NEXTGEN TV

NAB, legal counsel for Pearl TV and the general counsel of Meredith met last week with staff of the FCC Media Bureau to discuss the transition to NextGen TV and recommend a change in what broadcasters submit to the agency as part of their ATSC 3.0 license applications to allay concerns over possible contractual indemnification issues.

Nexstar CEO and President Perry Sook says leagues like the NBA may turn to broadcasters for their over-the-air advantage amid underperforming cable ratings, and that NextGen TV is the greatest tool a TV group can use “to control its destiny.” And he’s bullish about Nexstar’s biggest competitive advantage — its local news and sales forces.

The standard has been approved, testing is ongoing and new TV sets with support for NextGen TV (aka ATSC 3.0) debuted at CES2020 earlier this month. Now comes the hard part — marketing it. That was among the chief topics at SMPTE’s NextGen TV Summit hosted by WETA Washington last week.

In addition to advanced TV, the forecast examines growth across TV OTA, TV online, OTT, retrans and non-broadcasting.

Trends that will shape the industry include the ratcheting up of OTT streaming services, shuffled alliances between content companies, downsizing and consolidation among technology vendors, and ongoing adoption of IP, AI, advanced advertising and NextGen TV.

The new Cast.era joint venture plans to provide NextGen TV solutions for the television industry rollout, starting with Sinclair stations this year. It will focus on three main business areas: cloud infrastructure for broadcasting, ultra-low latency OTT broadcasting and personalized advertising.

For many broadcasters, NextGen TV took up much of last week’s CES show’s oxygen in a series of announcements and presentations. But industry leaders shouldn’t miss what may have been the most tectonic, tangible announcement in Las Vegas: NBCU’s groundbreaking new One Platform, which simplifies the ad buying and selling process across any screen.

The annual consumer electronics bazaar offered an important stage for fledgling NextGen TV this week, while also allowing varied glimpses at 5G, anticipatory technology and acres of beautiful new screens including the Samsung Sero that shifts from a horizontal to vertical perspective.

The introductions by LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony mirror the initial nationwide rollout of NextGen TV service, powered by the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting standard, planned for more than 60 markets across the U.S.

With NextGen TV set to take the mainstage at CES, Synamedia joins the largest industry test bed for ATSC 3.0 services.

Next week’s CES in Las Vegas will once again take over the Strip with a sprawling, frenetic glimpse into tomorrow’s consumer technology. This time, NextGen TV will make its show floor debut, and hopes are high consumers will notice.

The newly-rechristened NextGen TV will start showing up in working sets at January’s CES with launches slated for the top 40 markets. But a ramp up to revenue will be slow going with advocates saying revenues are at least five years away. The TV2020 panel on the topic comprised (l-r): Anne Schelle, Pearl TV; John Hane, Spectrum Co.; and Joe Chinnici, Public Media Group. (Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross)

A Magid survey finds that the 3.0 standard’s new capabilities are seen as both an innovative service and a key feature for future consumer considering upgrading their TV receivers.

2020 is expected to start the deployment of ATSC 3.0 technology and services, and in preparation the Consumer Technology Association has announced that it has developed what it is calling the go-to market name and logo for the new technology, NEXTGEN TV. This name and logo will be used to identify devices that meet the ATSC 3.0 interoperability test specifications.