Four years after the FCC voted to authorize ATSC 3.0's voluntary deployment (see 1711160060), MPEG LA is about to launch a 3.0 patent pool license, emailed a spokesperson. “If things go as we now anticipate, we expect to begin offering the license in January.” MPEG LA originally planned to have the patent pool operational by early 2019 (see 1811270013). “Each pool has its own unique set of factors affecting time to market, and in some cases, reaching agreement among patent holders to offer a license of wide benefit to the market takes longer than others,” said the spokesperson now. “This license is timely in light of the expected ATSC 3.0 ramp-up.” The 3.0 pool doesn’t have “a final licensor count yet,” he said. ATSC 3.0 services are on the air in about three dozen U.S. cities, with 18 more slated to come online through the spring. CTA forecasts 4 million 3.0-compliant sets will be sold in 2022, climbing to 11 million in 2023 and 20 million in 2024. MPEG LA announced a call for 3.0-essential patents, the first step in the patent pool formation process, in August 2017 (see 1711010054). ATSC bylaws require that patent owners disclose they hold intellectual property relevant to 3.0 and that they commit to licensing their patents on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms (see 1711210004).
District of Columbia Public Service Commissioner Richard Beverly being reappointed for term ending June 30, 2024; PSC spokesperson notes that interim chairman is Emile Thompson, as Chairman Willie Phillips has left the agency for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see this section, Nov. 19 issue of this publication) ... Verizon moves up Krista Bourne to chief operating officer, Verizon Consumer Group, effective Jan. 1 and reporting to Manon Brouillette, who recently was promoted to Consumer Group CEO, also effective on that date (see this section, Nov. 9 issue of this publication) ... Sonos hires Target’s Shamayne Braman as chief diversity equity and inclusion officer and Rebecca Zavin from Palo Alto Networks as senior vice president-software.
USTelecom appoints from OMB Michael Pauls as senior director-government affairs ... Information Technology and Innovation Foundation adds ex-FTC economist Julie Carlson as associate director-antitrust and innovation policy, ITIF’s Schumpeter Project on Competition Policy ... Kirkland & Ellis hires Scott Scheele as partner, Antitrust & Competition Practice Group; he was at DOJ as chief, Antitrust Division’s Media, Entertainment and Communications Section.
Broadcasters want the FCC to distinguish between “next-generation EAS” (emergency alert system) and enhanced alerting through ATSC 3.0, said replies posted Friday in docket 15-94. “Conflating the two platforms threatens to encourage the migration of the rules and requirements that govern EAS (which have accrued from the 1950’s to this proceeding) to ATSC 3.0 emergency messaging,” said the Advanced Warning and Response Network Alliance and ATSC. The 3.0 “optional, value-added urgent news information service” is called “Advanced Emergency Information” and is a valuable supplement for EAS alerts but isn’t the same thing, NAB said. “Refrain from regulating such an optional ATSC 3.0 content service because it is unrelated to the vital service provided by the EAS system and doing so could hinder innovation.” AWARN and ATSC urged the FCC not to impose alerting regulations on streaming media. NAB reiterated (see 2110200065) that an FCC proposal for persistent EAS alerts isn’t feasible.
A holiday marketing campaign on ATSC 3.0 and the enhanced audio features it enables begins in late November, said Pearl TV Thursday. The nine-week campaign will air in the 34 markets that have 3.0 and will educate consumers about Dolby audio features, such as enhanced dialogue, it said. Dolby’s Sound Decisions marketing campaign will demonstrate 3.0-exclusive audio features, and broadcasters will also air commercials on 3.0, themed the "Future of Television." ATSC 3.0 enabled TV will be available in stores “just in time for the holiday shopping season and a variety of retailer deals associated with recognized shopping events,” said Pearl.
Recent furor about Sesame Street character Big Bird advocating for COVID-19 vaccines is unlikely to derail America’s Public Television Stations requests for increased federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said APTS President Patrick Butler in a virtual talk hosted by The Media Institute. “I don’t think this is going to be a particularly long-lasting controversy,” Butler said.
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the TV world on its ear in a short time, and the industry is grappling to learn which trends will stick and how to address the many challenges, said panelists on Digital Media Wire’s virtual Future of Television conference Monday.
The FCC unanimously approved a Further NPRM seeking comment on proposals from NAB’s petition on ATSC 3.0 multicasting. The FNPRM released Friday tentatively concludes that the agency should let 3.0 stations license multicast streams that are hosted by other stations (see 2110280064). It proposes allowing stations broadcasting in 3.0 on their own channels to license ATSC 1.0 multicast streams hosted by other stations without simulcasting that stream in 3.0 themselves. Licensing multicast streams would make clear what station is responsible for FCC violations on a given stream, the FNPRM said. It would also address concerns about noncommercial educational stations hosting the streams of commercial broadcasters, the FNPRM said. FCC rules prohibit airing broadcast ads over NCE spectrum. The proposals could help address broadcaster capacity concerns “by facilitating the participation of stations uncomfortable with a purely contractual approach and making the participation of NCE stations legally permissible,” the FNPRM said. The FCC declined to seek comment on an NAB proposal for broadcasters to host multicast streams even without broadcasting in 3.0 but asked about allowing 3.0 broadcasters to host their primary and multicast streams on different stations to prevent service loss. “Is there any reason to treat ‘simulcast’ multicast streams differently than ‘simulcast’ primary streams?” the FCC asked. The FNPRM seeks comment on how to prevent broadcasters from taking advantage of the rule changes “to aggregate programming or broadcast spectrum on multiple stations in a market in a manner that would not otherwise be possible or permitted.”
A drop in automotive advertising caused by supply chain woes remains a drag on TV and radio advertising, according to Q3 reports delivered in calls last week. Last year's revenue was strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic’s slowdown on commercials but buoyed by political spots from the presidential election, several companies noted.
No changes have been proposed internally to a draft FCC order clarifying ATSC 3.0 multicast rules, though the item hasn't been OK'd by all commissioners, said agency and industry officials in recent interviews. Broadcasters say approving the item -- which stems from an NAB petition for clarification -- will speed the transition to 3.0. “Anything we can do to expedite 3.0 deployment will be for the benefit of viewers and platform users,” said One Media Executive Vice President-Strategic and Legal Affairs Jerald Fritz.