An Interview with President Emeritus Mark Richer

Posted on August 15, 2024 in ATSC News

ATSC President Madeleine Noland sat down with ATSC President Emeritus Mark Richer to talk about his role in the development of ATSC 3.0. They also discussed the recent SBTVD Forum’s recommendation that the Brazilian government adopt the ATSC 3.0 PHY layer, among many other ATSC 3.0 technologies, for its TV 3.0 transition project, a testament to Mark’s leadership during the development of ATSC 3.0.

ATSC 3.0 tested very well in Brazil’s evaluation process. What are the technical decisions that you are most proud of?

First, let me be clear, I love all my children. Each of the selected ATSC 3.0 technologies is remarkable, but the decision to optimize the new standard by agreeing to development of a non-backwards compatible system was fundamental. It seems obvious now, but in 2010, it was perceived by many to be a crazy idea to start development of a whole new system replacing the government mandated first generation television standard.

Broadcasters had put enormous resources into implementation of ATSC 1.0 which brought the industry into the digital age. It was a tremendous step beyond analog broadcast transmission, but there was a realization that broadcasters, like any other industry, needed to continue to advance technology to be competitive in the marketplace and, most importantly, to serve the public. When I was honored with the NAB Engineering award in 2010, I said, “There’s a bright future for our industry if we develop the next system for over the air broadcasting.” To its credit, the broadcast industry recognized the potential of a new platform and supported it with energy and resources. With great industry collaboration, ATSC delivered the Next Gen TV suite of standards.

ATSC built flexibility into every layer of the system, including the use of IP or Internet Protocol — which is inherently flexible and interoperable. I believe the selection of IP positions broadcasting as a powerful part of the communications infrastructure. That means lower-cost equipment and new distribution and device opportunities.

Of course, we were developing a standard for over-the-air broadcasting, so we had to choose the most robust and flexible physical layer possible. I believe our success in achieving that goal is clear. The 3.0 physical layer provides a myriad of options for broadcasters to provide robust transmission and reception of services to a variety of devices for indoor, handheld and mobile services. With apologies to Bob Dylan, “we were knock, knock, knocking on Shannon’s law”.

ATSC 3.0 was developed by engineers all over the world. What did ATSC do to generate such broad interest in the project?

During each phase of the project, from initial conception and development of requirements through selection of technologies and the documentation of technical specifications leading towards standardization, we actively encouraged participation from broadcasters, research laboratories and consumer electronics manufacturers around the world. All major technology decisions were based upon responses to numerous requests for proposals. In addition, ATSC staff, board members and technical leadership gave frequent presentations around the world, encouraging active participation in our work.

ATSC 3.0 allows broadcasters to diversify, offering enhanced linear television services and also datacasting services. Which features or use cases do you see emerging as the most valuable for the industry?  

I don’t know which specific cases are the most valuable, but I believe in the words of French explorer Andre Gide, who said, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” I believe it’s good for broadcasters to try different services and applications. That being said, broadcasters must also identify a few basic low hanging fruit services that can be implemented and promoted nationwide.

The history of TV standards is fractured, with different regions and countries doing different things.  There was an opportunity with ATSC 3.0 to unify the approach and give countries or regions the chance to customize with a flexible set of tools.  That is exactly what’s happening with the recent announcements from Brazil.  What is it like to have the ATSC 3.0 strategy validated?

It’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment knowing we selected the best of the best technologies for each layer of the system and have a platform that people around the world can build on to fit their unique requirements. I’m grateful for all the amazing people I met and worked with around the world and I’m glad to see that international collaboration continue.

What excites you most about the future of ATSC 3.0?

I’m impressed by the technical and business diversification of ATSC participants. Each year I’m honored to come back and present the Richer Medal. I’m pleased to see so many familiar faces, many great friends I’ve made over the years, but I’m just as happy to see so many new people that I have not met before. It’s the sign of a healthy organization. My congratulations to Madeleine for her tremendous leadership over the past five years.

How are you enjoying retirement? What are you up to these days?  

While I miss almost all of you, my retirement has been great. The only disappointment is that I have not been able to convince my wife to reprise her role as the rubber chicken.

Posted in ATSC News