FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Newly-minted ATSC A/103 Standard means new capability for feature-rich receivers, including ‘on demand’ broadcast TV channels, more detailed program information

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2012 – The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) today announced the approval of the ATSC NRT (Non-Real-Time) Content Delivery standard, a backwards-compatible enhancement to digital TV broadcasting that provides a framework for the delivery of a broad range of exciting new services. The new ATSC NRT standard is designated as A/103.

The delivery of non-real-time services via the A/103 standard will now allow broadcasters to deliver file-based content, including programs and clips, information for emergency alerts and even commercial applications such as digital signage. The new ATSC NRT broadcast standard will support terrestrial transmission to both fixed location and mobile DTV receivers designed to make use of the new flexibility.

"Television broadcasting remains the most efficient means to move popular content to a very large audience because broadcasting is an infinitely scalable one-to-many technology. Non-Real-Time services, or NRT for short, represent just one element of the emerging ATSC 2.0 Standard that also is likely to include new advanced coding technologies, Internet-related features, enhanced service guides, audience measurement, and conditional access capability for TV broadcasts," said ATSC President Mark Richer. "ATSC’s new NRT standard gives broadcasters the capability to deliver all types of file-based content to consumers. Using broadcast television, programmers will be able to send content that a viewer may watch at their convenience."

For Immediate Release

Broadcast Industry Veteran has more than 45 Years of Experience

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2012 – The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) today announced that S. Merrill Weiss is the 2012 recipient of its highest technical honor, the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award. The presentation was made during the ATSC Annual Meeting at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center this week.

The Lechner Award is bestowed once a year to an individual representative of the membership whose technical and leadership contributions to the ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary. The title of the award recognizes the first recipient, Bernard Lechner, for his outstanding services to the ATSC. The award winner is selected by the Board of Directors and presented at the ATSC Annual Meeting.

“Merrill is very adept at analyzing complex issues, putting them in perspective and recommending strategies to move the process forward," said Mark Richer, ATSC President. “He has played a key role in many of our standards development efforts.”