Posted on July 17, 2023 in ATSC News
Happy Summer! I hope that everyone is enjoying the chance to vacation, spend time with family and friends, and take a minute to relax from the fast cadence of our professional lives.
ATSC kicked off a busy summer season by hosting our annual Members Meeting and NextGen Broadcast Conference on June 14th and 15th in Washington, D.C. The event showcased several exciting developments, not the least of which was observance of the 40th anniversary of the organization. For a nostalgic look back at ATSC through the years, visit the online photo album. During the conference, ATSC presented our annual Lechner Award and Richer Industry Medals.
The NextGen Broadcast Conference showcased a number of key areas relating to ATSC 3.0, including the NextGen TV Consumer Experience and presentations examining a wide variety of applications and opportunities for NextGen TV. The conference featured an all-star cast including a dialogue with FCC Commissioner Simington, and a special session exploring a topic that created huge buzz at this year’s NAB Show: using ATSC 3.0 as a back-up GPS system, which some have described as a matter of national security. CTA CEO Gary Shapiro recorded a video presentation for attendees of the Annual Member Meeting. The VIP line-up was capped off by remarks from the NAB President and CEO, Curtis LeGeyt. Speaker comments were especially important in light of the newly launched Future of TV Initiative spearheaded by the FCC and NAB.
Global interest and adoption of ATSC 3.0 continues apace! A growing number of countries and regions are expressing interest in this technology—from Brazil to India, from Jamaica to Trinidad & Tobago, from Ghana to Guyana. There are some things in common regardless of where you are in the world: television broadcasters want to deliver a great consumer experience, enhance emergency information distribution, and create a return on investment in upgrading technology. Details of what all this means and how to achieve these goals vary widely. Every region has its own unique set of use cases and key technical requirements, including broadcast traffic offload that can utilize a 3.0 – 5G link, direct-to-mobile services, emergency preparedness, bridging the digital divide, and fostering cultural unity through local news and content creation.
I will be heading back to South Korea for a Global Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) Workshop in Busan on July 19-21. Bringing together leading Korean and International organizations focused on DTT, the workshop will unpack the status and future of global DTT, regulatory and policy frameworks, sustainability, innovative use cases, and much more.
In August, our team will head to the island nation of Antigua for the 54th Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasters Union (CBU), an association of public service and commercial broadcasters in the Caribbean, reaching over 4.8 million people in the region. Last year, Jamaica announced its Digital Switchover to ATSC 3.0, and Trinidad and Tobago announced their adoption of ATSC 3.0 in early 2023. The CBU has members from the entire Caribbean including the Bahamas, Suriname, Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, and many others. This is a fantastic opportunity to share membership opportunities and updates regarding ATSC 3.0 deployment, use cases, and implementation progress with the entire region.
To ensure that ATSC remains at the vanguard of broadcast technology development, the Board has formed two new groups:
• IT7 – Caribbean Implementation Team. IT7 provides a central point for communication to and from Caribbean nations and ATSC regarding ATSC 3.0 adoption and implementation, working closely with national and regional organizations (e.g., BCJ, CTU, CBU) to develop and support national, regional, and coordinated solutions and strategies. IT7 reports to the ATSC Board of Directors. It does not develop ATSC Standards or Recommended Practices; however, it may provide input to technical document development based on its experience with specific Caribbean requirements.
The summer has been busy and exciting and full of promise. But even with all the progress made so far, there remains plenty of work ahead for ATSC and the broadcast industry. ATSC is pleased to be at the forefront, representing our members domestically and globally and look forward to all that is to come!
Posted in ATSC News
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The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc., is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards and recommended practices for digital terrestrial broadcasting. ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries. ATSC also develops digital terrestrial broadcasting implementation strategies and supports educational activities on ATSC standards.
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