The Standard

PRESIDENT’S MEMO: Cheers to 2020!

As we wrap up an amazing year for ATSC, we look ahead enthusiastically to the New Year with the expected rollout of ATSC 3.0 broadcasting in 60-plus markets across the United States.  ATSC – the authoritative industry voice on the standard’s capabilities – is looking forward to supporting the U.S. broadcast ecosystem in preparing for this next big commercial launch, which follows South Korea’s successful ATSC 3.0 broadcasting rollout, now in its third year.

2019 TOP FIVE: ATSC Year in Review

What a year!  As we prepare to usher in a new year – new decade, ATSC looks back at five memorable moments of 2019:

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE…Richer Named to ‘Giants of Broadcasting’

In recognition of his stellar four-decade television career, retired ATSC President Mark Richer has been named to the “Giants of Broadcasting,” the Library of American Broadcasting’s honor roll of industry luminaries who have defined the past, present and future of broadcasting.

NAB-CTA TEST STATION WINDING DOWN: We’ll Always Have Cleveland…

Having provided useful information and practical insights over the past five years, activities at the NAB/CTA ATSC 3.0 test station in Cleveland are winding down. As Next Gen TV continues to transition from the development phase to the implementation phase, the need for an over-the-air test station sponsored and operated by the television industry as a neutral test facility has now become less critical. In addition, the FCC’s TV channel repacking plan has made the broadcast test station shutdown in Cleveland somewhat inevitable.

SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW: Fred Engel – Making Space for Success

Even though he grew up with limited TV reception and a VHF-only TV set, Fred Engel’s fascination with space helped lead him to where he is today. A self-proclaimed “space junky” as a child, Engel said watching Apollo 8 orbit the moon as well as Apollo 11’s historic achievements drove him towards a career path of electronics and broadcasting.

ATSC HAPPENINGS

December and January meetings, events and dates of interest to ATSC members, industry colleagues and key stakeholders.

HOW THE GRINCH SAVED TV (With Apologies to Dr. Seuss)

Every ATSC member from sea to sea
liked TV a lot…

But the Grinch, who lived near DC,
did NOT!

The Grinch hated TV! The whole TV season!
Now, please don’t ask why.
No one quite knows the reason.

It could be that his cable bill was too high.
It could be, perhaps, Whooville has no BestBuy.

Whatever the reason could be,
The Grinch just couldn’t stop hating TV.
And he especially hated ATSC!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR… GatesAir

ATSC 2019 sponsor GatesAir has led the way in digital TV since the launch of their first-to-market commercially-available ATSC 1.0 systems in the late 1990s. They helped pioneer WRAL-TV to become the first commercial station on air with ATSC 1.0, and we helped educate people both within and outside the industry as co-sponsors of the Harris-PBS DTV Express project.

SOUNDBITE: ‘Future of Television’

“This innovative space serves as a collaborative hub where students, faculty and researchers will explore the future of television and other applications afforded by the emerging ATSC 3.0 digital standard.” -Susi Elkins, Director of Broadcasting and General Manager of WKAR Television, at Michigan State University’s grand opening of the NextGen Media Innovation Lab in East Lansing.