Venture Technologies has joined the ranks of smaller and mid-sized station groups opposing a mandatory transition to ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV broadcasts in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission that paints a bleak picture of the future of broadcasting.
Other smaller and midsized station group owners such as Weigel Broadcasting and many LPTV station owners have opposed the mandate and an ATSC sunset, which is universally backed by the NAB, state broadcast groups and larger station groups that comprise Pearl TV.
While the Venture Technologies station group owns and operates 20 full-power, Class A, and low-power television (LPTV) stations that include five ATSC 3.0 facilities, the filing strongly opposed a mandated transition to ATSC 3.0 and a fixed date for the end for broadcasts using the current ATSC broadcast standard.
“Broadcast television in the United States stands at a crossroads as streaming services offer viewers more options,” the filing said. “Yet millions still depend on free, over-the-air television for local news and entertainment—particularly in underserved communities where it remains a vital
source of information. It is therefore troubling that, just as broadcasters seek better ways to serve their audiences, powerful industry groups are pressuring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to mandate a nationwide transition to ATSC 3.0, or “NextGen TV.” Such a mandate would create barriers to access for the very viewers broadcasters are meant to serve.
These private television interests—some burdened with heavy debt—promote the transition as “necessary modernization.” In reality, it would impose significant costs on both consumers and broadcasters while offering no meaningful advantages over what streaming services already provide.”
“Venture Technologies believes that broadcast television faces long-term challenges as audiences steadily migrate to streaming platforms, that ATSC 3.0 will not alter this trajectory, and that a forced transition would accelerate the collapse of free, over-the-air TV,” the filing concluded. “The push for such a mandate is not driven by the public interest but by entrenched corporate interests seeking to profit through patent royalties, licensing fees, and equipment sales. Just as past late-stage technology “upgrades” failed to save obsolete formats, ATSC 3.0 will not revive broadcast television in an era defined by streaming.”
More specifically, the filing cites extensive statistics and analysis arguing that broadcasters have already lost the competition for viewers to streaming and that its existing audiences are old. "Over the next decade, much of the traditional television audience will age out, leaving broadcasters with an eroding and unsustainable base," the filing noted. "Younger generations have already abandoned linear TV for streaming and will not return."
"The FCC should not mandate a transition to ATSC 3.0," it continued. "Such a policy would impose unnecessary costs on both consumers and broadcasters while disregarding current market realities. Everything ATSC 3.0 promises—higher resolution, HDR, immersive audio, and interactivity—is already available through streaming, without the need for new tuners or TVs. Broadcasters would be forced to invest heavily in transmission upgrades even as their audiences shrink, while consumers would shoulder the expense of new hardware they don’t need."
The filing also criticized the cost of "the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA)—a private consortium that includes ABC/Disney, CBS/Paramount, NBCUniversal/Comcast, Fox Corporation, Univision, and Pearl TV members—serves as the mandatory gatekeeper for device certification. Because all compliant receivers must use A3SA-issued keys, this group retains the ability to enforce DRM restrictions and even revoke tuner access, ensuring ongoing influence over device manufacturers and, by extension, consumers. Together, these patent owners, station groups, and gatekeeping bodies profit from the rollout of ATSC 3.0 whether or not it succeeds in the marketplace."
The full filing can be found here.
