ATSC & Pearl TV Respond To FCC’s 3.0 NPRM Draft

The FCC on Tuesday released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would eliminate mandatory ATSC 1.0 simulcasting requirements for television broadcasters adopting the new ATSC 3.0 standard. The commission’s fact sheet said: “We propose to remove regulatory obstacles and give additional flexibility to broadcasters. In addition, we seek comment on how to minimize the costs and impact of this transition on all stakeholders, including consumers, manufacturers, MVPDs, and smaller broadcasters.”

The commission’s moves come in advance of its Oct. 28 meeting.

On Wednesday, ATSC and Pearl TV commented on the commission’s actions.

Madeleine Noland, ATSC president, said: “As the Broadcast Standards Association, ATSC is encouraged by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which says it plans to review ways that the voluntary transition to ATSC 3.0 could be accelerated. America’s local broadcasters provide an invaluable and vital public service, keeping us informed on news, weather, and sports. ATSC 3.0 will allow broadcasters to enhance their ties to local viewers, with the capability to enhance emergency messages, improve accessibility for viewers, and even provide BPS — a much-needed redundancy for GPS.

“While we’re going through the many questions raised by the FCC in its draft document, ATSC believes it’s good that conversations are underway and that the next phase of the transition is about to begin.  While ATSC doesn’t advocate for specific positions, we remain focused on developing and promoting the best possible next-generation broadcast system for the United States and around the world. We are keenly interested in the U.S. transition and stand ready to explain features of the myriad standards that were developed by our membership.”

And Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, commented: “Pearl TV and the local broadcasters commend FCC Chairman Carr for launching a new proceeding on NextGen TV that signals to the consumer technology industry, broadcasters, and consumers that the final transition to next-generation broadcasting is underway and that the technology provides an unparalleled opportunity to enhance and improve television service to millions of viewers each day.

Pearl helped to write the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard. Since it was adopted by the FCC in 2017, Pearl has worked with broadcasters to launch service across the country and with the consumer technology industry to develop new features that explore the standard’s capabilities and to get ready for the final transition.     

“NextGen TV is coming, and it will transform local broadcasting into a vibrant, interactive service that not only competes with Big Tech streaming platforms but also delivers enhanced emergency alerting, hyper-local warnings, and life-saving public safety information to every community.

“Local broadcasting remains a trusted, reliable, and free service for millions of viewers every day, and the move to advance transmission and reception technology will help TV become an even more essential to millions of viewers.”

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