ATSC 3.0's backers need to focus on attracting consumers, advertisers and consumer tech OEMs to the new technology, said executives from E.W. Scripps, Sinclair, Nexstar, and BitPath in a virtual panel Thursday. “A lot of these OEMs need to understand in a much deeper way what’s in it for them,” said Kerry Oslund, Scripps vice president-strategy and business development. If broadcasters don’t ensure that ATSC 3.0 early adopters see “a tangible difference,” 3.0 “will be 3DTV all over again.”
Consumer "acceptance" of ATSC 3.0 is “rapid,” said Pearl TV representatives, including Managing Director Anne Schelle, on a Jan. 14 call with an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington about the progress in deploying the new standard, according to a filing posted Wednesday in docket 16-142. ATSC 3.0 services are in “over 46 markets” and 35 more will launch in 2022, said Pearl: "In less than two years, nearly 3 million NextGen TV receivers have been sold, and it is projected that 4.5 million sets will be sold this year as more consumers upgrade to smart TVs. This rapid acceptance of the technology is one of the fastest penetration rates for a new consumer technology."
A survey by an ATSC 3.0 industry group shows consumer demand for the technology's enhanced emergency information capabilities, said Sinclair and subsidiary One Media, which sponsored the research. The survey, done by the NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance, showed “almost two-thirds of American consumers” want geotargeted alerts. Over half want the ability to curate which alerts are received and the ability to opt in to a stream of emergency information. “Almost two thirds of American consumers said they would pay an extra $5” for a mobile phone with enhanced emergency information and “almost half said they would pay an extra $10,” the release said.
The Evoca-branded pay-TV service using ATSC 3.0 entered its fourth market Thursday when it lit up Idaho's KVUI and KPIF, both Pocatello, emailed a spokesperson. Parent company Edge Networks launched Evoca in Boise in August 2020 (see 2008210021). It’s now also available in Phoenix and Colorado Springs.
Five TV stations in Washington, D.C., began broadcasting in ATSC 3.0, with Howard University’s noncommercial station WHUT-TV hosting the signals of Sinclair’s WJLA-TV, NBCUniversal’s WRC-TV, Fox’s WTTG, and Tegna’s WUSA. “It’s gonna take time to infiltrate the market” with 3.0 receivers, said WHUT General Manager Sean Plater in an interview. “Step one was to get stations on the air." Viewers of WHUT’s 1.0 signal won’t see a difference in their feed, Plater said. “That’s one of the first things we checked.” NAB worked with Howard to create an ATSC 3.0 “learning lab” and certificate program at the school, said NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny in a video presentation Thursday. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks appeared in the video, praising NAB for creating educational opportunities for Howard University students with the new standard. Matheny highlighted one student, Sulaiman Bastien, who created an 3.0 app in connection with the program. Plater said one reason broadcasters emphasized getting 3.0 online in Washington is to make the tech easy for lawmakers to access. “We want to make sure they can see it up close and personal.” Outgoing NAB CEO Gordon Smith said 3.0 will be broadcasting in 35 markets by year's end.
ATSC 3.0 continued to “gain momentum” in 2021, with dozens of U.S. cities launching NextGenTV services, blogged ATSC President Madeleine Noland Monday. She estimated nearly 200 3.0 channels are available in more than 40 cities, supported by 70 compliant TV models from LG, Samsung and Sony: “Broadcasters are taking full advantage of this momentum, offering services with better video quality, enhanced dialog control with Voice+, interactive applications and more, while promoting new services.”
Comments on FCC-proposed changes to ATSC 3.0 multicast rules (see 2111050049) are due Feb. 11 in docket 16-142, replies March 14, said a public notice Monday. Broadcast industry officials said the changes to the multicast hosting rules would make it easier for the transition, but MVPD groups said the changes could have implications for ownership and attribution rules (see 2105280035).
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.