The shift to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) presents a unique opportunity to enhance emergency alerting capabilities. Ed Czarnecki, VP of government affairs at Digital Alert Systems, highlights the advantages of advanced emergency information in ATSC 3.0, stating, “Advanced emergency information is different than EAS, but can complement it with relevant information that broadcasters, the ultimate local first informer, can bring to the table.”
Unlike the current EAS system implemented in 1997, which delivers standardized alerts to entire market areas, NextGen TV allows for more targeted and comprehensive emergency communications. This technology, according to Czarnecki, offers “real time transmission of urgent information, total situational awareness,” directly benefiting specific viewers. In emergencies like wildfires, it can provide "graphics, video, highly localized instructions on what to do in an evacuation or shelter scenario, where to go, what to expect, what to bring with you, what not to bring with you.” The system's utility extends beyond emergencies, encompassing traffic updates and community announcements.
The proposed sunsetting of ATSC 1.0 by 2030 necessitates a focus on NextGen TV. Czarnecki emphasizes that the current “lighthouse” model, with a single station using ATSC 3.0, hinders innovation. Several FCC rulemakings concerning emergency alerting may influence the transition timeline, including potential multilingual requirements, as Czarnecki notes: “If the FCC wants a multilingual EAS capability, that would be best happen through ATSC [3.0] and the ability to handle multiple audio tracks.” Digital Alert Systems’ equipment already supports multiple languages.
Obstacles to ATSC 3.0 adoption include funding challenges for public broadcasters, following the suspension of next-generation warning system grants, and the need for a stronger business case for commercial broadcasters. Further challenges involve “greater consensus and coordination between the broadcast and the consumer electronics industry” and improved market education. Despite these hurdles, Czarnecki affirms the technology's readiness, highlighting the mature and proven technologies within ATSC 3.0. Digital Alert Systems’ equipment, deployed in a significant portion of U.S. TV stations, is already equipped for advanced emergency information.
Czarnecki concludes that the enhanced emergency information in NextGen TV aligns with FCC public interest goals, advocating for swift migration to ATSC 3.0: “From a public service perspective, from a public policy perspective, it makes every sense in the world for the FCC, for the government to support ATSC 3.0 and the migration rapidly from ATSC 1 to ATSC 3.” The advanced alerting capabilities present a compelling technical and public interest argument for the transition to NextGen TV.