President’s Memo

Posted on September 3, 2014 in ATSC News

After an unusually busy summer, the ATSC is looking ahead with great enthusiasm to an even more action-packed fall.

I continue to be impressed with the progress of our technology groups on the development of the ATSC 3.0 standard. I’m particularly glad to see how talented individuals, often with differing viewpoints, can work together to reach consensus.

A great example of this is the intensive effort at S34-2, chaired by NBC Universal’s Jim Starzynski, hammering out the final details on a comprehensive Call for Proposals (CFP) covering the ATSC 3.0 audio system. The “Devil’s in the Details” as they say, and I am pleased that this group has worked through a lot of devilish details to prepare the audio CFP for consideration by TG-3 next month.

One of the keys to the ATSC’s success is our open process to address varying viewpoints and reach consensus for the betterment of the industry as a whole. To be sure, there are sometimes challenging debates on relatively obscure technical matters. Whether we’re grappling with defining core services in the physical layer or considering the benefits of scalable video coding, the dialog is always positive, reasoned and productive.

In the end, our collective goal is to make sure we have the best technology solutions for the next-generation television broadcast standard.

We are always open to new ideas, and the ATSC is a Big Tent so various stakeholders can contribute to the standards-setting process.  At the same time, we have to balance the varying opinions with the need to move forward in a timely way to meet the pressing business and technology needs of broadcasters, consumers and other stakeholders.

The train has left the station on the next-gen broadcast standard, but it’s not too late to jump aboard with the ATSC. We look forward to having you join us on this journey.

Mark Richer, ATSC President

Posted in ATSC News