TV2020

The head of Sinclair Broadcast Group makes a powerful argument for ATSC 3.0. He believes it will spawn many enhancements and businesses that will more than justify the “immaterial” cost of implementation, especially the ability to deliver targeted advertising. There’s room for skepticism, but not enough to stop broadcasters from moving briskly ahead with the technology.

At last week’s TV2020 conference, TVNewsCheck Editor Harry Jessell sat down with station group heads Jack Abernethy of Fox, Pat LaPlatney of Raycom, David Smith of Sinclair  and Perry Sook of Nexstar for a nuts-and-bolts discussion of the money-making potential of ATSC 3.0. Abernethy liked the technology, but was skeptical about the business models. However, the other three said adopting the new technology is a no-brainer. Said Sook: “It’s the next technological evolution of our business. I think it’s just a matter now of how fast we can roll things out.” Watch the session above.

Among the many new options the next-gen TV transmission technology could offer TV stations are the ability to sell regional and national ads in addition to local ones; datacasting as a B2B service; OTT video offerings that could compete with cable and satellite; as well as a much more powerful Advance Warning and Response Network.

Panelists agreed that the proposed transmission standard holds the potential for producing new kinds of audience data that advertisers are looking for today, allowing stations to join the ad industry evolution toward “geo-targeted” data.

Stations need to make sure they consider their future ATSC 3.0 needs alongside any changes that the post-incentive auction spectrum repack will require.

Speaking on the future of television, engineers are enthusiastic about the potential for the new transmission system to create an “unprecedented” viewing and listening experience and offer stations greater capability and flexibility.

The trade group’s CTO Sam Matheny explains what needs to happen before the next-gen standard gets the green light from the FCC and said he expects it all to happen by 2017-18.

But three other major stations group heads led by David Smith of Sinclair expressed unqualified enthusiasm for implementing the new broadcast standard, saying it will transform broadcasting into a fast-growing business again. “It’s essential for this industry to survive to have ATSC 3.0 in the marketplace as fast as possible,” said Smith.

Accenture Strategy’s Mike Chapman feels the next-gen ATSC 3.0 technology is rich in potential for broadcasters because it will allow them to participate fully in the new media world — creating ancillary platforms, transporting more data and developing new revenue streams from new services such as ad insertion.

It seems to be human nature to fail to grasp the concept of exponential growth, but if broadcasters wish to succeed as they face new competition they must grasp how the concept doesn’t — but should — apply to them and the over-the-air service they deliver.

The CEO of Fox Television Stations and co-president of Fox News Channel joins David Smith of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Perry Sook of Nexstar Broadcasting Group and Pat LaPlatney of Raycom Media on a CEO panel at TVNewsCheck’s TV2020: Monetizing ATSC 3.0 conference in New York on Nov. 9-10.

The Accenture consultant will set the stage for TVN’s TV2020, a day-long discussion on the challenges and opportunities of Next Gen TV with a clear-eyed look at the expanding TV ecosystem and broadcasting’s place in it.

One highlight of TVNewsCheck’s Nov. 9-10 TV2020 conference on the prospects for Next Gen TV will be the CEO panel featuring David Smith of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Perry Sook of Nexstar Broadcasting Group and Pat LaPlatney of Raycom Media.