Nab Asks Fcc For Clear Atsc 3 0 Transition Plan

Local broadcasters keep you connected and informed. Learn about how we serve Americans every day, the economic impact we have on local communities, read stories of broadcasters' public service and more. Local television and radio stations played an indispensable role in 2024 connecting communities to trusted journalism and verified information during an election year. Take a look back at all that we accomplished together in 2024. Questions? NAB members can call our free Legal Hotline to learn more about legislation, filings and updates from Washington.

Call: (866) 682-0276 Email: legal@nab.org Join our team of broadcast advocates. When legislative issues arise that could impact your station and career, we'll reach out and give you simple steps to contact your legislators. Sign Up Today The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has taken a significant step toward ensuring a smooth transition to ATSC 3.0 by filing a petition urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a clear timeline... This move aims to address the growing uncertainty surrounding the transition process and provide broadcasters—particularly Low Power Television (LPTV) stations—with the guidance they need to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.

ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, is a transformative technology that enhances over-the-air broadcasting with improved video quality, immersive audio, better signal reception, and interactive features. The standard also allows for advanced emergency alerting and datacasting capabilities, which could revolutionize how broadcasters engage with their audiences. For LPTV stations, the adoption of ATSC 3.0 presents both challenges and opportunities. While the new standard promises better service and monetization potential, the lack of a definitive transition timeline has left many stations hesitant to invest in upgrades. The NAB’s petition seeks to eliminate this uncertainty by pushing for a structured, well-defined migration plan. The NAB’s petition highlights several critical areas that require immediate regulatory attention:

A Firm Transition Deadline: NAB is requesting the FCC set a clear deadline for the industry-wide adoption of ATSC 3.0, ensuring that broadcasters have a predictable roadmap. A coalition of six industry groups representing consumer electronics, pay-TV operators and broadcasters formally opposed the National Association of Broadcasters’ petition for a mandatory transition to ATSC 3.0 during a June 27 meeting with... The stakeholders, including the Consumer Technology Association, Public Knowledge, NCTA, ACA Connects, American Television Alliance and LPTV Broadcasters Association, detailed their objections to NAB’s February petition in a July 1 letter to the FCC. The petition requests a two-phase transition deadline that would require full-power stations in the top 55 markets to end ATSC 1.0 simulcasting by February 2028, with remaining markets following by February 2030. The Consumer Technology Association reiterated its position that the transition to ATSC 3.0 should remain voluntary, arguing that “a mandatory transition to ATSC 3.0 would harm consumers by imposing real costs for consumers, stifling... Brian Markwalter, CTA’s senior vice president of research and standards, and Rachel Nemeth, senior director of regulatory affairs, represented the organization at the meeting.

In February, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) asked the FCC to set a deadline for shutting down ATSC 1.0 and transitioning to ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV. Now, the FCC is seeking comments on the proposal, as well as any other potential issues that should be discussed before the transition. The NAB suggested a two-phase plan. First, they asked that stations in the top 55 markets, which cover about 70% of U.S. households, switch to ATSC 3.0 by February 2028. The second phase would have all remaining markets make the switch before February 2030.

Comments can be submitted here, where you can also read the comments of other interested parties. In the document seeking comments, the FCC notes that it received thousands of complaints from consumers about Digital Rights Management encryption on ATSC 3.0 signals which could block consumers from watching programming. The FCC asks “What steps can or should the industry and/or the Commission take to ensure broadcasters are able to protect their content and signal, while also ensuring viewers are able to continue to... Individuals and companies are also seeking comments about additional issues with moving to ATSC 3.0, specifically mentioning a few potential barriers to the transition, including: So much for that voluntarily go-as-you-wish shift from the current ATSC 1.0 digital standard to the NEXTGEN TV-fueled ATSC 3.0 standard being rolled out across the country. The association representing the nation’s biggest broadcast TV station owners wants a full shift to ATSC 3.0 in five years.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a new rule that would require all television broadcasters to fully shut off their current ATSC 1.0 broadcast signals in... The proposal, sent to the FCC and its chairman Brendan Carr on Tuesday, would require broadcasters in the top 55 TV markets to wind down their ATSC 1.0 signal by 2028, with the remaining... “Taking into account annual viewing patterns, it is feasible and desirable for the top 55 markets to complete a transition to ATSC 3.0 on a single date in February 2028,” the NAB wrote in... “An additional 18-24 months would provide sufficient time for all remaining stations to complete the work necessary to transmit in ATSC 3.0. Therefore, NAB proposes that the remaining markets should transition in or before February 2030.” The NAB represents the commercial TV and radio industry, including major broadcasters like Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, the E.

