President’s Memo: From Hallways to Headlines: The Growing Impact of ATSC 3.0

Posted on October 21, 2025 in ATSC News

At the time this issue of The Standard reaches your inbox, many of us are gathered in New York for the NAB Show NY. These in-person moments are always welcome opportunities to connect, collaborate, and advance the momentum behind NEXTGEN TV. Whether you’re participating in meetings, panels, or impromptu hallway conversations, the energy and innovation surrounding ATSC 3.0 are palpable—and growing.

Looking ahead to 2026, please mark your calendars now for the ATSC’s NextGen Broadcast Conference. The annual event will take place June 1-3 at NAB’s headquarters building in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. As in past years, the event will kick off with TG3 and ATSC Board of Directors meetings on the first day and two days of conference activities will follow. We will have special hotel discounts in the area to announce later, but please do “save the date” so that you know where to be next June.

This month also brought important news from Washington. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will formally vote soon to approve the issuance of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and request comments on the future of NEXTGEN TV. This is an important next step in the voluntary U.S. transition to ATSC 3.0, and the document signals an opening of the next chapter of policy and technical conversations.

ATSC is encouraged by the FCC’s efforts to further accelerate the voluntary, market-driven transition to ATSC 3.0 in the United States. America’s local broadcasters provide an invaluable and vital public service, keeping us informed on news, weather, and sports. ATSC 3.0 will allow broadcasters to enhance their ties to local viewers, with the capability to enhance emergency messages, improve accessibility for viewers, and even provide BPS — a much-needed redundancy for GPS. Obviously, many of our members are watching this policy conversation very closely so that the transition to ATSC 3.0 in the U.S. can proceed as efficiently as possible.

Internationally, we continue to build relationships and advance the conversation. I recently had the privilege of serving as Chair of the Broadcasting Working Group during the 46th CITEL PCC.II meetings held in Salvador, Brazil. With hundreds of delegates from across the Caribbean and the Americas, the sessions reflected a strong regional interest in broadcast policy and technology. PCC.II will hold its 2026 meetings in Dominica and Colombia. I am looking forward to support the broadcasting group’s valuable work into the future.

Looking farther south, our Vice President of Standards Development, Luiz Fausto, represented ATSC at the CAPER Show in Buenos Aires on October 7-9. As part of the IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Series, Luiz spoke on two important topics: the evolution of DTV+ in Brazil, including public policies and transition strategies, and the global adoption of ATSC 3.0, with insights from South Korea, the Caribbean, the U.S., Brazil, and beyond. We are proud to have Luiz sharing ATSC’s expertise in such vital international forums.

As always, don’t miss this month’s Standards Column for a deep dive into the latest technical activities happening across our committees.

Let’s stay engaged, stay informed, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with ATSC 3.0 —and I encourage all members to review the FCC’s draft NPRM and share your perspectives as we continue this important dialogue.

Madeleine Noland

President, ATSC

Posted in ATSC News