The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to set a deadline for transitioning from the aging ATSC 1.0 standard to the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) technology. The NAB’s proposed timeline suggests sunsetting ATSC 1.0 in major markets by 2028, with a full transition by 2030. This proposal has generated diverse responses within the broadcast industry.

Ed Czarnecki, VP of government affairs at Digital Alert Systems, highlights the uncertainty surrounding this transition: “Honestly, I think many things are up in the air right now. We’re in a time of enormous transition here in the Washington, D.C. area, in the regulatory and political space.” This transition comes amidst significant progress in NextGen TV deployment, already reaching approximately 76% of U.S. households.

Broadcast executives express confidence that the new FCC leadership will establish a supportive regulatory environment. Czarnecki notes, “The NAB has made an ambitious proposal that I hope is taken seriously to sunset ATSC 1.0 in favor of ATSC 3.0 in major markets in approximately five years by 2028. That likely has been offered as the initiation of a major conversation.” Rob Folliard, SVP of government relations and distribution at Gray Media, underscores the need for regulatory clarity: “I think the FCC is going to be extremely pro-innovation and giving broadcasters the flexibility to launch in more markets, setting a hard date for a transition.”

While the Consumer Technology Association has voiced concerns, particularly regarding mandated ATSC 3.0 tuners, broadcast vendors see regulatory action as crucial for market expansion. Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, explains the complexities: “It’s complex in the sense that it’s bringing an integrated IP broadcast signal to devices that need a new infrastructure on the device to receive it. That takes time… we’re on that curve of what’s typical for any device to get the supply chain going and adopting the technology. Regarding the arc, we’re ahead of the curve. It just takes time. And so scale is where things take off, and a component on the scale is having a favorable regulatory environment where there’s certainty regarding a transition.”

Technology vendors identify specific regulatory hurdles hindering widespread adoption. Czarnecki points to the “lighthouse station” model, where one station broadcasts in ATSC 3.0 while others simulcast, limiting innovation. Mary Crebassa, VP of major accounts at LTN, notes the financial challenges faced by smaller broadcasters and expresses hope for government support, similar to the analog-to-digital transition.

For Digital Alert Systems, which serves a large portion of U.S. television stations, current regulations restrict the deployment of advanced alerting capabilities. Czarnecki clarifies: “To go to ATSC 3.0, you don’t have to change our equipment. If you want to do advanced emergency information, the software is already on all these devices. It just has to be enabled.”

Industry leaders stress the importance of collaboration between broadcasters, technology vendors, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Czarnecki emphasizes: “One thing I think that could greatly enhance the ATSC 3.0 project conservation is greater coordination across these various voices. Though they may have different business cases, different priorities for ATSC 3.0, there needs to be a greater common agenda.” Schelle highlights the existing collaboration, including interoperability testing, while Folliard describes this as offering “tremendous learning opportunities.”

The debate underscores the tension between market-driven and government-mandated approaches. Czarnecki observes, “We’ve got a pro-innovation and anti-regulatory administration, but now we’re asking for more regulation to free up innovation.” Folliard argues for regulatory action to modernize broadcasting for the IP era. Schelle expresses optimism: “I’m excited about this year because we’ve got a favorable administration that will make some noise about a transition. And I think that’s really going to sort of put a lot of fuel into the rocket ship.”

As the FCC considers the NAB petition, the industry awaits decisions that will shape the future of television broadcasting.