics for resource and business planning.

Weigel Broadcasting operates multiple stations in several TV markets, as well as networks MeTV, Heroes and Icons, Movies and Decades that are distributed to more than 300 U.S. TV stations.

]]> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/weigel-taps-tmd-for-media-asset-management agomtZsHou3fHwCukZ7rBT Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:43:00 +0000 false false false

AYLESBURY, ENGLAND—TMD is making a hop, skip and a jump across the Atlantic to install its Paragon+ software at Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Co. for digital asset and workflow management.

The Paragon+ application is designed for intelligent, media-aware workflows and runs on the Mediaflex-UMS platform. It supports interfaces to multiple external systems, delivering single point of content workflow orchestration.

Mediaflex-UMS will interface with two of Weigel’s existing program scheduling systems, playout automation and provide rule-based management of multiple tiers of storage. The software will track new assets and move them to the appropriate level of storage, as well as monitor quality control. TMD’s Analytics dashboard will provide KPI metrics for resource and business planning.

Weigel Broadcasting operates multiple stations in several TV markets, as well as networks MeTV, Heroes and Icons, Movies and Decades that are distributed to more than 300 U.S. TV stations.

]]>