The NAB-led multistakeholder ATSC 3.0 task force, The Future of TV Initiative (FOTI), released its final report Friday, but the document offers few actionable recommendations and shows little new agreement among stakeholders (see 2501090047). “The report will provide the FCC with a better understanding of stakeholders’ outstanding issues and concerns as it moves forward with the rulemakings necessary to complete the transition and will help focus the efforts of industry as they continue to deploy ATSC 3.0,” NAB said in a news release Friday.
The NAB’s ATSC 3.0 task force, The Future of TV Initiative (see 2408300030), is expected to produce a final report “soon” members said, but broadcasters told us much of the impetus behind the effort has faded due to the coming leadership change at the FCC. Commissioner Brendan Carr, the agency's chairman-designate, is seen as more favorable to the 3.0 transition, broadcasters said. The task force first met in June 2023, and members said it would issue a final report in fall 2024. “It is a daunting effort to put that report together in a way that everyone can sign off on the language,” said Robert Folliard, a task force member and Gray Media senior vice president-government relations and distribution. “We expect the report to come out very soon,” an NAB spokesperson said.
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington on Wednesday lauded an ATSC 3.0 datacasting joint venture from the country’s largest broadcasters. Gray Media, Nexstar, E.W. Scripps and Sinclair Broadcast on Tuesday announced the creation of Edgebeam Wireless (see 2501070079). “One-to-many over-the-air data distribution is several orders of magnitude more efficient than one-to-one transmission,” Simington said in an emailed statement. “From over-the-air firmware updates to pre-cached content, ATSC 3.0 holds the promise of playing an important role in any future mix of data delivery. And now, with a nationwide footprint, broadcasters are poised to deliver on that promise.”
Gray Media, Nexstar, E.W. Scripps and Sinclair Broadcast have launched an ATSC 3.0 joint venture focused on delivering data using broadcast signals. Called Edgebeam Wireless, the new company will “provide expansive, reliable, and secure data delivery services,” said a joint news release Tuesday. It was launched ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the release said. Financial details of the joint venture weren’t disclosed. Combining four of the country’s largest broadcasters, the new entity “creates a spectrum footprint that no individual broadcaster could achieve on its own,” and allows “nationwide coverage for data delivery to billions of potential devices,” the release said. Nexstar and Sinclair also own Bitpath, another ATSC 3.0 joint venture focused on datacasting, founded in 2018. “Our vision is to be at the forefront of the wireless revolution, harnessing the power of ATSC 3.0 to establish a nationwide broadcast data network,” said BitPath’s website. "BitPath’s efforts will be integrated into this new JV—the formation of the JV joins together all the efforts of these four broadcasters to build and utilize this nationwide network ATSC 3.0 network," said a Nexstar spokesperson. Edgebeam will represent an increased effort and focus on datacasting, a broadcast executive told us. EdgeBeam “will be able to deliver data across the country to any civilian or military device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets, and television sets,” the release said. Potential applications for data delivery include connected cars, content delivery, and high-accuracy enhanced GPS, businesses where the companies have existing efforts. Sinclair announced a deal to deliver 4K video content at the 2024 NAB Show (see 2404150031), while BitPath offers a precision GPS service called Navpath. Nexstar and Scripps have also long been working on experimental efforts using datacasting to update connected cars. “EdgeBeam Wireless will have benefits for the entire wireless ecosystem, helping to relieve congestion while also offering competitive pricing for wide area data distribution,” said Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley.
Several new and low-cost ATSC 3.0 receivers will be showcased at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Pearl TV said in a news release Friday. CES runs from Tuesday to Jan. 10 in Las Vegas. A low-cost USB receiver from Tolka will enable existing Android and Fire TVs to receive 3.0 broadcasts, and ADTH is introducing a receiver that works without an internet connection, the release said. “In 2025, RCA is also coming to market with two new NEXTGEN TV sets that will join TV options already available from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL,” said Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle in the release. Schelle also touted release of an interactive gaming channel on 3.0 in Las Vegas called GameLoop TV. It includes a “Play Now” feature that “allows NEXTGEN TV viewers to instantly play games showcased on the channel simply using their TV remote or mobile phone.” Broadcasters will also promote availability of high dynamic range on 3.0 stations into February, continuing an effort that began in December, the release said. During sports broadcasts, stations are indicating onscreen when local 3.0 programming is available in HDR, the release said. "We're very excited to announce that broadcast stations throughout the country are adding HDR10+ capability in their NEXTGEN TV broadcast services to accommodate a broad array of TV manufacturers,” Schelle said.
