President’s Memo: Connecting Innovation and Standards

Posted on July 28, 2026 in ATSC News

In early July, I had the opportunity to participate in the IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (IEEE BMSB 2026) in Brazil. The technical program was both broad and inspiring, showcasing innovations across AI, wireless delivery, immersive media, cloud-native architectures, and hybrid broadcast-broadband services.

An especially compelling demonstration was staged by the ATSC Tower Network Implementation Team (IT-5), supporting their paper entitled “Geographically Segmented Localcasting in an SFN Environment With Local Content Insertion” published in IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, June 2026 Part 2. “Localcasting,” a use case of significant interest in Brazil, employs a group of transmission towers operating in a single-frequency network (SFN) to deliver both common services across the network and local services unique to each tower using Layer-Division Multiplexing (LDM). The demonstration showed how technology developed by IT-5 members can overcome the co-channel interference that may occur when a receiver is within range of multiple local service signals. Rather than simply suppressing the weaker signal as noise to allow reception of the stronger service, the technology enabled reception of both local services, allowing viewers to access programming from each transmitter.

What struck me most was the convergence taking place across research communities that have traditionally operated in parallel. The future of multimedia is increasingly collaborative, and ATSC’s work sits squarely at the center of that evolution. It was encouraging to see so many researchers and engineers exploring technologies that will ultimately shape tomorrow’s broadcast ecosystem.

That spirit of innovation was equally evident during the 2026 ATSC NextGen Broadcast Conference in June. Each year the conference provides an opportunity to measure our industry’s progress, and this year’s announcements demonstrated that the momentum behind ATSC 3.0 continues to build.

The conference served as the stage for two significant industry announcements that underscored ATSC’s role in driving innovation and creating value across the broadcast ecosystem.

• NAB announced the launch of Merkhet Solutions, a new venture dedicated to advancing deployment of the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), demonstrating how software-centric approaches are enabling broadcasters to deliver new services with greater flexibility and scalability.
• Sinclair unveiled a new NextGen TV consumer awareness campaign in Columbus, Ohio, highlighting a major investment in educating the public about the benefits of NextGen TV through localized outreach, promotion, and community engagement.

Together, these announcements demonstrate how ATSC provides a forum where technical innovation, commercial opportunity, and industry collaboration come together to accelerate the adoption of next-generation broadcasting.

Most recently, Jericho Receivers (a subsidiary of ATSC member All 6G, LLC) introduced a software-defined atomic clock supporting ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) sources, another example of broadcasters expanding the value of the broadcast platform beyond traditional television services. HCLTech also shared an insightful white paper examining how cloud-native architectures, AI, and open networking can accelerate deployment of next-generation broadcast services. These developments reinforce a message we’ve been hearing consistently: ATSC technologies are enabling an increasingly diverse set of applications that extend well beyond video delivery.

Another highlight of ATSC’s summertime momentum is completion of the first comprehensive revision of ATSC A/85, Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television, since 2013. For more than a decade, A/85 has been the industry’s trusted reference for managing television audio loudness and supporting compliance with the U.S. CALM Act. The newly revised Recommended Practice reflects today’s hybrid media environment by expanding guidance beyond traditional broadcasting to include streaming workflows, adding practical recommendations for metadata-based and non-metadata-based audio codecs, and introducing a new “Loudness and True Peak Quick Reference” to streamline access to the key concepts for busy audio engineers.

As audiences increasingly move seamlessly between broadcast and streaming platforms, consistent, high-quality audio remains essential to the viewer experience. This revision ensures that A/85 continues to provide the practical, contemporary guidance our industry needs for the years ahead.

Broadcasters reached another major milestone this month with the launch of NextGen TV in Cleveland. With this launch, all 25 of the nation’s largest television markets now offer ATSC 3.0 service, marking a significant step forward in the nationwide rollout of NextGen TV. This achivement demonstrates the industry’s shared commitment to embracing new technology and ensuring viewers benefit from the next generation of free, over-the-air television.

On the international front, our engagement continues later this summer as we head to SET Expo in São Paulo (Aug 17-20). ATSC will have an active presence on the exhibition floor, with our booth supported by ETRI and HCLTech. Just as importantly, we have scheduled a number of strategic meetings with broadcast leaders and policymakers from across Latin America. Interest in ATSC technologies throughout The Americas continues to grow, and these conversations are invaluable as we strengthen partnerships and explore future collaboration. If you’ll be attending SET Expo, please stop by the booth (#41.8) and say hello—I always enjoy the opportunity to catch up with members and colleagues from around the world.

While conferences often capture the headlines, the foundation of ATSC remains the dedicated standards work performed by our volunteers. Their efforts continue to deliver practical guidance that benefits the entire industry. Check out updates in the monthly Standards Column.

As I reflect on the conversations, demonstrations, and technical accomplishments so far this summer, I’m reminded that innovation is rarely driven by a single breakthrough. Rather, it is the cumulative result of researchers, manufacturers, broadcasters, software developers, and standards experts working toward a common vision. That collaborative spirit has always defined ATSC, and it continues to position our industry for an exciting future.

Thank you for your continued participation, leadership, and support of ATSC. I look forward to seeing many of you at SET Expo and at the many meetings and events still ahead this fall.

Madeleine Noland

President, ATSC

Posted in ATSC News