Major Broadcasters Launch NEXTGEN TV On Four Local Television Stations In Austin, TX

Posted on October 6, 2020 in ATSC News

KXAN-TV, KEYE-TV, KNVA and KBVO-CD Begin Broadcasting with New Technology

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Four leading local television stations in Austin, TX, including  KXAN-TV (NBC), KEYE-TV (CBS), KNVA (CW), and KBVO-CD (MyNet), today became among the first in the nation to begin broadcasting with NEXTGEN TV, a revolutionary new digital broadcast technology. Based on the same fundamental technology as the Internet, digital applications, and other web services, NEXTGEN TV can support a wide range of features currently in development, such as immersive audio and video (up to 4K), broadcasting to mobile devices, personalized viewing tools, and advanced emergency alerts providing rich media instead of simple text messages. NEXTGEN TV also allows full integration with 5G and other broadband-delivered Internet content.

Powered by ATSC 3.0, NEXTGEN TV is the most significant broadcast technology upgrade ever. Today’s launch in Austin is one of the first in the country for NEXTGEN TV and follows a decade of development of the new technology and months of planning and preparation by the local stations. BitPath, which is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the four television stations.

The participating stations have cooperated to ensure that current programming remains available to all viewers, regardless of whether their television service is provided over-the air or by a cable or satellite company. Antenna viewers can simply rescan their TV sets to ensure full service.  Rescan instructions are available at: fcc.gov/rescan. Cable and satellite subscribers do not need to take any action.

“We are extremely pleased to be adding more markets to the growing list of areas where NEXTGEN TV is available over the air,” said Brett Jenkins, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Nexstar Media, owner of KXAN-TV and KBVO-CD.  “These consistent upgrades to the transmission technology of our stations enable Nexstar to serve its existing viewers with better products while also opening up greater optionality for the company to pursue a variety of new business opportunities.”

Mark Aitken, Senior Vice President of Advanced Technology for Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of KEYE-TV, said, “We are quite excited to bring the game-changing benefits of NEXTGEN TV to our viewers in Austin, a city with a rich history of driving innovation and progress.  Going forward, residents in the area can look for a more enjoyable viewing experience, with future upgrades to the system offering a more personalized and immersive viewing experience.”

“The future of television is NEXTGEN TV and we know that our viewers will embrace the multitude of services this new technology offers.  This is an important day for KNVA and the city of Austin.” said TJ Vaughan of Vaughan Media, owner of KNVA.

John Hane, President of BitPath, said, “We’re excited to extend BitPath’s footprint into one of America’s leading technology hubs. Austin’s tech-savvy population will quickly appreciate the power and efficiency of BitPath’s unique broadcast data network. We look forward to working with Austin’s tech companies to launch innovative new wireless services.”

About KXAN-TV and KBVO-CD – Nexstar

KXAN-TV and KBVO-CD are leading television stations in Austin, TX, owned and operated by Nexstar Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST).  Nexstar is the nation’s largest operator of local television stations and a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its broadcasting, digital and mobile media platforms. KBVO-CD is affiliated with the MyNet network and KXAN-TV is affiliated with the NBC network.

About KEYE-TV – Sinclair

KEYE-TV is a leading Austin television station owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBGI), a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. KEYE-TV is affiliated with the CBS network. Sinclair owns and/or operates 23 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 190 television stations in 88 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. For more information, please visit https://cbsaustin.com/ and sbgi.net.

About KNVA –Vaughan Media

KNVA, known as The CW Austin, is one of four stations owned and operated by Vaughan Media, LLC.  KNVA is Austin’s entertainment destination on-air, on-line, and in the streets, connecting viewers through localized web features and great programming, including local lifestyle program Studio 512.

SOURCE BitPath

Posted in ATSC News