Atsc 3 Update The Cta Takes On The Nab On Tuner Mandate Request

I’ve been following the rough rollout of ATSC 3.0—also known as NextGenTV—for a while now, and this week the transition hit another bump in the road. A dispute over tuner mandates has surfaced between two key players in the process: the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which represents electronics manufacturers, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which represents TV broadcasters. I dive into this in my latest video. The disagreement is notable because these two organizations have worked closely to get this new standard off the ground. Even the NextGenTV logo consumers see on compatible equipment is a registered trademark of the CTA, not the NAB. Recently, the NAB asked the FCC to push the transition forward, proposing a 2028 cutoff for the current standard in major markets.

That proposal included several desired mandates. One, which I mentioned previously, would require manufacturers to include ATSC 3.0 tuners in TVs well before that deadline. But there were a few other items tucked into the request. For instance, the NAB wants the FCC to require that remotes with buttons for services like Netflix also have buttons for broadcast TV. They also want broadcast content to be featured prominently in on-screen menus—right up there with paid placements from streaming platforms. This is where the CTA pushed back.

Gary Shapiro, CTA’s CEO, took to LinkedIn with a public response. He accused the NAB of trying to force an unpopular product on consumers and manufacturers. He noted that less than 10% of Americans rely on antennas for TV and argued that these mandates would increase costs for everyone, especially at a time when affordability is a concern. The CTA also began lobbying FCC commissioners directly. They brought along cost comparisons, pointing out that TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners are significantly more expensive. They argue that additional costs—like those tied to licensing and DRM requirements—are part of why manufacturers are reluctant to include these tuners in their products.

The cable industry, led by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), is pushing back against a proposal by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to mandate a nationwide transition to ATSC 3.0, also... In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday, NCTA argued that the proposed mandate would impose significant costs on consumers and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) while offering little benefit due... ATSC 3.0 promises enhanced picture and sound quality, interactive applications, and hyper-localized content, such as targeted advertising and programming. Since the FCC authorized a voluntary transition in 2017, over 80 markets have adopted ATSC 3.0 while maintaining ATSC 1.0 broadcasts to ensure compatibility. However, the NAB’s February petition urges the FCC to accelerate the process, requiring stations in the top 55 markets—covering roughly 70% of the U.S. population—to fully transition by February 2028, with remaining stations following by 2030.

The NAB also seeks mandates for ATSC 3.0 tuners in TVs by 2028 and updates to MVPD carriage rules. NCTA’s filing sharply criticized the proposal, calling it “heavy-handed government intervention” unwarranted in today’s competitive video marketplace. The group highlighted the slow pace of the voluntary transition, noting that only 138 of the 1,767 full-power U.S. stations currently broadcast in ATSC 3.0, according to RabbitEars data. Additionally, only 4.5% of TVs in U.S. households are equipped to receive ATSC 3.0 signals, reflecting low consumer demand for compatible devices.

“The exciting and innovative services broadcasters promised—superior reception, mobile viewing, enhanced public safety, and interactive content—have been slow to materialize,” NCTA stated. “Consumers have shown little demand for ATSC 3.0 televisions or converter boxes.” The cable industry also raised concerns about the lack of backward compatibility with existing MVPD systems. NCTA members, including major cable operators, would need to invest heavily in new infrastructure to carry ATSC 3.0 signals. One member estimated costs in the tens of millions for new transceivers alone, a burden that could drive up cable service prices at a time when operators are already losing subscribers to streaming platforms. “The broadcast industry chose a non-backward compatible technology,” NCTA argued, asserting that the costs should not be passed on to MVPDs or consumers.

The Consumer Technology Association has criticized the National Association of Broadcasters push for an ATSC 3.0 tuner mandate, calling it an unnecessary regulatory burden that would increase costs for manufacturers and consumers. NAB proposes 2028 ATSC 3.0 deadline for major markets, full transition by 2030 In a statement, CTA CEO and Vice Chair Gary Shapiro argued that the proposed requirement would force an underutilized technology onto the market without consumer demand. He compared this effort to previous broadcasters lobbying for FM chips in phones and policies on AM radio. “The National Association of Broadcasters is at it again — first pushing to mandate FM chips in phones, then misleading policymakers about AM radio, and now forcing NEXTGEN TV onto every consumer and manufacturer,”... “This is a product that costs more and consumers have not embraced.”

ATSC 3.0, also called NextGen TV, is the latest broadcast standard that promises enhanced video and audio capabilities, interactive features, and better signal reception. However, its rollout has been slow, and adoption remains low. Filing calls NAB’s petition to require 3.0 tuners a ‘heavy-handed and risky government intervention’ When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. WASHINGTON—The Consumer Technology Association has continued its opposition to mandates requiring that NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 tuners be included in new TV sets, saying in an FCC filing that such rules would raise prices and...

