House of Representatives Urge FCC to Move Forward with Next Gen TV

Support for moving forward with Next Generation TV (ATSC 3.0) continues to grow.  Recently, 91 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the FCC asking it to move forward with Next Gen TV.  In the letter, members of Congress stated:

“It is of utmost importance that local broadcast stations throughout the country are able to serve our constituents not only with the improved pictures, sounds, and interactive features that Next Gen TV provides, but also with expanded local news capabilities, advanced emergency alerting, and the ability to deliver hyper-localized content that is the fabric of our local communities.”

Importantly, the Congressional Letter urges the FCC to set a date certain for the transition from the current ATSC 1.0 system to Next Gen TV ATSC 3.0.

“As the video marketplace evolves, it has become a competitive imperative for video platforms to deliver ultrahigh-definition (4K) programming.  This is particularly essential to the continued vitality and competitiveness of local television broadcasters’ free, local, and trusted service in our communities.  Without the certainty of a firm transition, broadcasters will struggle to compete for high-value programming such as 4K sports, risking a shift of that content to tech platforms, undermining decades of investment in local news.  Viewers would lose a free, over-the-air option that provides a wide variety of compelling programming and community-focused journalism.

 Finally, and most importantly, regulatory certainty would also bring critical public safety and national security benefits.”

We hope the FCC takes the advice of Congress and begins to move forward with ATSC 3.0.

You can see the Congressional Letter here.