W. Scripps Company and TEGNA. The group says many of its member broadcasters have already launched ATSC 3.0 signals that reach more than 80 percent of the United States. Those signals not only allow for better reception of high-definition — and, eventually, ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) — video signals, but also includes advanced datacasting capabilities, such as the ability to target consumers with personalized... But most consumers have not updated their TV sets to take full advantage of the new broadcast standard, and no rules exist that force TV set manufacturers to integrate NextGen TV tuners in their... Only around 10 percent of new TVs shipped in 2024 contained NextGen TV tuners, even though major TV manufacturers like Hisense, Sony and Samsung have committed to making TVs that are compatible with ATSC...

Public broadcasters won’t have to adopt ATSC 3.0 anytime soon if they don’t want to. That’s the biggest takeaway from the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking for ATSC 3.0, also known as Next Gen TV. While the commission wants to strip away some regulations that could hinder support for the new broadcast standard, for now it’s stopped short of setting cutoff dates for the existing ATSC 1.0 standard or... The FCC will likely vote on its proposed rules next year. The lack of an ATSC 3.0 mandate should come as a relief for public broadcasters that aren’t prepared to upgrade, but some broadcasters believe that the new standard won’t go anywhere without a clearer... “If you don’t mandate it, it’s probably not going to happen,” Franz Joachim, CEO at New Mexico PBS and former chair of America’s Public Television Stations, said in an interview.

ATSC 3.0 uses an IP-based architecture to broadcast information over the public airwaves, similar to how data flows over the internet. It also makes broadcasts more efficient by using newer compression formats such as High Efficiency Video Coding. Momentum is building for America’s transition to the next generation of free television service – better picture and sound, hyperlocal weather and emergency alerting, all free with an antenna thanks to NextGen TV (ATSC... In an important step forward, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed eliminating key barriers that have slowed broadcasters’ ability to bring viewers the full benefits of this cutting-edge technology. In a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) released ahead of the Commission’s October 28 vote, the FCC proposed removing unnecessary requirements that have slowed the rollout of ATSC 3.0, marking an important inflection... The proposal reflects the Commission’s growing recognition that the future of broadcasting depends on innovation, not regulation, and that local stations are already leading the way.

The FCC’s draft notice comes on the heels of new investment in ATSC 3.0 across the government and industry. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded NAB a $744,000 contract to advance field testing of the Broadcast Positioning System™ (BPS), which uses NextGen TV signals to enhance GPS resilience and strengthen national security. And earlier this year, all 50 state broadcaster associations united behind a resolution urging the FCC to establish a clear plan for completing the transition. NextGen TV progress is also evident in communities across the country. Today, more than 125 television stations in 80 markets reaching roughly 75% of viewers are already broadcasting with the ATSC 3.0 standard, delivering enhanced interactive services to local communities.

NextGen TV represents the most significant leap forward in television broadcasting since the digital transition. It delivers ultra-high-definition picture and sound, robust emergency alerting, interactive features and powerful new datacasting capabilities that can power everything from connected vehicles to precision agriculture. We look forward to working with the Commission as it removes these barriers and establishes dates by which the broadcasting industry and viewers will take this exciting leap into the next generation of television.

People Also Search

• NAB Files Petition with FCC to Establish Clear Transition Plan for Next ...
• NAB's ATSC 3.0 Petition - The Push for a Clear Transition Timeline
• Six industry groups tell FCC to reject NAB's ATSC 3.0 transition plan
• The FCC is Seeking Comments on the Proposed ATSC 3.0 Deadlines
• PDF PUBLIC NOTICE - docs.fcc.gov
• NAB Asks FCC For Clear ATSC 3.0 Transition Plan
• Broadcast industry group NAB lobbies FCC to shut off ATSC 1.0 TV ...
• FCC's ATSC 3.0 rules would slow transition to Next Gen TV broadcasting
• The Future of Broadcasting is Clear: Momentum Builds for America's ...