Sinclair Broadcast and Nashville PBS have launched a virtual ATSC 3.0 channel on WNPT-VC Nashville, allowing the PBS station to offer viewers access to ATSC 3.0 capabilities without requiring the station to commit the resources necessary to broadcast an ATSC 3.0 signal. “Viewers with NEXTGEN TVs can view and select WNPT-VC in their programming guide and access the channel seamlessly over the internet,” said a joint release from Sinclair, Nashville PBS and America’s Public Television Stations. The programming on WNPT-VC mirrors that of Nashville PBS’ main channel, “while providing enhanced accessibility for those with NEXTGEN-enabled televisions,” the release said. Sinclair and APTS have committed to launching such virtual channels for APTS member stations in markets where Sinclair has deployed ATSC 3.0, but the public station hasn’t. The Nashville launch is the program’s second; the first debuted in Nebraska in October. Noncommercial educational stations have faced difficulties deploying 3.0 signals because of a lack of capacity in their markets. The transition requires stations to host the content of other stations, and commercial stations have tended to pair with other commercial stations (see 2203300052). “As we bring our trusted educational, cultural and civic programming into the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem, we are excited to enhance the viewer experience and expand the reach of public television in Middle Tennessee,” said Becky Magura, CEO of Nashville PBS, in the release.
The prospects for achieving broadcast ownership deregulation are “better than at any point in the recent past” under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, said Nexstar CEO Perry Sook in a Q&A during the UBS Global Communications Conference. Sook said Monday he expects a congressional effort will scrap the 39% broadcast ownership cap and implement internal FCC changes that will ease rules on broadcasters within the first six months of the new administration. Incoming FCC head and current Commissioner Brendan Carr “gets it,” Sook said. “We've been in contact with him, and will continue to be in close contact.” Sook said that Carr’s repeated statements on taking away broadcast licenses and holding broadcasters to a public interest standard are aimed at NBC, CBS and ABC. “I think there is some animus or frustration with some of the networks for some of their content decisions.” However, Sook downplayed the threat. “FCC chairmen can't really unilaterally revoke licenses,” he said. “Now you can use your pulpit to commence hearings ... and ... make people's lives more expensive and more difficult, but unilaterally removing licenses is not really within the cards.” Along with Carr, Sook said Nexstar discussed deregulation with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La. Unlike previous pushes to change the national cap, the broadcast TV groups support completely removing it this time, Sook said. “The industry itself is united around the need and not divided as to what the right number is.” Carr could spur TV market consolidation simply by signaling that waivers allowing top-four duopolies would be more liberally granted, Sook said, adding it’s a move he could make without a majority at the commission. Sook is also looking to Carr to eliminate the simulcast requirement for the ATSC 3.0 transition and establish a date certain to end ATSC 1.0. “We are spending time working with both the legislative and the executive branch to try and affect these changes.”
In what could be its last full meeting under Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC on Dec. 11 will consider rules that would expand parts of the 6 GHz band where new very-low-power (VLP) devices can operate without coordination, beyond the initial 850 MHz commissioners approved last year (see 2310190054). Commissioners at the open meeting will also consider changing rules that govern letters of credit for USF programs and an item updating several broadcast radio and TV rules. Also on the agenda are various enforcement items, which will be released after the commission's approval.
Broadcast executives during Q3 earnings calls were hopeful for ownership deregulation and progress on ATSC 3.0 from a Republican-controlled FCC, but FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr -- the perceived front-runner to chair the agency -- said Thursday that scrutinizing broadcasters is among his priorities. “We're very excited about the upcoming regulatory environment,” said Sinclair Broadcast CEO Chris Ripley during Sinclair’s call Wednesday. “It feels like a cloud over the industry is lifting ... and ... some much-needed modernization of the regulations will be forthcoming.” In a news release Thursday, Carr said when the transition to the next administration is complete “the FCC will have an important role to play reining in Big Tech, ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest, and unleashing economic growth while advancing our national security interests and supporting law enforcement.”
NEW YORK -- 2025 isn't a “cliff” for the broadcast TV industry despite falling retransmission consent revenue, ad sales declines and growing streaming competition, said executives at the NAB Show New York Wednesday. “We're not at the cliff,” said Nexstar President-Broadcast Andy Alford. “I think 2025 is going to have its challenges,” but “there is lots of opportunity for 2025 to be a good year." Said CBS News and Stations President Jennifer Mitchell during a TV NewsCheck-hosted panel, “Despite year-over-year declines heading into 2025 there is a lot of optimism.”