Pearl TV executives recently met with Federal Communications Commission staff to advocate for clear guidelines regarding the shift to ATSC 3.0. They warned that postponing a definitive end date for older broadcasts could impede consumer adoption of ATSC 3.0-enabled devices and limit the availability of affordable converter boxes. Anne Schelle and Gerard Waldron from Pearl TV met with Jessica Kinsey on July 8th, as noted in a July 10th ex parte filing.
The meeting centered on Pearl TV's request for the FCC to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking establishing specific transition timelines. NextGen TV is now available to 76% of U.S. households, reaching roughly 96 million homes and 258 million viewers. However, only 15 million ATSC 3.0 TVs have been sold, with manufacturers predicting just 5 million more by 2025. Pearl TV's presentation stressed the need for regulatory signals to stimulate TV and set-top box sales beginning in 2026 and 2027. “Regulatory transition signals are needed to significantly increase shipments of televisions and set-top boxes starting in 2026 and 2027,” their presentation stated.
The consortium, including major broadcasters like Cox Media Group and Nexstar, highlighted the 18-month lead time required for receiver development. Without FCC action setting transition dates, manufacturers will likely remain hesitant. “Each quarter that passes without a definitive signal and an NPRM increases the risk of extending the timeline by another year, as development and manufacturing processes are tied to seasonal and retail schedules,” the filing explains. This delay impacts not only TV manufacturers but also system-on-chip providers and operating system developers.
The industry anticipates further expansion in 2025, aiming for the conversion of the top 55 markets by February 2028. This timeline necessitates immediate regulatory action. The consortium projects that adding six more markets using NextGen TV would increase U.S. coverage to 80%. Consumer features driving adoption include Dolby Vision (84 million households), Dolby Atmos (69 million households), and interactive apps (70 million households). Pearl TV expects these numbers to reach 80 million households each by 2025.
Marketing initiatives through WatchNextGenTV.com have yielded over 2 million visits, alongside over 300,000 television ads and manufacturer collaborations. The return of non-NextGen TVs indicates strong consumer demand. Separately, Sinclair Inc. also held meetings with FCC staff regarding EdgeBeam Wireless, an ATSC 3.0 venture for data distribution. Patrick McFadden advocated for an ATSC 1.0 sunset date of February 2028 for the top 55 markets and February 2030 for the rest. “ATSC 3.0 is a game-changing opportunity for broadcasters to diversify their revenue streams and ensure that they can continue to serve their viewers – but time is of the essence,” McFadden stated.
The National Association of Broadcasters also filed a petition in April, seeking Commission action to facilitate the NextGen TV transition.