Imagine building a TV business based on streaming IP-packetized local TV channels to viewers on a market-by-market basis. Who would have thought of that?
Well, it turns out the broadcasters, broadcast vendors and CE companies responsible for developing the ATSC 3.0 standard aren’t the only ones. In early July, a tech company called “FreeCast,” specializing in providing “streaming Platform-as-a-Service” solutions, threw its hat into the ring with the announcement of FreeCast Cities.
The service combines local TV channels, free streaming channels, premium television services, on-demand entertainment and subscription management into a single consumer experience. Currently in beta, FreeCast will enable consumers to access this content via supported TVs, mobile devices, computers and connected streaming platforms, according to a press release.
The FreeCast Cities announcement came about three months after a company called Landover Saturn 5 proposed to the Federal Communications Commission that it conduct an auction of a nationwide block of TV channels 28–36.
The two are unrelated in most respects but share a common thread: They both give the FCC even more to consider as it works on its final report and order regarding ATSC 3.0, which is expected to be out before the end of the year.
To be sure, neither proposal is a slam dunk. FreeCast must successfully navigate its way through rights negotiations with stations and their networks before it has a chance of fulfilling what it calls its “consumer-focused design philosophy,” namely, “One City. One Login. All Your Television.”
Regarding the Landover proposal, the FCC has much to consider, not the least of which is whether it wishes to empower a private entity to conduct the proposed auction on its behalf.
What’s worrisome is these proposals further muddy the waters for the commission as it considers its NextGen TV report and order—something a television industry seeking clarity on sunsetting today’s DTV standard and an expeditious transition can ill afford.
A Bit Overwhelming
A month or so ago, I reported about my stroke and my upcoming open-heart surgery to bypass four significantly clogged cardiac arteries.
Since then, I have undergone the surgery and am convalescing at home. While I am not ready to run down the aisles at NAB Show any time soon, the doctors assure me that after my outpatient rehab is complete, I will be back in the swing of things. In fact, following the operation, my surgeon told me I now have “the heart of a 20-year-old.”
I also wanted to report that the outpouring of support, well wishes and prayers from both family and friends, as well as many in the TV industry, has been a bit overwhelming. I want to thank everyone for their supportive texts, emails, phone calls, cards and flowers. They have meant the world to me.
As I sign off, I will echo the closing of my last column. I am eager to put this all behind me and get back in the swing of things, reporting on our fast-changing industry.