“There is no basis whatsoever for heavy-handed and risky government intervention to justify a regulatory mandate when the marketplace is working," the CTA argued in its filing. “Doing so would impose real costs for consumers, stifle innovation and levy unneeded regulations contrary to this Administration’s goals without a guarantee that consumers will tune into more broadcast video.” In February, CTA CEO and vice chair Gary Shapiro came out against a National Association of Broadcasters petition to the FCC proposing that the agency require 3.0 tuners in new TV sets as part... He’s emerged as a villainous figure among radio industry professionals for his efforts to thwart a mandate that all U.S. vehicles manufactured and/or sold in the nation maintain free access to AM radio stations in their in-dash entertainment systems. Now, Gary Shapiro is rapidly becoming Enemy No.

1 of the broadcast TV industry. He and the Consumer Technology Association are dead-set against forcing manufacturers to bring ATSC 3.0-powered “NEXTGEN TV” to all sets sold in the U.S. It also marks another docket item in which the CTA is going to war against the NAB. It is the association led by Curtis LeGeyt that has proposed Congressional legislation requiring all new televisions to include ATSC 3.0 tuners. This is stated in MB Docket No. 16-142, which saw all comments due to the Commission on Wednesday (5/7).

It’s tied to the sunset initiative that would place a date on a “flash-cut” of ATSC 1.0 signals to those delivered by ATSC 3.0 technology. As of today, transition is voluntary, and the NAB and broadcasters were fine with that. Now that Brendan Carr is Chairman, the industry and its leading voice on Capitol Hill have changed course. With core advertising wilting and many saying retransmission consent is a ticking time bomb, many broadcast TV station owners believe broadcast internet powered by ATSC 3.0 is a huge dollar-generating business. Then, there is the addressable advertising solution presented through the Run3TV platform that ATSC 3.0 technology can bring, turning a broadcast station interface into that seen on its digital streaming app. Save this article for later!

Login or create a Free Member Profile to bookmark it. Filing calls NAB’s petition to require 3.0 tuners a “heavy-handed and risky government intervention.” The CTA argues that the inclusion of ATSC 3.0 tuners in new TVs such as the RCA 65 inch NextGen... This article was originally posted on tvtechnology.com An ATSC 3.0 tuner mandate and a set date for the switch to the new standard are necessary for TV broadcasting to survive and compete with streaming, said Sinclair, Scripps, Gray and others in... The Consumer Technology Association, public interest organizations and multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) groups disagreed, arguing that a mandatory transition would increase costs for consumers and MVPDs, all to provide broadcasters with a new... Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC).

Join them today! Broadcasting’s current standard is “laser disc technology in an Internet Protocol world,” said Gray Media. “The primary benefits of a forced transition appear not to be improvements to broadcast television, but rather the ability of broadcasters to use ATSC 3.0 signals for unrelated services like datacasting,” said the American... Sinclair said that without rule changes to allow the industry to advance and compete, broadcasters could “follow the path of the newspaper industry into gradual decline.” YouTube and Netflix combined have roughly the same... Gray pointed to comments from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saying that sports broadcasts have programming options on streaming services that aren’t available on current broadcasts. “To preserve its relationships with the NFL and other sports leagues and entertainment properties, broadcasters must have cutting-edge technology equivalent to [their] Big Tech streaming competitors,” Gray said.

It's “an operational nightmare” for broadcasters to transition to ATSC 3.0 while having to maintain 1.0 service, said Trinity Broadcasting Network. The spectrum constraints caused by having to operate in both standards have prevented the industry from showcasing 3.0’s full capabilities, Scripps said. CTA said there's “no basis whatsoever for heavy-handed and risky government intervention to justify a regulatory mandate when the marketplace is working.” Consumer electronics manufacturers are meeting the existing consumer demand for ATSC 3.0,... NCTA said “the reality is that the ATSC 3.0 transition has progressed relatively slowly,” pointing out that there are only 138 ATSC 3.0 stations operating, compared with more than 1,700 full-power stations in the... “A tuner mandate does not ensure a successful transition to ATSC 3.0; high-value content driving consumer demand and adoption does,” said CTA. “Government mandates for technologies will increase consumer prices by requiring all devices to include tuner technology regardless of consumer need or intended use.” Gray Media said the price of a 3.0 TV set now...

'This will impose a large percentage increase in costs at a time when the TV set has proved to be the rare deflationary product' When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The president of the Consumer Technology Association is criticizing a proposal from the National Association of Broadcasters to have the FCC mandate that TV sets sold in the U.S. support ATSC 3.0 (aka “NextGen TV”). In a petition submitted to the FCC this week, NAB is asking the commission to sunset the current U.S.

DTV standard—ATSC 1.0 by 2030, paving the way for further adoption of NextGen TV, which is now available within reach of 75% of U.S. households. As part of the proposal the association is asking the commission to mandate the inclusion of tuners that support over the air reception of NextGen TV. Unlike the first transition to DTV 25 years ago, the transition to 3.0 is voluntary in scope. Like the DTV transition though, the same organization, (then called the “Consumer Electronics Association”), vehemently opposed a mandate, which was eventually approved by Congress. Congress also created a program to provide discounts on low-cost analog-to-digital converters.

The campaign was successful enough that the June 2009 analog shutoff registered fewer consumer complaints than feared.

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