NEXTGEN TV

In a victory for broadcasters, the FCC has tentatively concluded that NextGen TV broadcasters — ones broadcasting in the ATSC 3.0 standard — should be granted a sub-license of sorts to allow them to contract with another “host” station or stations to carry their simulcast multicast streams, whether that is in ATSC 3.0 or the current 1.0 format.

According to BIA estimates, direct mail will account for $33.4 billion in local ad revenue next year. Now is the time for local TV to frame out how NextGen TV can be deployed along similar lines to capture that revenue for itself.

WCCT, WTIC, WFSB and WTNH are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, promises a huge range of exciting possibilities for TV viewers and multiple new revenue streams for broadcasters. By supplementing traditional video entertainment and information service with a new, efficient datacasting platform, broadcasters of all types stand to increase revenues while transforming their existing spectrum into a vibrant new tool for consumers and businesses alike. The road to implementing this new technology, however, is paved with challenges.

Representatives from NBCUniversal Local, E.W. Scripps and Pearl TV claim that NextGen TV’s ability to deliver targeted ads to connected TVs is the most promising and immediate among the technology’s potential revenue streams, and a proliferation of NextGen-ready sets is bringing monetization closer.

WCPO, WKRC, WLWT, WXIX and WSTR are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

What does ATSC 3.0 really mean for broadcast TV? The possibilities are vast and are likely to supercharge the business. Within 15 years of deploying NextGen services, broadcasters could make more money renting their data bits than from the advertising revenue they earn today. Think about that. A broadcaster’s future is not tied to the sole purpose of video distribution, as it is today. Instead, it will involve a myriad of new data businesses that are enabled by this new way of transmitting data.

In a hybrid in-person/virtual, two-day conference last week, ATSC celebrated 43 markets with NextGen TV on the air and dozens more soon to follow as well as successes in datacasting and auto data delivery trials. Among the panels was one on successful trials of 3.0 data delivery to automobiles in Phoenix and Santa Barbara, Calif., conducted by Sony in conjunction with Pearl TV and the News-Press Gazette group.

Executives from NBCUnversal, E.W. Scripps and Pearl TV will zero in and talk about the state of the art of ATSC 3.0 deployment, revenue, marketing as well as future opportunities and obstacles on Sept. 22 during TVNewsCheck’s sixth annual TV2025: Monetizing the Future conference. Register here.

Advanced television’s growing pains — along with its growth trajectory — were evident during last week’s ATSC “Full Steam Ahead” annual member meeting and conference. Discussions veered from NextGen TV’s ability to make traditional broadcasting better to entry paths for entirely new data delivery ventures.

One of the challenges for local TV newsrooms as they embrace the digital age is balancing broadcasting and narrowcasting: one size fits all versus one size fits me. Websites and apps allow for a degree of personalization that TV has never been able to match. But that may be about to change.

KMBC, KCTV, KSHB, WDAF, KCPT, KCWE, KSMO and KCMI begin broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

WPCH, WGCL, WSB, WAGA and WXIA are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

Education tech company SpectraRep is teaming with Sinclair Broadcast Group’s One Media 3.0 and its WIAV-CD Washington, D.C., to deliver EduCast, a broadcast Internet solution to meet the needs of K-12 and college learners without access to sufficient broadband Internet services in their homes.

TVNewsCheck‘s Michael Depp and TVB President-CEO Steve Lanzano discuss persistent agency silos, audience measurement woes and automation resistance in the world of TV advertising, prompting the question of whether the whole business could use some time on the couch to work through its issues.

The transmission supplier is partnering with Howard University’s WHUT and Pearl TV to power ATSC 3.0 services for five stations in the nation’s ninth largest TV market.

Sean Plater, who already leads the HBCU’s FM station and has led the school’s NextGen TV broadcast collaborative over the past year, will now oversee its public broadcasting TV outlet.

KOVR, KCRA, KQCA, KTXL, KXTV and KUVS are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

WAXN, WSOC, WJZY, WBTV and WCNC are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

WOFL, WRBW, WFTV, WRDQ, WKMG, WESH, WKCF and WUCF are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology

KATV, KTHV, KARK, KARZ and KLRT are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

The latest advance in television broadcasting, with features such as mobile reception, ultra-high-definition video and movie-theater-quality sound, should reach markets covering about half of U.S. households by the end of the year, said CEO Christopher Ripley during the broadcaster’s annual meeting this week. “With Next Gen TV-enabled television sets beginning to come to market, we now anticipate that consumer interest in this technology will drive its nationwide adoption,” he said.

PBS North Carolina says the upgrade will bring long-awaited connectivity to rural communities in the region.

WMAR, WBAL, WBFF, WNUV, WMPT and WMPB are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

Beginning later this summer, the school’s WHUT (PBS) will serve as the host station for NextGen TV broadcasts for itself and WJLA (ABC), WUSA (CBS), WTTG (Fox), and WRC (NBC).

A report on the latest field trials of SFN technology recently completed as part of Phoenix Model Market testing shows large improvements in signal level and service margin were found in nearly all test locations when single frequency network nodes were both transmitting. Error-free reception was improved in approximately 80% of the sites.

Using the high-power data transmission capacity of terrestrial broadcast stations, the reliability of eGPS positioning can be broadcast to an unlimited number of vehicles inside of the range of a licensed broadcast television station.

NAB Deputy General Counsel Patrick McFadden discusses Microsoft’s promises to deploy TV white space devices even as Microsoft seeks to overturn recently adopted FCC rules allowing broadcasters to further the deployment of NextGen TV services and improve service to television viewers.

Broadcaster spots from the Pearl TV consortium promoting the ATSC 3.0 advanced broadcast TV transmission standard have drawn consumer interest, according to a Magid survey, including over better sound, which has become a major differentiator. The study found that a majority of respondents (60%) said they were “likely“ to purchase a TV set with NextGen TV technology within the next year after seeing the Pearl TV spots promoting NextGen TV.

Kerry Oslund, VP of strategy and business development for E.W. Scripps, has been spearheading testing of automotive applications of ATSC 3.0 at the Motown 3.0 Test Track in the Motor City. He’s learning a lot about data transfer to vehicles, receivability and where single and multifrequency networks will be playing a role. Note: This story is available to TVNewsCheck Premium members only. If you would like to upgrade your free TVNewsCheck membership to Premium now, you can visit your Member Home Page, available when you log in at the very top right corner of the site or in the Stay Connected Box that appears in the right column of virtually every page on the site. If you don’t see Member Home, you will need to click Log In or Subscribe.

WOTV, WWMT, WOOD, WXMI, WXSP-CD and WOLP-CD are now broadcasting with ATSC 3.0 technology.

NAB, E.W. Scripps, IT consultancy Fincons Group and the News Literacy Project will demonstrate how local TV newsrooms can use NextGen TV’s dynamic, interactive capability to combat fake news. An eight-minute demo on April 21 during the virtual session will be followed by an interactive Q&A.

Latest research also shows added features are strong differentiators for manufacturers and retailers.

The public media network’s WUNC joins other broadcasters in airing ATSC 3.0 broadcasts in Raleigh-Durham.