Sinclair was involved in recent broadcast TV mergers and acquisitions “processes,” but the properties went to other buyers at prices higher than it wanted to pay, said CEO Chris Ripley on a Q4 call Wednesday. Sinclair didn’t comment on which deals he was referencing. Recent M&A includes Cox’s proposed sale of stations to investment fund Apollo and Nexstar’s proposed buy of former Sinclair dance partner Tribune. Since issues from the outstanding hearing designation order stemming from the failed Sinclair/Tribune remain unresolved (see 1901040047), it’s widely believed Sinclair buying TV stations could trigger unwanted FCC action on its licenses. That’s been seen as something Sinclair would seek to avoid, and the broadcaster has opposed efforts to bring that matter before the FCC before the 2020 license renewal period (see 1812110062). Ripley has said the HDO won't keep Sinclair out of M&A (see 1810180024). Q4 revenue rose 25 percent, compared with Q4 2017, Sinclair reported, reaching $893.3 million. Executives are bullish about the company’s outlook, touting activity with regional sports networks, expected political advertising sales gains and progress on ATSC 3.0. Sinclair and SpectrumCo hope to begin broadcasting 3.0 in 20-30 markets this year, Ripley said. That's delayed waiting for the FCC to create an application form (see 1902260046). Sinclair is open to doing more sports deals similar to its recent one with the Chicago Cubs (see 1902130019), Ripley said. Sports content is the highest rated and the “scarcest” content, Ripley said. “You can't create more sports, you can create more of almost any other genre.” The rapidly increasing field of 2020 presidential candidates “really bodes well for local broadcasters” on political ad dollars, said Chief Operating Officer Steven Marks. In the lead-up to the election, broadcasters “aren’t gonna be able to get out of the way of all the money” pouring in for political ads, he said.
First steps in the ATSC 3.0 switch could be delayed by lack of an FCC license application form for the new standard, said Spectrum Consortium President John Hane at America's Public Television Stations Summit Tuesday, responding to our questions. SpectrumCo has over a dozen markets that could begin to transition by late summer, but that's unlikely if the document isn't released in the next few months, Hane said.
America's Public Television Stations will seek an additional $50 million in federal funding for public television in 2019, and is aiming to secure a $100 million total increase over the next 10 years, said APTS President Patrick Butler at the group's Public Media Summit Monday. It will seek $100 million in additional funding from states, and a third tranche of $100 million from renting out spectrum through ATSC 3.0, Butler said.
The FCC will vote an order on FM translator interference this spring, Chairman Ajit Pai said in a speech Friday to the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (see 1810090042). The Media Bureau is drafting the order now, Pai said. A new license management system form to let TV stations apply to begin broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 is expected to be completed in Q2, Pai said. The bureau also is working on a supplementary 3.0 order on local simulcasting, and an order addressing concerns raised in reconsideration petitions on the new standard, Pai said. Pai also discussed the post-incentive auction repacking (see 1902220062).
The enhanced emergency information available through ATSC 3.0 will help viewers be better informed in disasters such as California’s wildfires, said News Press Gazette General Manager Mark Danielson for the FCC's podcast. News-Press & Gazette owns KEYT-TV Santa Barbara, an ATSC 3.0 test bed. “That combination of broadcast and the broadband technology together will allow our users to see all of our different live feeds,” Danielson told host Evan Swarztrauber, aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. ATSC 3.0 will allow emergency alerts to be targeted to specific areas and give first responders and viewers enhanced information during incidents, Danielson said. “During the Thomas Fire we had five, six live feeds up simultaneously,” Danielson said. “Viewers will have access to that if they have a specific need.” For broadcasters covering disasters, Danielson recommended a strong relationship with the surrounding community, a plan for handling emergency breaking news, and keeping staff familiar with back-up methods of gathering live content such as through microwave technology or satellite trucks.
Nexstar proposed divesting stations in 11 overlap markets for its anticipated buy of Tribune. It's seeks one top four showing for an existing combination, in the application posted Tuesday.
“Consumer lab” testing in the ATSC 3.0 Phoenix model market (see 1812060027) found “strong appeal” for next-generation TV features that could increase broadcast TV viewing and drive sales of new 3.0-capable TVs, said Pearl TV Tuesday. Pearl commissioned Magid to test consumer reaction to the new service and found 3.0 likely could induce viewers to start watching broadcast programming, even if they don't currently do so, said Pearl. The testing found the “combination” of 4K video, HDR and immersive audio has “the broadest appeal," said Pearl Managing Director Anne Schelle. Other findings: (1) 91 percent of consumers said they would be "interested" or "very interested" in using a service like 3.0; (2) Consumers said they find 3.0's “enhanced audio” features especially appealing, including the ability to “customize audio tracks”; (3) 80 percent of consumers said they would be “interested" or "very interested" in buying a 3.0 TV or add-on device.
Verance will partner with Fincons Group to speed and expand the development of ATSC 3.0 in the U.S. and HbbTV in Europe, said the companies Tuesday. ATSC adopted the Verance Aspect audio watermark technology for 3.0 nearly four years ago (see 1504030030), and Aspect "is currently being adapted for use within the HbbTV ecosystem," they said. Fincons is a systems integration company that partnered to develop several over-the-top service offerings in Europe, including the Mediaset Play OTT platform launched in Italy during last year's World Cup. The companies' initial projects will focus on accelerating “readiness” of 3.0 and HbbTV in both markets, they said: “Examples include the identification and development of leading consumer offerings, business modeling, proof of concept and market trial management, retailer education, and service lifecycle management and operations.” By deploying Aspect, “programmers gain cross-platform audience measurement data and new revenue opportunities such as audience targeting and addressable advertising,” said Verance. “Viewers gain more personalized and interactive experiences; device manufacturers gain a new opportunity to market and sell TVs; and advertisers gain linear measurement and attribution capabilities.” Without Aspect, the "reach and scale" of "Next Gen TV experiences" will be "significantly smaller," said Verance. "In 2020, only 20% of ATSC 3.0-enabled connected TVs in the U.S. are expected to be able to receive Next Gen TV experiences without Aspect. This is because the metadata and triggers required for these experiences are not carried by cable operators due to their different transmission protocols. Aspect enables this information to be automatically recovered by the TV regardless of distribution path."
Venable hires for legislative and government affairs practice: Anne Kierig, ex-DLA Piper, as counsel-cybersecurity and privacy; Steve Vest, ex-Time Warner, as senior policy adviser; and Nick Choate, ex-Office of former Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as policy adviser-telecom, cybersecurity and technology ... Duane Morris taps Kevin Anderson, ex-Wiley Rein, as partner-intellectual property.
ATSC announces Mark Richer will retire as president later this year, successor to be picked by a search committee chaired by Richard Friedel, Fox, who was selected for that role by Lynn Claudy, NAB, newly elected to succeed Friedel as ATSC board chairman ... ASCAP appoints Nicole Carbone-Rogers, from Billboard, senior vice president/head-events, effective Feb. 11 ... Audio Engineering Society hires Colleen Harper, ex-American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, as executive director.