WNET Group To Bring ATSC 3.0 To New York

Plans are underway to launch NextGen TV service (ATSC 3.0) in New York City and surrounding areas — the Nielsen’s No. 1 television market in the U.S. encompassing approximately 7.45 million TV households. The WNET Group’s WLIW will serve as the host station for ATSC 3.0 broadcasts for the three major PBS member stations in the New York metropolitan area: WNET, WLIW and NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public TV network.

WLIW plans to sign on with NextGen TV signals following extensive engineering testing and operational planning, co-location of its broadcast facilities to One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, installation of a new transmitter and related equipment, and upgrades to the station’s physical plant, all of which have already been completed. The transition is subject to FCC approval, and The WNET Group will make a separate announcement upon the launch of the NextGen TV service.

“The WNET Group is excited to announce this significant undertaking with NextGen TV, which will modernize the New York City broadcast market infrastructure to deliver high-quality broadcasts with the latest technology available,” said Neal Shapiro, president-CEO of The WNET Group.

NextGen TV Broadcast technology is built on the same Internet Protocol backbone as popular streaming media platforms. In addition to providing better quality audio and video, NextGen TV holds the promise of supporting many other digital services. The WNET Group plans to explore these future options working in close collaboration with other partners.

WLIW will carry 3.0 programming from both WLIW and WNET, along with several standard-definition commercial subchannels and the WNET PBS Kids service. As part of the transition to NextGen TV, viewers may expect features including 4K, interactivity, HDR, advanced emergency messaging, additional CC and audio languages, and more, all of which are in the works.

“The WNET Group’s NextGen TV Broadcast Initiative will be a shining example of how public media can lead the broadcast industry into the future. The WNET Group’s WLIW21 will help bring about the full capabilities of the NextGen TV broadcast standard to the nation’s largest television market,” said ATSC President Madeleine Noland.

Supporting organizations for The WNET Group NextGen TV Initiative are:

• AGC Systems LLC (Aldo Cugnini)
• AWARN Alliance
• BIA Advisory Services
• Centralcast
• Lerman Senter PLLC
• Public Media Venture Group
• Skip Pizzi Media Consultant LLC (Project Management)

The WNET Group’s NextGen TV Broadcast Initiative will be the first to put New York City among the list of nearly 50 cities where NextGen TV signals are now available, as consumer technology companies expand the availability of integrated NextGen TV sets and related set-top receivers.